Blank Card - Mia and the Mouse

Catch and Release

I first knew we had a mouse when Mia began showing an unusual level of interest in the drinks cabinet. For anyone unfamiliar with her energy levels, "unusual interest" means she was actually awake and focused on something that wasn't her food bowl.

The cabinet had to be emptied completely. It's an Art déco beast with a strong preference for staying put, but we tipped it anyway. The mouse shot out, zig-zagged neatly through Mia's legs, crossed the dining room, and disappeared into a gap I'm still not sure was physically possible. Gone.

Mia kept watch at the gap for hours. I found this reassuring.

I assumed the matter was resolved. It was not.

A week or two later, at 11pm, Mia entered my bedroom making a strange sound. I turned on the light. She had a full mouth, and it wasn't her very expensive kibble.

Half asleep and unprepared for wildlife management, I did what any reasonable person would do. I yelled at her to take it outside.

She dropped it.

The mouse, considerably more motivated than either of us, shot under the wardrobe.

Here's the thing. Mia had caught it, carried it to me as a gift, and announced her arrival. From her perspective, she did everything right. I'm the one who blew it.

Though part of me wonders if she hadn't been quietly laughing about her catch and release plan all along.

The next morning I confirmed what I already suspected. The mouse was gone. Mia had crashed out from the excitement and simply let it walk.

We are not a well-run operation.

Blank greeting card and envelope. Limited stocks available