Sunday, February 08, 2009

This. Is. WAR.

Last week, before Cooper came home, I went out back to feed Sam on our patio one evening. Rather than eat, Sam wanted to stay inside. So, I left the bowl of food on the patio thinking that he would eat it when I let him out to go to the bathroom later.

Later, when I let him outside, his dish was empty. What?
So, after he'd gone to the bathroom I put him back in the house, put a little more food in his dish on the patio, and then watched out the window. Within 2-3 minutes, a couple of rats come up and start eating out of the dish. RATS. Mother effing rats! I know that I have to do something about this so I start asking around at work for advise on how to deal with this.

Of course, a number of people suggest that I get d-con, but after what I went through with Maddie last year I am beyond hesitant to use d-con.
I consider the traditional spring action traps, like what you would see on an old episode of Tom & Jerry. But, I'm sure that just like happened to Tom, I would set the trap on myself and only succeed in breaking a finger which in true cartoon fashion would immediately swell to 5 times the size of any other finger and visibly throb a glowing red.
So, I decide to go with glue traps. The last time I went to the store, I did not take a list so of course I forgot to get them. Today I went back to the store. With a list. With the glue traps on the list.
I decided that the only sure way to put the glue traps in a path that the rats would take, would be to put them near food. So, tonight I filled a small bowl with food and completely surrounded it with the traps. An hour later I go to look out the window to see what kind of progress has been made. When I go to the window, what do you think I saw?
THE MOTHER EFFING RATS HAD EFFING MOVED THE G.D. GLUE PADS OUT OF THEIR MOTHER EFFING WAY AND EATEN THE MOTHER EFFING BOWL OF FOOD!!!
Thats right, they moved the traps out of the way so that they could get to the food.

I have no clue what step I will take next, but I WILL win this challenge. I WILL come out the victor.

Any tips or suggestions?

3 comments:

Jesse Harris said...

It's cliche, but it's still the best option: get a cat or a small hound. They'll hunt them down and take care of the problem in no time. Just be prepared for the inevitable "gifts" you will be brought.

Vanessa said...

I'm considering the cat. The only problem with that would be that I am SEVERELY allergic to cats... like eyes swell shut, throat closes up allergic, so I wouldn't really be able to let them in the house and I would feel bad leaving a cat outdoors ALL the time.

Shauna said...

Maybe you could try putting some of the food INSIDE the glue trap?