Of Mice and Cats

Recently, and quite unfortunately, we discovered a mouse problem in our house.  You know – you see the “signs” of a mouse.  So, we set out a trap, and the next day, Mr. Mouse was on his way to mouse heaven.

Then we saw more signs, and set out more traps.  One morning I walked into the kitchen to see a little brown fluff peering out from beneath my stove.  At this point I started to get angry.  Not only because I had a nasty rodent in my house, but because, no more than 15 feet away, my two cats were sitting.  Hello, cats?  Isn’t this your job?  Of course it was, but they didn’t know because they really hadn’t been introduced to Mouse #2 yet. 

I picked up Othello (who is our best hope for mousing issues because he loves to catch and eat bugs!) and pointed him in the proper direction.  As soon as he caught one glimpse of the mouse, he ran, pounced, and had a plump little mouse in his mouth.  Hooray!

Since finding that mouse, Othello has changed.  He patrols the kitchen like clockwork, scanning the floor, smelling all the corners – he’s looking for signs of a problem.  In the meantime, I work on the bigger picture – looking for holes, scanning the basement and foaming/caulking as necessary, cleaning and organizing.

A tiny mouse showed up by the fireplace.  Othello was on it.  And now he patrols the fireplace and living room with as much vigor as the kitchen.

So, why am I telling you the sordid details of mousing in my household?  Because this mouse problem isn’t any different from any other problem that comes up in your life.  And when it comes up, you have to know how to handle it.  And when you have a series of problems, sometimes you just can’t handle all of it at the same time.  That’s when you need help.  And that’s what having a virtual assistant is all about.

Little problems pop up, little inconveniences that you need to take care of but can’t get to, because you’re working on the big picture.  Hiring a virtual assistant for the small tasks is a great way to keep you forward-focused because you don’t have to worry about missing an issue that pops up.  Your VA is there to back you up and take care of things.

Everyone needs a virtual assistant.  Even me.  And here he is.

Othello the Cat. Master Mouser and personal VA to YGF.