No really, this is what it looks like!
I have to say, rats have many, many fine qualities, but guarding definitely isn’t one of them. as i have mentioned before; I have a mouse in my apt. And it’s a rather rude one at that. I will have put the ladies back in their cage for barely 10 minutes or Mr. Jingles is sitting under my bed, munching loudly on the ladies’ leftovers. It’s really infuriating to know that mouse goes where my ladies go. But I have so far tried everything in my power to get rid of it. The only method left is to place traps and keep the ladies locked in for a week or so.
I really had the illusion that keeping pet rats, and them spreading their scent everywhere, would keep mice away. Guess again. And apparently my two oh so ‘smart’ ladies are quite unaware of its presence in the house.
On of the methods I tried to chase this mouse away was as soon as I’d hear him, let the ladies out and hopefully they would encounter him. No such luck. I even dreamed about Koko catching it and bringing it to me like a trophy (I think I still have a deep-rooted desire to own a cat). But no, no such luck. The other day I was sitting quietly, typing out my blog and I saw the little terror appearing from under the kitchen. It crawled closer and closer until it was about 20 cm away from the rat cage. In there, not a sign of life though. They must have been very tired or something as they didn’t even blink or open an eye to see what was going on. Nothing.
How did our sweet domesticated rat become so different from its wild ancestor that it doesn’t even pick up the smell of his enemy? Or is it maybe because my ladies are so frigging spoiled that they are never hungry and so their hunting instinct is shot to hell?
When I came home yesterday afternoon, I could see by the glass that was laying on my bed that Ruma had once again escaped and even then, even when she is out of the cage, free ranging in her own time and freedom, she apparently does not fend off this intruder. They are such softies!
After posting this I am off to another cleaning rage through the apt. once again trying to get rid of all the little surprises Koko and Ruma left everywhere, cleaning, vacuuming, cleaning the cage and the kitchen top to bottom. Not the idea I had for spending my free Sunday afternoon.
If anyone has any tips on how to get rid of this evil bacteria carrying terrorist, please feel free to share. Note that I will not take suggestions of mouse traps or poison seriously as I have already ruled those out with my girls running free. God forbid a little tail or paw would get caught or they would eat the poison…
A smart mouse is a well prepared mouse…
Rattus Norvegicus 
I read somewhere that peppermint is too strong for mice to handle so soaking peppermint oil in cotton and leaving it where the mousey is coming in is apparently enough to deter mice. Not sure of it, never tried. But then Im not sure how far that peppermint scent would bother your rats or not? Just an idea, if I hear anything safe and humane, I will let you know 😀
hadn’t heard that one either. Sure as hell beats the smell of the old dirty towel that came from the cage that I stuffed in the entrance now. Will try, thnx!