(no subject)

[dragonfare]

Wildlife in the country again... I forgot to mention it, but a few nights ago, when I turned over one of the horses' feedbuckets, I surprised a rat.

To explain a little, we keep the feedbuckets upside down, because otherwise insects and mice crawl in and then can't get out, and mice in particular make the bucket so icky that it can't be used again.

Also, although we've always had rats (don't ask how I know), this is only the second I've ever seen, and the other was on the back wall of the hay room, far away, not right under my feet.

Anyway, I flipped the bucket, and there was a grey rat staring up at me. I think it was more surprised than me, because it froze until I yelled at it to get the you-know-what away from my buckets. Then it ran behind a barrel and stuck its head out, and I rolled the barrel a bit and scared it right out of the grain room. Was that enough? Not for this persistent rodent. When I was putting the buckets back, it looked out at me from behind another barrel. I swung a bucket and yelled, and it ducked out of sight, and I haven't seen it since.

It was a fairly large thing, about 9" not including the tail, and well-fed without being plump. Not that y'all care! LOL!

Comments

[cindy-73.livejournal.com]

I hate rats. I'm almost tempted to suggest you getting a boa constrictor so you can take the rats and mice and feed it to the snake!

[starwefter.livejournal.com]

Time for a cat? A very large hungry cat?

[dragonfare.livejournal.com]

LOL! We have large cats, but unfortunately, my roomie insists on feeding them, you know, cat food.

However, we also have snakes, possums, skunks, raccoons, and hawks, all of which, I believe, munch on rats. This one's just been lucky so far.

Actually, I don't mind too much. It is far from the house, and I do spill grain around. Something ought to eat it.

[starwefter.livejournal.com]

Years ago, I think before I was born, my mother said they had very odd neighbors who apparently owned nothing because they were always borrowing things. (The did bring them back when they were done with them...)

She though she'd seen everything when they came over one day to borrow a swatter because they had a fly. But they topped that ... they borrowed the cat because they had a mouse. She said he must have caught it because they brought him back a few hours later.

[dragonfare.livejournal.com]

wow. Not quite like borrowing a cup of sugar, is it??

[coastal-spirit.livejournal.com]

OMG. I would freak. out. if I saw a rat, especially one that big. I know they're a common animal to have around barns, but I still would. *shudders* Incidently, pet rats don't have quite the same affect on me, but I still don't like them.

[trellia-chan.livejournal.com]

I love rats as pets. They're like little dogs. Very intelligent and affectionate and so cute! But I don't like being surprised like wildlife either, and my reaction would have probably been a "Whoa!" and a "Go on, get!" as well if I happened upon a wild rat like that. XD

[tianning.livejournal.com]

Awwwww. I love watties.

Not sure which species you have (Rattus rattus or Rattus norvegicus), but we have the former living in the big Ficus tree next to the jackrabbit food gazebo. When it's cracker time or salad time, their little heads pop out, and they seem to think that the "Saaaalaaaaad!" call is just for them.

They're very gentle. They'll steal a piece of carrot right from a hare's mouth. And I think you remember about the time Isabella spoke Jackrabbit to a Rat with a Rabbit accent, and only eventually got her point across.

Rattus norvegicus...not so much. Much more aggressive and potentially dangerous. But the little, cute Rattus rattus (Black Rat) is adorable, intelligent, and fun to watch. I hope those are the ones you have.

hee!

[dragonfare.livejournal.com]

Um... I'm not sure what I have. He was all grey, with almost no variation in his coat. I looked it up, and I think it's the norvegicus. He certainly wasn't *cute* - and I like rats, so you know I speak objectively.