Present at the Door
By Amber
@AmbiePam (85597)
United States
July 17, 2008 11:49pm CST
This past Saturday I stepped outside my apartment door and discovered a present at my feet. Yes, a dead mouse. He looked very peaceful, like he just turned on his side to take a nap. I had a trash bag in my hand and scooted him off the concrete on to the grass. I suspect a cat that had been wondering around was the culprit. I know the cat belongs to someone because it has tags and looks extremely well fed.
So as luck would have it I run into the maintenance man and told him about the gift I had scooted over on the grass outside my door. I asked if he could take care of it. He said very seriously, "Well what do you want me to do with it?" I replied, "Either find a hungry cat, or pick it up and throw it away!" As I have seen him pick up dog poop, I don't think a mouse is something he would be scared of. And of course I do not advocate feeding dead mice to nice tabby cats, but clearly the young man needed direction.
And no, picking up that dead mouse was not my job. I've done it before in a prior life (aka another place I lived) and have given up that particular treat to people who get paid. What was the last neato "gift" you received?
7 people like this
8 responses
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
19 Jul 08
I have not gotten a gift like that in ages....but my sister has. Her cat a few years back brought her a gift...a Homing Pigeon that happened to belong to her next door neighbor who just happened to be one of her very dear friends....the neighbor kept telling my sister how she couldn't understand what happened to the pigeon....my sister didn't have the heart to tell her that her cat had gifted it to her! LOL
2 people like this
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
18 Jul 08
I got a present today. We had went to bed. I got back up to check on my daughter because she was not feeling well. I came out of the bedroom and looked into my kitchen area and there layed a dang salamander in my kitchen floor. I ran back to the bedroom and got my husband. He caught it in a towel and put it back outside. It must have came in when I went out to check the mail or when we got home and opened the door up.
2 people like this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
18 Jul 08
Well, my cat has indeed left me a few of those and the last one was yesterday half eaten. Yuck!
I had to get it out and a few off my porch..she is trying to teach her little one to get to liking and hunting them. I just wish they'd eat them elsewhere, and leave the remains there. Last neato gift I recieved was also yesterday. I recieved a Walmart gift card as a belated birthday gift from my cousin. It is much needed right now.
I had to get it out and a few off my porch..she is trying to teach her little one to get to liking and hunting them. I just wish they'd eat them elsewhere, and leave the remains there. Last neato gift I recieved was also yesterday. I recieved a Walmart gift card as a belated birthday gift from my cousin. It is much needed right now.2 people like this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
18 Jul 08
No, you definitely did not have to do that guy's job and pick up that mouse. My cats leave me presents like that all the time as if to say, "mommy, look what I got you". The latest "present" was actually from my big dog, Buddy. He has this knack for catching rats and birds. So what does he do one day? Come up to me with this absolutely gargantuan rat in his mouth, and he tried to put it in my hands! I just got the heebie jeebies and high tailed it into the house and told hubby to deal with it. LOL
2 people like this
@saxappealct (87)
•
18 Jul 08
I think I must have two slightly dappy cats as my two are forevering bringing me ALIVE mice and voles. They never seem to want to kill them, they obviously just enjoy the chase and them happily deposit the poor frightened creatures into our hallway or lounge and sit and watch as they scurry around the room!
We are forever catching creatures that are brought to live with us by the cats, the little darlings!
@ellie333 (21016)
•
18 Jul 08
Hi AmbiePam, I have come down in the morning before now and my boy cat Wilfred tend to leave me just a mouse head on the kitchen floor and the kidneys for some reason and I can't stand it but luckily it is very rare he does this and I can't stand having to clear it up but on my own so have too, it makes me retch yuk. I hope you won't be receiving too many more of this type of gift in the future. Ellie :D
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
19 Jul 08
Well, I would not exactly consider that a Gift per sey in your sense of the term, but I have seen the Cats here in the Condos where we live carrying around various things as well. I know they even like to tease the moles, squirrels, etc. as well. If I ever seen something like this on my front area, I would leave it there for my neighbor to clean up, or one of the many cats to eat it. (Since my neighbor has Cats, they might enjoy the nice surprize as well.)
1 person likes this
@britishidol (45)
• Czech Republic
18 Jul 08
Hello ! Thanks for sharing a Mouse in a House Story . Yes that is really a Unusual things . But you had approached in a Wrong way . If you say with some pretention . Then I am sure he will assit you . Is there nobody like street Clear available there . Pay some 10 bucks . It can be Ok . They will Lick it and Keep it Graveyard.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85597)
• United States
18 Jul 08
Actually no, that isn't the way it works. I am on disability and don't have ten bucks to pay someone who is already getting paid. It's his job to do that and he isn't a street cleaner. The apartment complex I live in pays him to maintain the grounds in the complex.
1 person likes this
@britishidol (45)
• Czech Republic
19 Jul 08
Hello! That is a brilliant point . Then why you not tell that person with authority to take it away . As it is true if you already pays them. Why to bother about Cleaning . Yes from next time give them some strong notice to perform their duty . Anyway I am apologising as I was not aware about that matter.
1 person likes this
