When we talk to people about showing compassion for animals, sometimes they reply, “Yes, when I see a spider in my house, I let him outside.” That’s commendable but many of these same people think nothing of killing other animals such as a mouse. I wrote this poem to inspire people to extend the kindness they show for spiders to all animals. You won’t mistake it for the work of Robert Frost but I hope it causes you to take the road less traveled.
There is a mouse in my house.
That mouse should not be in my house.
How dare that mouse come in my house.
I’ll teach that mouse a lesson for coming in my house.
I will kill that mouse!
Do you realize that mouse doesn’t know he’s in your house?
That mouse thinks it’s his house.
Maybe you should not kill that mouse.
Maybe you should catch that mouse,
In a humane trap for that mouse
and let him out of your house
Be kind to every animal, even a mouse.
What’s right for a spider is right for a mouse.
Kirschner's Korner 
So true, they don’t know it’s your house. They think it’s theirs. Humane traps only please.
Absolutely, humane traps only. Shame on the stores that still sell the wooden mouse traps!
The sticky traps are the worst, and they claim not only rodents, but other critters too. Horrible. They should be banned.
I’m against killing mice, but didn’t even think of it that way…….that they think it’s their house. Good point.
A cute little country mouse made a home for himself in my garage a few years ago. He wove a hammock of spider silk and minced paper towel in my wound up soaker hoses which he thought was a safe hiding place. I am always amazed on how inventive little animals are, as the mousie’s bed had a lot of spring and comfort. He even stored a few acorns next to his bed. Unfortunately, he never thought about my big cat who proved to be an excellent mouser. I was sorry the mouse never made it out of the garage.
Anyone who takes the time to actually know a mouse will see that these tiny beings are curious, charming & have individual personalities. Our multi-species family has included dozens of companion mice & we’d never think of using anything except a humane trap if wild mice were to wander in.
Love it, Andrew. Thank you, as always, for all you do for the animals, you are so appreciated.
Thanks for that. It doesn’t make me feel quite as bad to hear the “big mice” (at least I think they are rats or squirrels) in my addict running around. I had removed them all last year, but I guess they seem to know that we are friendly here, so they came back this year again 😦
That is beautiful! In our house is as well a mouse. Humane trapps dont work with this one it is to clever (or we are to stuipit to put them in the right place :o) I say the mouse once and we looked eye to eye and I treasuare that moment. I would never kill it. We live with the nest and chewed up towels..and the droppings…as we know the areas we now were to clean up. the mouse is now the second winter with us. In the summer it must be out we dont hear it only when it gets cold outside . Katja
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Winter is a slow time for squirrel rehabilitators, so the rehabbers I network with through an e-mail list talk about all sorts of things. One of them recently shared pictures with the rest of us of the deer mice she had caught in her basement. She was caring for them in appropriate large containers until she could release them outside in the spring. That got others of us started sharing our “mouse in the house” stories and information on how we house and feed them until we can release them to more appropriate outdoor venues. How apropos that I would come across your lovely poem and photos. The bottom photo looks like it’s a deer mouse — they have those huge ears and are totally cute! Thank you for all your thoughtful musings.