This is so funny to read. Just saying picture these stories in your head with a woman there and the reactions. OK now that I got that funny part out of my mind. Those rats and rodents are so destructive. I get grey diggers around here. They eat through wiring under house, inside barns, garages, and even in vehicles.
I have live trapped 5 thus far. And set trap again this am. I did shot one but the mess was too much luckily I live near lots of mountains. SO I drive yet at least 6 + miles and drop them off. I believe they help the forested eco system proving food for coyotes, eagles, hawks, cougars, bobcats etc.

Things were banging and booming in the basement of our first house. Jim set mouse traps but then bought a rat trap. We caught something but it was a squirrel. We laughed so hard when he called the Humane Society and asked how to get a squirrel out of a rat trap. It was still alive. We think our daughter may have let him in. Same house same daughter playing in her sandbox with the neighbor boy with a dead rat...ugh. Our house was for sale at that time and I looked at Jim and said we gotta get this house sold. Actually mice scare me more than anything......

Sorry, I cannot even think that a rat has a "cute" face!!! All I can think of is, "It's a rat!" NOPE! I'd want that thing gone!!

Once a rat got in our house ~~ evidently, it had gotten in our backyard and our Rottweiler chased it right to our side door. That was the only place Joe could find that looked like the door bottom had been chewed, and our dog had dug a hole right there trying to get to the rat. Anyway, let me tell you the story.

I saw a streak go flying by the door between the den and living room.. I told Joe about it, and, of course, he thought it was probably a mouse. (eek! I hate them too!) I told him it looked bigger, but, he thought I was just being me ~~ because I can't stand mice. I thought I saw something a couple of times. (I really didn't even think about a RAT!), figured it was a mouse and Joe set some traps.

We live in the country and have fields, pastures, and woods around us, therefore, mice had made it in the house many times. Joe would set traps and catch them. I usually just freaked!

Well, our youngest daughter and her fiancé, at the time, were sitting with Joe and I in the living room. All of a sudden the fiancé 's eyes became huge! He and I were sitting on the couch and he looked over at Joe and said, very calmly, but, with shock in his voice, "I just saw a RAT trying to climb a chair at the kitchen table." I jumped up and was beginning to freak out and almost yelling, "I told you there was a huge mouse and you didn't believe me!! Get it out of this house now, or I'm gone till it is gone!!"

Joe and the fiancé, Robert, started looking for it and Joe said it went under the refrigerator! I was standing up on the couch by now. My daughter, who is a tomboy, thought it was funny and was in there trying to help them. They moved the fridge and Joe was telling Robert to watch because it would come out on his side, probably. It did! Robert stomped it (he had on steel toed boots), while I was screaming. He moved his foot and that huge RAT started toward my daughter and she came flying toward me and jumped on the couch with me!! LOL Robert stopped it with a broom and stomped it again!! It was finally dead!! That scared me so badly!! That's when Joe got out and found where it had gotten in ~~ and fixed it. I am paranoid about mice! BUT, a RAT is enough to give me a heart attack!! We told that story with laughter after it was all over. While it was going on though, I was scared! Joe wasn't happy either!! He had always said that rats were mean, and, after that I believed it. That thing was scary.

With Joe gone, I had to learn to set traps (that was his job). Couldn't handle it! I now have a pest company that comes every month and so far so good! Just hope it stays that way. Haven't seen or heard a mouse in probably 4 years, and HOPE I don't. We also had several things done around the house and it is fairly tight. I don't like snakes or spiders either!! Living in the country, most of my life, those are going to be around at times. Still don't like them though.

Sandee, I hope you have gotten someone to get that snake out!! I would have found someone!! Could not handle knowing it was in the house!!!

I'm with you, Joely....deathly afraid of rats, mice and snakes. And no, I don't think they are at all cute!!

I once had a possum in my garage. We sprayed it with wasp spray that shoots like 10 foot away and the next morning we found it in the yard dead. So I keep that stuff handy for all sorts of things. In case the deer attach my dog, I'll hit them with the spray. It is always by my back door.