Communication

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Okay, I think I solved my own rat issues. I haven't seen any evidence or heard any funny noises of late, and the box of rat poison is still under the kitchen sink, uneaten. Praise God! I think maybe they finally got the message.

However, my daughter is currently being overrun with them. Now, I am sharing this because her rats are displaying some very odd behavior. If anyone has seen or heard of rats acting this way, I'd be most interested in hearing of it. Not only am I concerned for her, but she has a three year old and I am very scared because these things aren't scared at all apparently!

Last Friday night, I was on the phone with her. Everyone was at home with her, the lights were on, they were talking and walking all around, the television was on. Theresa walked into the lighted kitchen and STEPPED on a rat, who was just sitting in the middle of her floor! It took a few seconds for Theresa to recognize the squealing of the thing-she didn't realize she was standing on it!-and she jumped back and threw the phone and started her own squealing. The rat tried to bite her! Praise God, she had on thick socks so it didn't! She, because she has such a gentle and beautiful soul, is busy defending the rat! "Well, I just scared it I guess." She has walked into her kitchen after work before to find two or three rats congregating in the corner but she, and I, had no idea they would be so bold. They don't seem to be afraid at all. At least mine have the good sense to stay out of sight--when they hear us, they run. Hers don't. Anyway, her boyfriend went redneck and started shooting the pellet gun and trying to stomp the rats. The baby, also thankfully, was snoozing soundly and missed all this commotion, but what if it had been him who happened upon the rat? He loves animals and all sorts of little fuzzies--he would have tried to play with them! Yeck!!!

They called the landlord, who blames the house next door for leaving all their garbage outside, and who have a dog. Rats love dog food. I knew that from my own experience. He has promised, if the vast amounts of rat poison don't work, to call in the big guns--the mighty exterminators.

At last report, evidence of the infestion are subsiding.

My point in relating this tale is to ask if you have ever heard of rats being this bold, and if so, what are you supposed to do? Do they carry rabies? Could that be the reason for the strange behavior or are there just so many of them in comparison to the number of people in a house that they have no reason to fear? Are they just accustomed to the rhythms of the house?

I sure will be glad when all this construction and street repair is over and all of us, people and fuzzy things, can get back to normalcy at last.

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