What is that on the floor... EEWWWW!

Our dogs eat... well, everthing.  So it wasn't unusual when I glanced down at Ruby (the brown pit bull) to see a wad of gunk at her feet, in the midst of scattered toys and cats.   So, I ignored it.   Later, while passing that spot, I bent down to pick it up to toss it... and... are those teeth?   Is that a tail?   IT'S A DEAD MOUSE!

Pam was up in the shower so I left it for her to see and marvel at.   I was down in the stateroom changing when I heard her shriek.  THERE'S A DEAD MOUSE UP HERE!

I would have posted a photo of the mouse but Pam tossed it to the crabs instantly.

Now the big question is, where did it come from?  We've seen no signs of mice on the boat.   One of the boat critters must have gotten off the boat in the night, made it up the dock and under the locked security gate (all of them can scooch under it), caught the mouse, scooched back under the gate, up the dock, up the dock steps, and jumped onto the boat, where they proudly deposited it on the rug in the main saloon.

While any one of the boat critters could have killed the mouse, I have to rule out Ruby.  Her best friend as a little puppy was a guinea pig, and she's so gentle with everthing (but Chevy) that she would have protected it, not killed it.  I have to rule out Chevy the big male pit bull since he's afraid of creepy little animals such as Gertie the kitten.  That leaves the cats.   I can rule out Charlie, the three legged Siamese Snow Shoe.   He can get off the boat, but can't jump up due to only having one back leg, so it wasn't him.   That leaves Smudge (the 20 year old) and Gertie (the four month old).   I've never seen Gertie get off the boat.  I think she's afraid to.   That leaves Smudge, but quite honestly, she's so old that she doesn't care about anything much besides sleeping, so I can't see her stalking and catching a mouse.

This will have to remain one of those unsolved boat mysteries.