Thursday, December 23, 2010

'Twas 2 nights before Christmas and not a rat was stirring.

A rat came to eat my mango after all, a few nights ago. Greedy thing! It got caught and started to cry. My out-at-work human almost started crying himself.

"Oh no!" he sobbed, picking up the trap with trembling hands. "Oh no! I can't kill it! Look," he pleaded with my stay-at-home human, "it's just a baby. We have to let it go."
My stay-at-home human put her hands indignantly on her hips and cruelly said "NO! DON'T BE SILLY! KILL IT! NOW!"

But while she wasn't looking, my out-at-work human quickly snuck the rat away to a park and let it go.

He was very pleased. She wasn't pleased at all. "It'll be back. Just wait and see."

2 nights ago, a rat came into our filthy, disease-ridden house again. It ate a mango AND a banana from the fruit bowl on our dining table. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!" my stay-at-home human shouted, as she cleaned up the mess and disinfected everything all over again [including the remaining banana and mangoes].

Once more, my out-at-work human had to sadly set the trap in our little backyard that has now become The Rat Highway Of Balmain.

And sadly [for the rat], it got caught [again, if it was the same rat].

And rats! [for the rat]. This time, it was put to sleep.

16 comments:

uncle STeve said...

via email -

Dear guys, where there's one rat, there's usually a pack (just look at the Liberal Party). I reckon that your trap has more work to do yet.

We don't have rats, we have Inky (Flash is now to old for ratting). Jack Russells were bred as ratters.

Even though when Inky caught a rat under the pier down at the foreshore, and dispatched it to rat heaven, she looked up as if to say, "I don't know what came over me?".

We hope that you enjoy your Xmas greatly & have a fantastic New Year.

georgia little pea said...

dear uncle STeve,

your political leanings are duly noted [as if we didn't already know].

have a wonderful christmas and new year back! :) xox

Anonymous said...

Gee, your other half seems like a soft touch. Lucky for all of us you're there to sort him out or we'll be a rat infested planet.You go girl!!

georgia little pea said...

dear mr anonymous,

the other half says i'm being too rude to you. well! you're anonymous. what does he expect? hrummph.

p.s. if you're bringing dinner home, i'd like dumplings please.

Anonymous said...

WE had that problem,

then discovered it was no rat, 'it was a bush possum.

So now, like the balinese do, we put out offerings to them, so they are happy and dont come inside.

We get to watch them eat, with their cute little paws and they dont get to come inside.

Maybe its an opportunity to live with all beings - share what you have and keep the mangoes in the fridge.

georgia little pea said...

When the other half reads your comment, he will cry for sure.

It's certainly a dilemma. We had possums in our old house too and had fun watching them and the blue tongues. Animals seem to like this house a fair bit as well and we have frogs, spiders and skinks running around brazenly, sometimes sunning themselves in front of the dogs!

But somehow, rats are in the category of not terribly hygienic disease carriers for me. Am i wrong to think this? It's definitely hard to put them down, however "bad" I think they may be and we struggle with each one that we catch. We've cut all the back hedge where they had a nest, and they're still here. Sigh.

And yes, the fruit goes in the oven every night now :)

georgia little pea said...

P.S. I like that you are giving "offerings" to the possums :p

Have a great Christmas and new year!

sonia a. mascaro said...

Hi dear Georgia,
Did you know that at my house and garden fortunately we don't have rats?
But sometimes at night a possum visit my porch and try to climb to the roof to make a nest. It's very bad thing!

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!
Eu desejo a você e aos seus, um Feliz Natal!Kisses and hugs!
Beijos e abraços!

georgia little pea said...

Hi Sonia,

I'm discovering that there are so many things we have in common...Brasil and Australia. I didn't know you had possums too!

Possums in the roof can be noisy and annoying! That's where they used to live in our old house. Here, we're not allowed to relocate possums to another area because they could die in unfamiliar territory. Instead, you borrow a trap from the wildlife rangers and trap the possums. Then, you seal off the roof and release the possums to a possum house that you have to put up in your yard (or somewhere close by).

We didn't have to do that though because we discovered that they don't like the smell of mothballs. So we put a few bags into the roof and they stayed away and were in the trees instead which was VERY GOOD!

Thanks for translating the Portuguese. I was wondering what "aos seus" meant! Beijos e abracos tamben, meu amiga! xox

Kristine said...

This, this is why we have a cat.

But I am glad you caught him! Hopefully that will be the end. *shudder*

georgia little pea said...

There are SO MANY cats on our street. I always wonder why there are so many rats as well. They must be too well fed.

Another one last night :(

Elizabeth said...

MERRY CHRISTMAS, dear Georgia.
It is mice at our house!
Buster does not catch them...........so we catch them in traps
because they are dirty things, though cute

Wishing you a wonderful 2011
love from Buster and family

simon pender said...

Nooo, you should have tamed it and had a pet rat - it may even have been someones escaped pet. You never know, it may turn into a cook ! Seen the film 'Ratatouille' ?
Groans - we have possums and little meeces running up and down the fence outside, and they drive M and D mad. Bark ! Bark ! Bark !

Merry Christmas to all you sweetpeas.
Si and M and D

georgia little pea said...

Haha! My last name is ratatouille! I don't think any of the rats so far can cook. None of them were wearing a chef hat.

Rat number 4 this morning. Awful, AWFUL! This is a house of death :( please send montydaisy over. We need HELP!

koko said...

Dear Georgia,

Thanks for your well wishes and hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas down under!... next time Mickey comes visiting, you can be Pluto and be his playmate... but I don't think that's a good idea to the hoomans... my wounds are healing now under medication :)

Licks, hero

sonia a. mascaro said...

Hi Georgia,
Yes, we have many things in common!
In Brazil the Brazilian Institut of
Environment protect the possum too.
Hurray! Just great you discovered that they don't like the smell of mothballs! I will buy it and put the mothballs un the roof! Thank you for the tip!

The words "aos seus" meant "to yours".

I wish you have a Happy New Year!
Eu desejo que você tenha um Feliz Ano Novo!
Many hugs!
Muitos abraços!