Oh. Rats.

I saw a rat scurry across the kitchen the other night, and I am slightly hesitant now to wander around in the dark. I feel anxious to point out two things here: 1) our house is old and full of holes and we keep a sanitary kitchen, it's just that rats can get in through the holes, okay? and 2) I'm not actually afraid of mice. But ever since then, trudging to the bathroom in the dark, I keep thinking I see movement out of the corner of my eye. I'm just sure that that verminy little bastard is watching me, waiting for his chance to run up the back of my leg or something. I'm a fairly jumpy person anyway (with excellent reflexes, thank you) and it's making me jittery just thinking about a furry little creature plotting, plotting to running over my bare foot, so I'll stop.

The thing is, this rat is almost certainly the same adorable little mousey I saw a couple of times when we first moved in, a tiny scrap that wiggled behind the heater every time I tried to catch him. After a few attempts, I let it slide, thinking that a scared little rodent would be no match for big tall me. But hey, you know what? Little mousey is now about the size of a football, and no doubt has built a structurally sound little home from scraps of orange peel, where he sits drinking wine, eating cheese, and conspiring against me in French.

This is what happens when you have a chicken and a duck, and no cat, I suppose. I guess I could borrow one if worst came to worst, although I don't really want to kill it, just... dissuade it. Anyone out there know a humane way to dissuade a little mouse? Because this is what the internet is really for, right?