Curious Canine Behavior

As I said last night, I suspect I upset a mouse nest while cleaning out the house. Tibe has been obsessed with a few different locations over the past three days, but it seemed odd to me. That many mice? In four different rooms? I went on a search mission.

I call how to determine the extent of a mice infestation from when we had mice back in Maryland one Thanksgiving. There were so many mice then, they were dancing on the counters while we cooked dinner. Or just about. So today I went looking and found minimal evidence in the form of mice “trailings”. (Oh, ok, if you insist, mouse shit.) Odd. And little Vita who generally has an interest in small moving things, is basically uninterested. She would rather sit on her chair. Now I have not tried denying her a meal to see if that increases her appetite to hunt. That seems cruel and we cannot afford to be banned from another county for our animal husbandry.

So I am not sure what is going on in the house. I worry that perhaps Tibe is having a little anxiety disorder. Perhaps he is in need of a psychologist? Here is what has been happening.

Last night, after being obsessed with a small cabinet all afternoon (which I will confess, I did not move or look under. I tried to get my father over to do that but I just did not have the wherewithal for that exploration), he became obsessed with the dishwasher. Sitting in front of it, watch it, sniffing it, then trying to bite it. Finally, I insisted he come up to bed and this morning, he did not seem too interested in the dishwasher.

Later in the day, however, he became obsessed with the stove. Same behaviors. Interestingly, Vita became interested in the  stove today and so I watched her for a bit and when I investigated, she was following a small ladybug. The second I have seen (good news! Spring is nigh!) though sadly Vita killed it and ate it. Tibe continued to be obsessed with the stove and started licking it! Here are some photos.  

Tibe smelling the stove, which is off and has nothing cooking in it.

  

Tibe examine the floor beneath the stove (it is dirty. More on that in a minute).  

Tibe licking the stove, which he did for about twenty minutes.

  

More licking. 

Now he is inspecting the top of the stove.

So concerned about a mouse problem, and channeling my friend Toni, I pulled out the Pine Sol, a mop, and some rags. I moved everything, mopped the floor, and wiped down every surface with Pine Sol. (Yes, thank you for noticing, the house smells delicious!) Still, while I was mopping the floor Tibe continued to sniff and lick. Since the cleaning extravaganza, it has lessened, but he still seems to be on the search for something.

Thoughts? Musings? Suggestions? Interventions?

I have three possible explanations for this behavior over the past three days. Two which make me cringe, well, actually, none of them are happy explanations. First, it could be a mouse. If so, eventually we will catch it or it will depart for moe hospitable spaces. (Would you want to stare out from small spaces as a 135-pound dog and have to duck an 11-pound frisky kitty?) Second, my dad suggested it could be a bat. That seems plausible for the behavior like this in the upstairs bedroom, but highly unlikely. This is probably the worst option. It could be (option 2a) both, mouse and bat. Because, you know, G-d, pile it on. Third, it is the ghost of my mother, annoyed beyond all words by two dogs in her house (she never liked Emma and certainly would not be a fan of Tibe) and the rest of the developments since her death in Saginaw, and playing tricks on all of us seeking a little vengeance.

That all I got. You?

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