We’ve
had several encounters with rats but the battle today was the best
one yet.
I
was cleaning the kitchen last night and could hear strange noises. I
wasn’t exactly sure where they were coming from but was sure it was
somewhere by the refrigerator. It was late and I really didn’t
want to investigate too closely, so I just left the noises.
This
morning, I went to make my coffee and discovered poop on my counter
tops. This was not the little kernels of gecko poop that we find
stuck to the walls. Yes indeed, we have a rat. I’m not sure where
the little bugger is but I’m hoping at this point that the rat is a
he and not a she with a family (that was our last rat incident). I
also found poop inside my oven. Now, I’m getting a little
concerned. There was rat poop on my new frying pan!
Ross says that we need to set traps and who am I to argue. I have
some tasty morsels of chicken to load the traps with. I cleaned my
counter tops with bleach and I am scrubbing everything like a crazy
woman on a mission. While I am not scared of rats, I don’t like
the possibility of them spreading diseases to the humans and dogs in
our home. We set a trap behind the microwave and one behind the
oven, leaving the oven about a foot from the wall.
I
decided to bake a carrot cake to serve to friends that are coming
over for coffee tomorrow. I gather all the ingredients that I need
and start to mix. It is time to light the oven. I can imagine you
can see where this is going. Oven starts to heat. Suddenly, I hear
a loud thump and I now know exactly where the rat is.
I
peek behind the oven and sure enough, there is one large, grey rat.
He’s a little stunned at this point as I would imagine a 350 F oven
is not a fun place to hang out. He’s having a sauna. Except this
rat does not have his towel and slippers. He’s looking a little
stressed out.
Ross, being the mighty hunter that he is, grabs a golf club.
Meanwhile, I’m taking a picture of the rat which unfortunately did not turn out. Seven dogs are locked
in the TV room as I don’t need one of them getting hit with a golf
club.
I
slowly slide the oven forward and the damn rat goes running across
the kitchen and is now behind the fridge. Ok, enough. Time to get
the ratter dogs out. Shelby is a good ratter. I also bring out my other big gun, Xena who is a
Dominican Cocomutt which are also excellent ratters. Now, both dogs
know that there is a rat behind the fridge. I slowly start to slide
the fridge forward, Ross is wielding the golf club and the dogs
are ready. We are going to get that rat!
I
get the fridge far enough forward, Ross taps the back of the
fridge with the golf club (there is a good reach with a golf club so you don't have to get too close) and now the rat is on the move. The rat heads
straight into Shelby’s kennel. Score! Shelby heads into the
kennel and grabs the rat. The rat is having none of being in a dog’s
mouth so he breaks free, runs through the house into the room that Ebony, Gaby and Titch are in. This rat is not going
to see the light of day. Surely the three big dogs are going to get
the rat and kill it.
The
rat is now behind the entertainment centre. The five dogs are going
crazy trying to get at the rat. Ross is still hanging onto his
golf club. This rat is going down one way or another. Finally, the
golf club comes in handy. Ross slides the golf club under the
entertainment centre, gives the rat a gentle nudge and once again the rat is on the move. The rat
manages to make it past all five dogs, bolt out the back patio doors
and down the steps into the back yard.
The
rat is gone.
I
have five loser dogs that couldn’t catch one rat and a husband that
packs a golf club who is taking credit for getting rid of the rat.
I
am shaking my head, laughing and grateful that the rat is gone. He’s
probably moved into the pool room now.