The cat is not allowed to keep a mouse as a torture pet.

I'm pretty sure that was the plan. I saw him next to the mouse, and I thought, "Oh good he's killing a mouse in the house." However, the mouse kept squeaking all night. At one point, I discovered the cat playing with my hiking boot. I turned the boot over and discovered the mouse was in it and was still alive. I figured, "Oh well, just not quite dead yet." Later on that evening, the cat seemed to spend a lot of time next to his food dish. This morning, I discovered the mouse sitting next to it. That was when I realized the cat had no intention of actually killing this particular mouse. It wanted to keep it alive so it could bat it around when it was bored.

So I put the mouse outside. Now the cat is just lying there, listless. I think he needs a girlfriend.