Common Place

Ya ever notice how things which at one time shocked you somehow become commonplace...and no longer surprise you or shock you? It is like that here...at least as far as rats are concerned. Apparently the idealistic view that the one rat that got in was the ONLY rat was a little premature! And...my brother's idea that those electronic rat chaser awayer things keep rats out don't really work either! We tried that, don't waste your money!

Back to the rat story...again...another one made it in. Kat went to Six Flags yesterday morning very early, before we got up. I was cleaning up yesterday and noticed this mud all over the hutch and dog food container. I thought Steve had been really messy the day before getting the food out, so I cleaned it up. On the way home from Six Flags, Kat said there had been a rat in the house the night before. I asked her why she was just now telling me...she said it was too early to wake us up! Hmm...last week, we were up ALL night after her screaming.

Last night we tried the let Maggie roam the house technique. She was checking everything out. She slept with Katherine. When she would hear something, she would get up and go check out and then go lay down again. This morning, there was mud again...but how on earth does a rat get mud all over the dog food container and hutch but nowhere else! How did it get to the trashcan without leaving tracks anywhere? We have no idea whatsoever. We did have the electronic thing plugged in, so we can rule its effectiveness out. We can also determine that Maggie heard it and scared it away, so it was unsuccessful at the attempt at the dogfood, but we were also unsuccessful at trapping it.

Tonight...new strategy, no electronic thingy, and Maggie is in the cage, traps are going to be set. Let's try this again...and see if Kat screams!

By the way...I was very cautious walking to the bathroom in the dark since I had no idea what might be lurking near by!