This and that on a Tuesday
This morning, as I stood by the kitchen window, I gazed out at the bird feeder and noticed two long tails poking out from inside. Suddenly, a small rat scurried up the wooden stand supporting the feeder.
Argh! I discovered that we were dealing with three rodents – two large and a smaller one. Despite living here for 16 years, I had never encountered them before. Although my husband is usually diligent about keeping the area free of rats, it seems like he was too busy the last couple of months and now we have rats. In response, he set traps and located the hole where they were tunneling in from. After identifying the entry point near the feeder, he placed a smoke bomb inside the hole and sealed it with rocks. I then spotted another rodent scurrying down the pomegranate tree.
The decision has been made to replace all of the wooden stands with metal poles. Although the metal poles may not be as visually appealing, it is hoped that they will prevent the rodents from being able to grip them.
He also spent some time this afternoon, making traps...
I have a strong aversion to rats. Every now and then, we catch sight of them scurrying across the fence. When I used to let my cats roam outside, I never had any issues with mice or rats. However, with the trend of keeping cats indoors, it seems like the rats are becoming more bold and active.
Lately, Susie has been leaping onto my bed, getting right up in my face, and letting out a series of urgent meows. Afterward, she would dash off to the bedroom window sill, leap off, and then scamper down the hallway. This behavior has been repeated on several nights. At first, I thought she was reacting to a frog or some other creature outside. It never crossed my mind that she might be trying to alert us to the presence of rats.
Today looks like the last day for the H90s/low 100s. Tomorrow, we are expecting a cooling trend, and hopefully, we can finally start enjoying some pleasant Fall temperatures. I am really tired of the hot weather, and I don't even feel like going outside in it.
Yesterday, as we were cleaning up my husband noticed that the outer cloth bag of the vacuum cleaner was torn. This was all thanks to Laydee, our playful pet who always tries to "attack" the vacuum cleaner.
Unfortunately, we couldn't find a replacement cloth bag in any local stores, so I had to order one from Amazon. It cost almost $100! The replacement bag is scheduled to arrive on Friday, which means we won't be able to vacuum the living room until then. With a black lab and a cat in the house, vacuuming is absolutely essential. We also have to keep up with mopping the floors and sweeping due to having real wood floors throughout, including in our kitchen.
Perhaps I could have found a new vacuum cleaner, but that takes research and work. My folks bought me a Kirby years ago, and it still works great.
Nervous Energy
I don't even live in Florida, yet; I am experiencing nervous energy. I plan (doesn't mean I will be able to stay up) to keep track of it since we are three hours behind.
Just know there are many who are praying for your safety.
Take Care,
Debby
Susie is such a good watch cat!! I hope all of this works. Yes, keeping a cat indoors prolongs their life 5 years, according to vets.
ReplyDeleteYes I heard that too. The last 2 cats were attacked and dragged away by coyotes.
DeleteTHANK YOU!! We appreciate all the prayers! There are a lot of us bloggers here in Florida, dispersed across the whole peninsula and panhandle. We will all be affected in one way or another by this storm over the next few days. So all prayers are very much appreciated. Now, RATS about those RATS! It's too bad the cat can't go get them for you, but then again, you wouldn't want her coming up on your bed and getting in your face if you knew she had been chasing and getting rats! LOL. I know I wouldn't like that very much! So, I guess your options are limited, but it sounds like your hubby is on the case! I hope the metal poles will help. We also have a metal baffle on our feeder poles, to keep the squirrels from getting into the bird feeders. It seems to really help, but I don't know about rats whether or not it would keep them off. It might be worth a try, however. Look up metal baffle for bird feeders and you will see what the options are. Good luck with that! Oh, your cooler temps look wonderful! Our temps over the next week are going to actually be very similar! Strangely enough! Thank you for your prayers, and I hope to get back to you again soon!
ReplyDeleteOkay stay safe. You’re all on my mind. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
DeleteOh Debby....RATS? You may have to get you several outside cats. I have a big issue with squirrels, which I think are just as bad as a rat. after all, they are rodents. It is great that you were able to find the vacuum bag that fits your vacuum cleaner. I don't have any carpet in our home, but I do use the vacuum cleaner for my tile floors. I have really been concerned for the state of Florida. This looks like a huge hurricane. So much devastation in our Country already.....Susie is Adorable!!
ReplyDeleteI can’t have outdoor cats. They’d all find their way into my house and my heart.
DeleteOk, I freaked out at the rat situation - as you know, I have a dreadful fear of mice and rats, Yikes! Great that your husband is taking care of the problem, and good for Susie for trying to alert you. That is an awesome picture of her, by the way. Your bird houses are so cute, and I hope the birds will come back as soon as the rats are gone. Aahh, the Eurasian Collared Dove. I see them every day around here. They are precious, and are relative of the mourning dove. What a sweet picture you took of her. I hope you have cooler days ahead. Keep us updated on the rat situation. So interesting. I haven't seen them up here in the mountains at all. "This and That" posts are my favorite, Debby. Thank you for sharing yours. Your pictures are always delightful.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Yikes! I wouldn't be happy about rats either. Hope what you guys are doing chases them away.
ReplyDeleteWe're praying for Florida too!