we fail to perceive the intelligence of the animals around us.

I recent had a tiny hole in my floor through which mice came in (via the crawlspace) and foraged for food in the kitchen - evidenced by their droppings.

Mice/Rats have co-evolved with humans to be very intelligent, and the traps I laid out could not catch them - perhaps because i did not wear gloves, and they could perceive human scent. They could navigate paths around the home in complete darkness return back via the entrypoint. amazing.

I am convinced they can communicate with each-other, and they are very social, and are learning machines just as we humans are. I am also convinced that they are explorers - exploring the space around them for food using their keen sense of smell.

The way I got rid of them is not by trapping them, but by removing all exposed food sources, and blocking entrypoints, so they learnt that that it was pointless to come in.