author Sara Thornton DVM iCandy RagaMuffins
I have a large specially fenced yard for the cats. It has shrubs, hosta , cat houses and and a cat door into my house. The cats love it in good weather and some like it even when the weather is less than ideal. The RagaMuffin breeding males and the rescues have free access at anytime.
On occasion, the unfortunate vole, mouse or small bird gets carried into the house. If alive, I retrieve and put outside. If not, I clean up the remains. Luckily, it doesn’t happen very often.
Recently, I was sitting at my computer late in the evening typing when I heard a squeaking sound. Knowing that it can’t be good, I got up to take a look at the same time RagaMuffin Ganache is walking through the baby gate into my den with a LARGE squeaking animal in his mouth. Squirrel? No, it had a hairless tail. It was a rat. I was mortified. Telling Ganache to take it back outside didn’t work. I didn’t want him to drop it and have it run around and find a hiding space in the den.
The dogs and the other cats got very excited and surrounded Ganache with his prize. And …….he dropped it to show it off. It immediately ran and jumped into the baseboard heat register. OMG. To say I was horrified is putting it lightly. He was a bit pudgy and his side was sticking out along with the icky tail.
I took a deep breath. I looked around for some brave mysterious person to appear to handle this situation. Didn’t happen. I came up with a plan. I put the dogs out. Donned garden gloves and shoes and steeled my nerves. I grabbed the devil by his tail and had to pull to get him out. He was really packed in. Meanwhile, he is screaming his head off, the cats are dancing and I am on the verge of getting sick. I managed to make it to the back door for an aerial release into the grass. I saw him run into the woods. I could breathe again.