The cat really wasn't getting around to it properly.  It was the second time today he caught the same damn mouse, and the third time in two days.  The cat just wasn't getting the point.

Or maybe he was.  Maybe its me that doesn't get the point.

After all, the cat was having a grand old time, flipping the mouse around, pinning it down, carrying it around.  As gentle as you could possibly imagine a cat and a mouse.  I looked once and he was carrying the mouse around by his ear.

Inevitably the thing would get away.  Except this time I strapped on some shoes, put on some gloves and grabbed a broom.

The cat backed away and I swatted the mouse with the broom, pinning it underneath the straw.

Then I brought the boot down and stomped the living shit out of him.

I lifted the broom and looked at the mouse.  He twitched and looked up at me making eye contacs as he died, his guts coming out of his backside.  The people that say that animals are unintelligent or incapable of emotion are incredibly wrong. 

I swept him into a broom pan and threw it outside.  I felt bad.  I felt like the mouse had an intelligence, and had just about every right to exist as I did.

And the cat wasn't doing his job.  Not really.  Sure, he's learning, and to him, that's just one more play mouse, except this one is totally interactive.  He'd probably know what to do if his mother had taught him how to hunt, but she didn't.  I took him young, and I'll be damned if I stick a mouse in my mouth and shake it around for his education.

Well, maybe one day mice will run through my mouth.  Especially if I'm not cremated the way I want.

I just would rather not make anyone hurt.  It was a quick death.

The flip side of the equation has me living with a rodent.  Not happening.  The things are filthy and spread disease.  Their movement and existence cause me revulsion.

I suppose if I was a better bhuddist or gnostic I could deal with it better.  Either square it away as the necessity of life or actually not kill the fuckers.  Unfortunately for my spiritual trek towards the dharma, I don't see that movement happening in this lifetime, either.

As it stands, no mice in mi' casa.