# Is there any real danger in making a meal of captured house mice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576 "2009-04-28T01:08:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/21 "2009-04-28T19:52:36Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Mmm … mice cream. I scream, you scream, we all scream for mouse cream. ---
**Author:** ![PharmBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@PharmBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/22 "2009-04-29T13:10:00Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Hanta virus is spread mainly by inhaling mouse droppings. I’m not aware of its ever having been spread through ingestion of meat. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence… ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/23 "2009-04-29T13:23:30Z")
The thing that strikes me is how small housemice are. By the time you’ve skinned and gutted one, what’s left? It’d take like six dozen to make a meal. God forbid you have guests to dinner! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t have anywhere near that kind of time. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/24 "2009-04-29T13:40:37Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > And cook it thoroughly, as was stated in the OP. Several cases of bubonic plague in recent years have come from eating wild rodents that weren’t thoroughly cooked. I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who caught it that way. I thought bubonic plague was historically spread through flea bites, which implies that it need to get to the bloodstream. There’s usually not a direct path from the digestive system to the bloodstream. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/25 "2009-04-29T14:07:46Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > The thing that strikes me is how small housemice are. By the time you’ve skinned and gutted one, what’s left? It’d take like six dozen to make a meal. God forbid you have guests to dinner! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t have anywhere near that kind of time. Besides which, who has that many _mice_? I mean, unless your house is a total pigsty. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/26 "2009-04-29T14:24:37Z")
Tularemia? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/27 "2009-04-29T14:54:40Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > I thought bubonic plague was historically spread through flea bites, which implies that it need to get to the bloodstream. There’s usually not a direct path from the digestive system to the bloodstream. It was reported in the CDC’s morbidity and mortality report about 10 years ago or so, if anyone’s interested enough to try to track it down. I don’t know that there was much research into the exact route of infection - it’s perfectly possible (in fact, on further reflection, probable) that he inhaled the bacteria while preparing his supper. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/28 "2009-04-29T15:07:53Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Tularemia? _Too la roo la remia Too la roo la rye Too la roo la remia It’s a bacterial lullabye!_ According to Wiki it’s only present in North America in Rabbits (which are not rodents) and aquatic rodents (beavers) and found in other rodents in Eurasia. The CDC site does not get that specific. But lots of people eat rabbit and even beavers\* here and we don’t hear of too many cases of Tularemia. - 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/29 "2009-04-29T16:29:50Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > The thing that strikes me is how small housemice are. By the time you’ve skinned and gutted one, what’s left? It’d take like six dozen to make a meal. God forbid you have guests to dinner! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t have anywhere near that kind of time. I stopped hunting them with my Barrett, as the bullet is actually larger than the body. And I gotta tell you arrows don’t work well either. I’ve concluded that mice are like electrical generating facilities. You put in more energy than you get out. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/30 "2009-04-29T16:35:59Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who caught it that way. [Andy Garcia] You _know a guy_? [/Andy Garcia] ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/31 "2009-04-29T18:40:01Z")
I would rather feed them to my snake. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/32 "2009-04-29T19:29:38Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > I would rather feed them to my snake. And then eat the snake? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/33 "2009-04-29T21:53:03Z")
You know what they say: A rat a day keeps the plague away. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/34 "2009-04-29T22:34:26Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > I’d be tempted to gut them using an apple corer, then stuff them with a jalapeño pepper which is itself stuffed with Monterey Jack. Deep fry about 5 minutes. Mice stuffed mice. Damn. That actually sounds really good. I’d eat it! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/35 "2009-04-29T23:18:59Z")
\*\* Is there any real danger in making a meal of captured house mice? ``` A dinner party for 6 year olds - Opinions please ** ``` Best sequential threads _ever_. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/36 "2009-04-30T00:29:39Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Souris à la crème ([Mice in Cream](http://bertc.com/subfive/recipes/cookingrats.htm)) Two mice fell in a bucket of cream A desperate fate, a struggle met The white flow a soft cold dream That pulled them down, a nightmare threat. One mouse drowned, a life submit The other thrashed, he wouldn’t quit His life was his, and strongly earned All the cream to butter, churned. I’ve earned your faith, a job, a house, As the mouse crawled out, to live his life. I’ve earned the love of my son and wife. I stand before you; I am that mouse. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/37 "2009-04-30T00:52:16Z")
This reminds me of that scene in [Never Cry Wolf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Cry_Wolf_(film)). You might get a few ideas in that movie. It’s a great movie either way. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/38 "2009-04-30T02:12:59Z")
On the first series of SURVIVOR I remember that they ate rats fairly regularly. I’m pretty sure the show wouldn’t have let them do this without running it by their medical consultants first. I have to assume that rats and mice don’t taste good. The reason for this assumption is that they breed like something out of mythology and they’re almost as adaptive as humans and cockroaches so they’re always plentiful, yet you rarely hear of them being eaten except as desperation food. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/39 "2009-04-30T02:16:05Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > The thing that strikes me is how small housemice are. By the time you’ve skinned and gutted one, what’s left? It’d take like six dozen to make a meal. God forbid you have guests to dinner! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t have anywhere near that kind of time. My crows like 'em. I take the remains from spring traps in my basement and put them in the bird feeder. Gourmet meals for some. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576/40 "2009-04-30T02:27:59Z")
I’d be wary, due to things like [Hanta Virus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hantavirus), which is carried by mice. So are other nasty diseases. As has been noted elsewhere here, there are still cases of the [Bubonic Plague](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubonic_plague) here in the US, [usually animals](http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5952320), but sometimes humans if I am recalling correctly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-danger-in-making-a-meal-of-captured-house-mice/494576.md?page=3)