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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/JustMe1711 on 2025-10-10 15:23:01+00:00.
It's getting colder where I live so mice start trying to find a home indoors for the winter. Unfortunately for any mice who wander into my home, I have cats. Yeah they don't stand a chance.
This morning I caught two of the cats chasing a mouse in the bathroom. It got into a spot they couldn't reach so I kicked them out and grabbed the closest piece of clothing I could find to pick up the mouse. I brought him outside and set him down in the grass and watched in horror as he pulled himself away with his front legs, both hind legs just dragging behind him.
I spent the next 20 minutes sitting on the ground crying because I couldn't find the strength to put him out of his misery. If I'd left him with the cats they would've ended his life eventually. By "rescuing" the poor little thing I instead sentenced him to slowly die out in the cold.
I moved him to a bush so he wasn't in the yard for my dog to bother and watched him crawl away the same way. I wish I could've actually helped but instead I just put him in a position to suffer a long slow death.
TLDR: By "rescuing" the mouse from my cats I instead left him to die a slow painful death.
Quick Edit: I won't be rescuing any more mice because I mow know I don't have it in me to kill them if necessary. Also, there are a few neighborhood strays who will probably find it today anyways. I'm fine with nature doing what nature does. This was the first and last time I'll interfere.