Someone who concedes that mice are indeed pests and then say that the animal rights of these rodents should still be considered might sound like a hypocrite to most people. However, many animal rights activists are actually very vocal about their concern about how pest mice are being eradicated these days. They have complains about the kinds of devices and methods employed to control mice infestation. Nonetheless, don't think that their efforts are futile because after years of lobbying, they are able to slowly condition the minds of many people to be more humane to mice.
Attacks on Glue Traps
Glue traps have become very popular amongst many homeowners since the late 1990s because of how easy these traps can be used. Many homeowners are delighted about the fact that they don't have to worry much about the proper placement of mechanical traps that have triggers before they snap. Glue traps can be positioned anyway the user wants and still, there is a very big chance that the trap would catch mice. The popularity of glue traps even rose higher when manufacturers started to make the glue smell and taste like bait food. With this innovation, users no longer need to put bait food around the trap because mice are lured into the trap by the glue itself.
However, the dark side about glue traps which many animal right advocates complain about is the way it kills mice. It has been a long-standing practice of many glue trap users to just let mice die out of starvation and dehydration after they are caught by the glue. In some instances, mice even decapitate themselves just to be free from the glue, without realizing that this act would still lead to their own demise – bleeding to death.
It has been the resounding battle cry of many animal right activists to change the way people look at mice. For them, since mice are indeed pests, it is not wrong to hunt them down and kill them. What's wrong is when you prolong the suffering of an animal although you could have done something to end their suffering as soon as possible.
Through their efforts many homeowners who use glue traps are not encouraged to be more humane to mice. Even the manufacturers of these glue traps include in their packaging instructions that aims to teach the user how to dispose of the mice right after they are caught.
Problems with Rodenticides
Many animal right advocates are against the use of Rodenticides primarily because it can also harm the other pets that live in the same house where the poison is placed. There have been so many instances when dogs and cats "accidentally" lick or eat the food bait mixed with Rodenticides and many animal rights advocates do not wish to expose these pets to such kind of risk. However, a portion of these advocates detests the use of Rodenticides because of how it kills the rodents.
Anticoagulant Rodenticides for example, kill mice by inhibiting their bodies to produce white blood cells. Without white blood cells, these animals will not be able to heal by themselves and their wounds will never close, killing the mice by draining it of its blood. Anticoagulant Rodenticides are also mixed with corroding agents that can wound the internal organs of the mouse (primarily the stomach) leading to severe internal bleeding. Many animal rights advocates believe that the use of such kinds of Rodenticides brutally kills the rodent because they have to be given in multiple dosages in order to entice mouse to nibble it every now and then. Animal rights advocates believe that the more humane way to kill mice is to poison them with something that would kill them instantly without causing them so much pain.
A Better Idea
For animal rights advocates who believe that mice still deserve to be treated humanely although they are to be rid of are vocal about their appreciation of the electric traps. The idea of mice electrocution has been around since the late '80s but it has become a hit in the market only recently. Animal rights advocates find electrocution as more humane that the other methods used to kill mice because mice do not necessarily suffer for a long period of time before they die. In a split of a second, a mouse can die inside an electrocution mouse trap.
Moreover, animal right advocates also think that the use of non-invasive methods to scare mice away are always more better. Using catnip or peppermint oil for example, does not kill mice, but they are sufficient to send mice away and keep them out of your property.
Case Study: Why is there a need to be humane to mice?
It might be difficult to digest why there is a need to be "kind" to pests like mice since they are the ones causing the trouble. However, for animal rights advocates, animals, whether pests or not, do not have to suffer before they die. For example, pigs, cows and chickens do not have to be tortured before they are slaughtered because it is no longer necessary. In fact, the Bureau of Food and Drugs has released a guideline as to how these animals should be killed in order to reduce their sufferings.
The same idea is also true with animal duelling. Many animal rights advocates have exhausted so much effort in putting an end to bull and horse wrestling. In some places around the world, humans use these animals as "actors" in an entertainment arena where they gamble and enjoy the sight of animals killing each other to death. The efforts of animal rights organizations like PETA have been fruitful over the years and many states and countries have not banned the use of animals in "blood sport entertainments".
Now, it might be difficult to see the relationship of plain pest mice to the lives of the other poor animals dying brutally in the hands of man, however, for animal rights advocates the relationship is clear and simple: these rodents have lives too and they can feel pain too. While it is not easy for a non-animal lover to understand why some people are so concerned about the "feelings" of animals, for animal-lovers and for animal rights advocates, their mission is to make sure that animals are well protected and in the event that they have to die to benefit mankind, they have to die humanely. In the end, it is their utmost believe that the best way to make sure that society will no longer go back to its once barbaric state, it has to do away with violence, which of course includes inhumane animal slaughter (that includes mice).
All the best,
Sergiu Zburatoru
