Question:
You just clean up after them and love them. They are short-term gifts from God.

Answer:
Katy caught a big mouse, and brought it in the house! It is three inches long, and has a three inch tail. It's the biggest damn mouse I've ever seen. She didn't harm it in any way--didn't even break the skin--and then she let it go.
Jon and Sam managed to corner it from under my easychair, and with the help of a tupperware bowl, put it in a old aquarium.
It likes fresh spinach, carrot, and sunflower seeds.
arrrgghh.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Shycat Katy caught a big mouse, and brought it in the house! It is three inches long, and has a three inch tail. It's the biggest damn mouse I've ever seen. She didn't harm it in any way--didn't even break the skin--and then she let it go.
Jon and Sam managed to corner it from under my easychair, and with the help of a tupperware bowl, put it in a old aquarium.
It likes fresh spinach, carrot, and sunflower seeds.
arrrgghh. Are Jon and Sam your sons?
I hate to be an old stick-in-the-mud... but I'd release that little dude back into the wild ASAP. If he gets accustomed to humans, it'll be a BAD thing. Plus, he could have rabies...or it might be a girl mouse that is preggers. Too many potential problems!! OR it could be a small rat.
I'd release that little guy far away from the house. Wild animals are bad news.

Answer:
LOL! Yes, Jon and Sam are my sons! Katy is a cat--I should have clarified that.
It's too late. The mouse is ensconced (sp?). I did indeed consider that it might be a baby rat, and that's when the 'Lets keep it!" chorus hit forte. I do have a bad feeling about it...but I couldn't come up with a solid reason quickly enough. It's supposed to get very cold and icy here this weekend, and after it warms back up, I'll demand the mouse be released back by the lake on the 'wild animals need to be wild' concept. When they were younger I'd use the "What if she has babies waiting for her to get home?" maneuver but that one doesn't work anymore if there aren't obvious teats.
Plus, I'm thinking about getting Jon a snake for Easter.

Answer:
I'm glad to see that there are responsible pet owners out there. I think many people might get the impulse to use corporal punishment, but as you said, the cats would have no idea what they were being punished for. They were only acting on instinct. I'm sorry that your bag is ruined, and it was an expensive mistake that I'm sure you'll never repeat ; ) There will be other bags, but the years of happiness those 2 cats will give you are priceless. I too have been very angry at things my pets have done, and over the years I've learned how to "pet proof" my house. If we decide to take on the responsibility of pets we should be prepared for things like this to happen on occasion, and although it's exasperating when it happens, the positive things you get from having pets far outweighs the negative.. Originally Posted by linnea Oh man...
As many of you know, I'm the proud kittymama to two adorable Scottish Folds. They narrowly escaped death this morning!!
I was getting ready for work this morning and realized that I somehow left my purse on the floor...a $398 Coach Soho leather hobo. IT WAS COVERED IN SCRATCH MARKS. Little bastards! Noooooo!
I wailed in anguish. WHY did I leave it out? I always, always hang it up so it's out of their reach! I couldn't smack them because they would have no idea what they were being beaten for (not only that, but I could never use corporal punishment on anybody), plus I had no idea who the perpetrator was -- Milan or Lennybruce? Both? I am SO ANGRY right now.
I put some leather conditioner on the purse, but you can still see the deep scratches.
About the only thing I can think of...is that it's time to reapply the SoftPaws nail caps to the little critters. They're too old to get them declawed. I guess this means I can never, ever own a leather sofa or ANYTHING NICE because the little bastards will shred it.
The first (and last) time that I put the SoftPaws nail caps on Lennybruce, he chewed 50% of them off within the first 24 hours. The remaining nail caps were chewed off within the week. Maybe the veterinarian can put them on his nails with extra glue while Lenny is under anaesthetic to get his teeth cleaned...Hmmm...

Answer:
Originally Posted by DJB I'm glad to see that there are responsible pet owners out there. I think many people might get the impulse to use corporal punishment, but as you said, the cats would have no idea what they were being punished for. They were only acting on instinct. I'm sorry that your bag is ruined, and it was an expensive mistake that I'm sure you'll never repeat ; ) There will be other bags, but the years of happiness those 2 cats will give you are priceless. I too have been very angry at things my pets have done, and over the years I've learned how to "pet proof" my house. If we decide to take on the responsibility of pets we should be prepared for things like this to happen on occasion, and although it's exasperating when it happens, the positive things you get from having pets far outweighs the negative.. I couldn't agree with you more. I love them, and even though it's an expensive purse, they matter to me more than any material possession. Yelling at them would only make them afraid of me. I can always buy another purse, but I'll never have another Sweet Milan or Lennybruce again! It's good to put things in perspective.
And yes, the pet-proofing is what I should have done. Like I said, I've hung it out of their reach since I got it...I must have forgotten and left it out. It's my fault, not theirs...they were only acting on instinct. Plus I bet the thick pebbled leather felt really good for them to sink their bad little claws into!!