trapped

There is a small – some would say inconsequential – case of animal cruelty going on in Melbourne right now. And, personally, I find it really offensive.

It involves a new way of killing mice and rats. I know there is an old saying about inventing a better mouse trap but this is hideous.

A friend of mine bought one for two dollars at a place called Supa Bargains at Whitehorse Centro at Box Hill.

It is not like the old mouse trap which you baited with a piece of cheese and the unsuspecting mouse triggered the trap and was killed instantly. Didn’t know what hit it.

This new one, made in China is called Mouse Killer. The blurb on the pack says:

Non-toxic, ready to use, disposable, odourless, no springs, child safe.

It is a glue trap. The mouse walks on it and gets stuck, gets trapped, forever on the relentless sticky, gluey surface. And then it panics. And then it dehydrates. And then it starves to death. A death that could take several days.

It is ghastly. I am not averse to killing mice and rats. We used to set traps at the farm when they invaded the house. They are disease-ridden vermin.

But do it as quickly and as humanely as possible. To gloat about “glue traps” to me is obscene. Even if they are only mice.   

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2006