Follow that rat
A reader sent in an e-mail regarding my uninvited highlighted in Friday’s Sow There! column.
It turns out there is not one, but two rats now. Tommy said he saw another one last night, with different markings than the one previously sighted.
!!! I should have known!!!!
There was such a din the other night in the kitchen at 4 a.m. I should have known it was more than one.
The happy couple are probably honeymooning in my kitchen cabinets, ready to make amorous in the storage room and start a family.
I can see my storage room becoming a flop house for traveling rats who are encouraged by the hospitality and respite from the cold.
Tommy was mad and grabbed a piece of wood and tried to smack at the rat he saw at 4 a.m. Groggy, of course he missed, making a nice indentation in the linoleum. I barked at him to stop destroying the house.
Sandi saw my article Friday wherein I said my friend had said if we caught the rat in a humane trap we needed to let it go in a wooded area near Lindo Channel.
Sandi was justifiably irked because she lives right near Lindo Channel and had gone through similar episodes. While some may be “naive and starry-eyed idealists,” about the cuteness of small nocturnal bandits, Sandi said her visitors turned into “Ratzilla.”
Her e-mail cracked me up, because I could totally empathize with her, having spent sleepless nights as the critters made a racket and probably crawled all over my clean casserole dishes in the cupboard.
Sandi said, in no uncertain terms, that I shouldn’t let the hopefully-soon-to-be-captured rat go anywhere near Lindo Channel.
I’m still pondering the whole dilemma.
When my cat of 17 years died last year, I said I was going to take some time and not have a pet. Part of it is that I don’t want to just replace Hollywood with some new kitty, I guess out of respect for the special bond that we had for so long.
If I think about it, other than my relatives and my best friend since 8th grade, that’s the longest relationship I’ve ever had with anyone.
Maybe the rats came to me because the universe is telling me its time to move on and find a new kitty.
Hmmm.