Something is in my house

[roxynoodle]

I think it might be a rat! I'm scared to go to bed right now. I first kept hearing loud chewing near Pete's and Merlin's cages. I looked with a flashlight but didn't see it. Then I went into the kitchen and something was right near me that ran. It sure wasn't a mouse. Then I heard a kitchen cupboard open and close. No way a mouse did that! And no, it wasn't my cat, who was following close behind me to find it as well.

Crap! Whatever it is, I want it gone now!

In 19 years of living here I once had a rat get in, but that's it. I saw it right away I think. This one has made itself heard but not seen. And of course I'm worried it could be something worse although I don't know how something like a raccoon could get in here, or how I wouldn't see it. There is a weasel or mink in my barn. It better not be that thing!

I feel like sleeping with the light on!

 

[MickeysMom]

Ugh! I would so not be sleeping tonight!

 

[Rio Mom]

Yikes! I hope you can figure out what it is, and get it to go away!

 

[roxynoodle]

My bed time was an hour ago and I'm just sitting here listening with my cat in my lap, lol!

Yeah, it didn't start it's antics until I put the birds to bed and turned off the lights so I have no idea what it is. I couldn't see it well enough in the dark when I went in the kitchen. But, it was pretty loud as it ran from me. And I can't believe whatever it was that it could open a cupboard!

 

[roxynoodle]

OMG I just heard it again. I went creeping around the kitchen with the cat and we both heard it near the bird cages again. Whatever it is, she isn't afraid of it. Now I come back in here and it's quiet again. I'm not going to get any sleep.

 

[Mare Miller]

Turn on ALL the lights, push your cat on to the floor and make her work for food!!

 

[lene1949]

OMG... You have to watch Merlin, if she hasn't got a grate in her cage... The rat might be able to get through...

I always hear rats in the roof, but there's no proof they have been down here since Shrek got killed...

If it is a rat, you'll be able to see its droppings...

 

[Rio Mom]

One time when there were signs of a mouse in my house, I told a cat I had at the time "If you don't get the mouse, I'm never going to feed you again!" Next morning, one dead mouse smack in the middle of the hallway! LOL

Another funny story, told to me by my mom. She said when she was a kid, their cat was sitting beside her father. He looked at the cat and said "what good are you for anyway?" The cat then jumped down off the chair, ran into the kitchen, pounced on a mouse that happened to be there, and brought it back to deposit in her dad's lap! "Oh, that's what you're good for!" said her very surprised dad! LOL

 

[Remy]

Eek! I love these things. Reusable, more humane than traps, and clean: What's the best way to get rid of rats? The Rat Zapper Electronic Rat Trap!

 

[lene1949]

My son - about 16 at the time - and mother cat, worked together in my bedroom once to catch a mouse... It was so funny to watch... They really worked as a team, until the cat got the mouse, and then teamwork was out! She was not going to share with my son...

Rats are different, though, because they are many times half the size of a female cat (the males are mostly too lazy to hunt)..

Mother cat would often leave the carcass of a mouse on the mat at my front door... She would always have bitten its head off.

 

[suebee]

oh dear hope it leaves soon, an rat! oh my the ones round my way are rabbit sized, hope you managed to sleep some

 

[wenz2712]

Oh no Roxy.. Have only just come on and seen this... Did you find out what it was??

 

[lene1949]

She must have gone to sleep after all...

 

[wenz2712]

I hope so Lene There is nothing worse than knowing something is there, and you have no idea what it is!! Hopefully she found whatever it was

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, I got a little bit of fretful sleep. My cat can kill rats; she used to do it all the time when she was an outside cat. She lays mice to waste on a regular basis. She is very big and very muscular for a girl cat. If she hadn't been calico, I would have thought she was a male from her build when I first saw her. But, I don't see any dead rat laying on the kitchen floor this morning (where she usually puts them; unless she beheads them, those she puts next to my bed for me). I did stick a box of Decon under the radiator near where I heard the chewing and I am nearly positive I heard it eating it. I don't have any traps big enough for a rat. I won't tell you what I did with that one years ago as some of you will think I'm horrible, lol!

I will buy a rat trap today if it's not already poisoned and dying somewhere. It's probably in the crawl space or something where it's going to stink awful for a week.

 

[roxynoodle]

Oh, and I slept on the couch in the bird room with the cat to guard the birds. I was worried about Merlin and no grate either. I see no signs of droppings in that area or anywhere else this morning, but there must be some somewhere. The weird part is I haven't seen a rat or any sign of them in the barn since the weasel moved in. I may not be thrilled with that thing, but it's a good hunter. For awhile I was having major issues with rats out there because the neighbor's dog who moved to my house ran off the last of my barn cats. I do have one feral barn cat now that hates me.

This is my cat. Now she is not really horribly overweight. She is made of Silly Putty and can make herself look like a basketball when she wants to, lol! Everyone who sees this pic thinks she is fat, but she isn't. I really like this pic though. But, you can see her muscled up huge legs and build. Ignore the coffee I spilled on the floor in the pic, lol! I'm not Martha Stewart, but I'm pretty clean.

 

[wenz2712]

OOh I hope you manage to catch whatever it is :O

 

[Mayden]

She does look like a chunky monkey ^^

My boyfriends cat Molly is a huge fat cat, but she has the biggest hunt drive ever. She's old now but if something so much as moves near her, she'll have it!

Hope you find whatever it is that's invading, is there any way you can block off the birds from the intruder? :/ I'm worried about Merlin especially! x

 

[roxynoodle]

She is actually a very active cat. She woke the birds up this morning because she was running all over the house like she had a rocket up her butt. She has a pretty extreme hunting drive. Her and Pete play "terrorize" every day. She is not the least bit frightened of a big amazon trying to rip her face off. I may have to get some SS mesh and wrap the bottom of Merlin's cage until I know it's dead. I'm going to the store today. I will also get more Decon and a rat trap. I can't believe this happened. I haven't even had any mice since fall harvest.

 

[Echo]

That story is freaky!!! Open and close the cabinet door??? EEEKKKKK! LOL Hope it's not a bear cub LOL! Weasels are great hunters for rodents, however they are also dangerous for the birds.

I have read to put vaseline on the cage's legs to prevent rodents from climbing into the cages. I do own the Rat Zapper as we do get a mice here and there (no rats thank god!) and it is great. But you have to be careful as a bird/parrot can fit in there and can be dangerous.

Hope you find it!