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Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rat has Left the Building

I’ve been dying to say that for weeks: the rat has left the building.

The End.

If you want the full story, please read on.

Mr. Rat is not a family ‘pet’ but a wild rat brought indoors against his will by one of our cats. Apparently he’s a tenacious and good-natured rat, willing to make the best of life in our abode. If you’ve been following along since late last year, you’ll know of the varied and unsuccessful eviction attempts . If not, you can catch up here and here.

Mr. Rat knows how to enter and exit live traps with impunity. My rodent nemesis ate the proffered peanut butter, set off the trap, yet somehow remained on the winning end of freedom.

peanut butter in rat trap

The peanut butter is gone but the cracker remains

He lived under the dishwasher for a spell where he chewed through the electrical wiring. The appliance was out of commission for a week, but the rat wisely chewed through the grounded wire, avoiding certain electrocution.

At some point he moved into our entertainment center. It was warm and cozy there, so he started a nest sometime around Christmas. How else to explain the pretty colored paper shredded behind the receiver?

hiding rat

Mr. Rat hunkered down in the entertainment center

My husband Mike caught the rat between gloved hands during one of our attempts to liberate our furry guest. The rat squealed, Mike let go and another several weeks passed without a clue to the rat’s whereabouts.

Last week, Mr. Rat moved back to the entertainment center and I was sure victory would be mine. I had him cornered with the door flung open to the fresh air. The gentlemen from pest control assured me that the rat wanted to go outside.

After erecting a barrier blocking the living room and leading straight to the door, the rat apparently rounded the corner instead and disappeared. But…but…the door was wide open! This rat is terrible at following directions.

On the other side of the living room wall is a coat closet, a small guest bathroom and our laundry room. All sorts of new places to hide. Did I really leave the coat closet ajar?

Yes. Yes I did!

After gingerly removing coats, tablecloths, shoes and the like, it was clear that I’d been outsmarted by Mr. Rat once again. All my rat-hunting time was up, so I reluctantly left the house for the rest of day. When I returned home, my temporarily rearranged furniture was there mocking me.

Then around supper time, Mouse the cat revealed a clue. Mouse showed a new fascination with the toilet in our guest bathroom, just to the right of the coat closet. Could it be? With my son’s help, we placed a mirror behind the toilet and shone a flashlight into the back opening. Nothing. Yet the cat’s interest persisted.

Oh Mr. Rat! This is no way to live. The garden has so many opportunities for growth and enrichment. Why would you want to hang out under the cold recesses of a toilet?

On the plus side, Mr. Rat had nowhere else to go. I made another impromptu barrier along the face of the washer and dryer. We opened the exterior laundry room door to the cool, fresh, inviting night air. Mike removed the water valve, unscrewed the entire toilet from the floor and lifted it skyward.

under the toilet

The ugly side of liberating a rat

The rat dropped to the floor. Did he run toward the door? Of course not. He ran toward the sink, now blocked, then ran straight for me where he circled my ankles while I stood there stock still. Then and only then did he run out the door into the night.

I ran after him with my camera but he made a clean get away, which is more than I can say for the mess he left.

At long last, The End.

mike victorious-004

Mike celebrates our victory

 

40 thoughts on “Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rat has Left the Building”

  2. I just opened my email and you popped right in – and you know I had to come running over! Yay Mike – new status Super-Hero Rat Evicter! Now you need to have a very serious talk with Mr Mouse! This is the longest rat saga I have ever come across – I am so happy for you – free at last!

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    • Free at last! I can’t begin to express my relief. The cat flap is permanently closed and until the screen door is repaired, the door is carefully monitored.

      I was just about to email you, so stay tuned. xox

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  4. Bonne vie et bonne chance petit rat!

    What a saga, Yoy ! Around your ankles? You stood still? I would have exited out the door myself in a panic. You’d just hear my screams in the night get softer and softer as I rounded the corner down the street. (oh ya, and the tapity tap of my aqua sneakers going like the wind).

    You are my hero. Ok Mike helped too, I mean, look at that cute guy ! He’s very happy looking ! Or maybe just mugging for the camera in the hands of his dear one. Either way! It’s victory for the human’s, LOL. Congratulations on a hand well played.

    Under the commode sounds a bit dicey doesn’t it? Good nose Mr Mouse. Why on earth would it rather there than in the garden? I hope she’s not leaving babies behind, do you think?

    Well written too hon ! Full of suspense and clever descriptions. i.e.. He lifted the toilet to the sky….well that’s almost poetic. I’m sure you’ll rest a bit easier now that you know your unwanted house guest has relocated. I wander what the next saga will bring? You know with Mouse, there’s bound to be one. Toddles xoxo

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    • You made me laugh! Aqua sneakers going like the wind. Hee hee. I was so determined to get that rat out of my house once and for all that I would have hand carried him if he’d run up my leg. (That might just be me smack talking since he didn’t actually do that). I couldn’t believe he headed straight for me.

      I could never have removed that toilet on my own so I’m grateful that Mike could do it so easily. He too is thrilled to have the rat gone once and for all. I keep listening to ever little sound I hear, fearing the worst (rat babies) but so far, no signs of any trouble at all. Unfortunately I need to call the appliance repair person to have the dishwasher insulation replaced. It smells like rat urine when you run the machine. Disgusting!!!!

      I’m so glad you thought this was well written. You’re so good to me. A poetic toilet. LOL Love is blind. Mwaaaa

      Mouse is spending more and more time indoors these days and has lost permanent access to the cat flap (they all have). It seemed like a good idea ten years ago, but I am done, done, done with easy access to the house.

      Thanks for the visit. I’m off to shop for fresh greens for a nice dinner salad. xox

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  5. You made me laugh! Aqua sneakers going like the wind. Hee hee. I was so determined to get that rat out of my house once and for all that I would have hand carried him if he’d run up my leg. (That might just be me smack talking since he didn’t actually do that). I couldn’t believe he headed straight for me.

    I could never have removed that toilet on my own so I’m grateful that Mike could do it so easily. He too is thrilled to have the rat gone once and for all. I keep listening to ever little sound I hear, fearing the worst (rat babies) but so far, no signs of any trouble at all. Unfortunately I need to call the appliance repair person to have the dishwasher insulation replaced. It smells like rat urine when you run the machine. Disgusting!!!!

    I’m so glad you thought this was well written. You’re so good to me. A poetic toilet. LOL Love is blind. Mwaaaa

    Mouse is spending more and more time indoors these days and has lost permanent access to the cat flap (they all have). It seemed like a good idea ten years ago, but I am done, done, done with easy access to the house.

    Thanks for the visit. I’m off to shop for fresh greens for a nice dinner salad. xox

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  6. Good gracious! I’ve never heard anything like it! Better seal up my house before he finds us. That is incredible how it lived there so long. If he were smart, he wouldn’t have dressed up as a cat and blended in. Hope he stays gone for good.

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    • Leilani, I’ve been visiting your blog, so my tiny little rat-capade surely pales in comparison. Might not be a bad idea to have your lungs checked, just to be on the safe side. I’m glad your laundry is getting a pretty and healthy make over. Can’t wait to see it.

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  7. So glad rat finally made a break for it! What a story! You were waaaaaay more patient than I would ever have been. I looked at the picture of the toilet, and don’t really get it. Maybe the picture is too zoomed in. I don’t quite know. It’s hard to believe there is room behind a toilet. Good idea to stop access to the cat door for Mouse! Glad your rat is free in the wild!!

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    • Darlene, can you believe he’s been on the loose since November? Crazy.

      The space behind the toilet is actually a hands-width to allow for plumbing and pipes. The photo of the underside of the toilet is small, but rats can squeeze into spaces the size of a quarter…and he did. I’ll show it to you the next time you’re here. Now doesn’t that sound like fun!?

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  8. Adieu Monsieur Rat! That was a satisfying end to the Rat Saga The toilette is rather a poetic place for a rat to hole up in and …I am with K. I would NEVER have stood still while a rat ran around my ankles…Brava! Methinks your husband has won some major brownie points with this one. Cheers!

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  9. Hallelujah!!! Oh my gosh, the description of the rat running around your ankles … and you stood still? No jumping up and down screaming omg? Good for you!
    So happy for you and Mike and the family!

    PHEW!!!

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  10. I’m so happy for all of you. You can put your furniture back where it belongs and live like normal people. đŸ™‚ If Mike hasn’t put the toilet back down, my son found a rubber ring that replaces the wax ring and is easier and less mess to put down. My son did that this week and it’s working so much better without the mess. I helped…hand him tools. Just passing it on. I loved hearing this tale and glad you are no longer inviting trouble indoors.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • You said it, Marlene. I’ve just had the two area rugs and our couch professionally cleaned too, so between my own cleaning and that, things feel livable again.

      Mike reset the toilet that night, but thanks for the tip. I will definitely pass it on, since we’ll surely have a leaky toilet at some point, too. It’s happened before. That’s good to know.

      I’m glad yours is sealed and working again. Indoor plumbing: best invention ever.

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  11. Yippee! Worthy of a celebration party don’t you think?! I’m so glad he has finally moved out, and hope he stays out too! Thanks for sharing the amusing tale with us Alys!

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    • I’m just glad the rat didn’t run up my leg. I would no doubt be in the hospital sharing this tail. I did my best statue impression, and he was around my ankles and out the door in a flash…well a seven week, prolonged, several false starts flash. đŸ™‚

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  14. Such a well-written tale – thank you for starting off my day with a smile. Love the victory pic of Mike – probably appreciate it more than a victory pic of the rat.

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  18. Wow! I would have had sleepless nights thinking I’d open my eyes to a rat in my face! Alys – you made it so suspenseful; you could be a book author! Great to hear Mr. Rat is gone! Congratulations! I love following your stories.

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    • Thanks for your kind words, Maria. You made my day.

      It is definitely more relaxing having that rat out of the house once and for all. Since the cats sleep in our bedrooms, I was fairly certain the rat would keep his distance, but that said, my friend Pauline’s cat dropped a rat on her bed once upon a time and says she never fully got over it.

      Thanks for following along.

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  20. My, what a major job for one rat đŸ™‚ đŸ™‚
    Glad that your rodent is relegated to the great outdoors and the free entry door is now forever closed to gate crashers.
    Alexa-asimplelife from Sydney, Australia

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  21. I just saw this post-not sure how I keep missing everything. We had a similar incident when I lived in SF with a very determined and amazing mouse who avoided traps like a champ. I hate rodents so much it was a nightmare for me and I was always squealing and jumping onto counters and tables (I was younger then and that was possible) We took the broiler out of our very ancient oven and apparently the mouse was hanging upside down for dear life and then at some point, he dropped onto the floor right onto my roommates foot and then ran to a new hiding spot. Blech!!!! The thought of it after all these years still gives me the heebie jeebies. That old Victorian was beautiful but not very well maintained and between the mice and the roaches, it is a wonder I survived.

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