Dog Community

Posted : 8/15/2013 4:36:05 PM

VanMorrison
other than a bad NYC Subway experience

When DH called me with the news, I asked him how large they were. He said, "I don't know, the size of a rat." I said, "Like the size of a NY subway rat?" He said, "No, like the size you'd see in a pet store." That actually made me feel worse, because someone who used to work at the shelter had rats, and I often "visited" them through their cages when I went to committee meetings. They were actually pretty cute . . . but their tails totally gave me the heebie-geebies. Too snake like. If they had fur on their tails, the ick-factor would be gone for me.

cakana

Posted : 8/15/2013 5:23:51 PM

rats don't totally freak me out like some things do but I don't want them around. My brother used something called the Zapper? He said it worked amazingly well. If you catch them in a trap and they're alive, what do you do with them?

I'm still trying to get someone to come help us with the bat problem. I'm all for leaving nature and most critters alone but somethings just don't belong in or too near my house.

calliecritturs

Posted : 8/15/2013 7:09:50 PM

Florida has something called a "tree rat" -- particularly in citrus trees (they are super attracted to rotting fruit *sigh*) -- my neighbor has a bunch of trees and isn't good about keeping them picked.

Don't like them -- they don't scare me, but man they get in a house SO easily. And then there are the "rat snakes" that are the natural predators.

Major eeew

griffinej5

Posted : 8/15/2013 10:19:20 PM

Florida is just chock full of critters. I do love the rat snakes though. When I was a kid and we'd go to visit my grandparents, we'd catch the little lizards, I guess maybe they were anoles, and frogs. Anyway, one day, my grandma went to the bathroom, and a frog was in the toilet. My grandpa is like a mile and a half away from where this house fell into a sinkhole last year.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/06/21/12340572-massive-sinkhole-swallows-florida-home?lite

My uncle lives in Jupiter, FL, and I think they said they have gotten a baby alligator in their garage before, and my great grandparents lived in Hollywood, FL. Relatives had to stop for gators in the road on the way to visit them more than once.

So, I slammed my toe into something the other day. I can walk okay as long as I keep it taped to the one next to it.

marty_ga

Posted : 8/16/2013 4:55:13 AM

Cathy, the Rat Zapper is a trap which delivers a jolt of electricity to the rat or mouse. Then you just pick the trap up and dump it. It is quick and about as humane as you can get. I got mine from Amazon, and it does work well.

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