Submitted by tweakybiff t3_xxet7t in tifu
Night of the Rat
I didn’t get any sleep two nights ago, and here is my story.
I live in the mountains on the Front Range of Colorado, and I happened to leave a door propped open for a bit to move a large ladder in and then out of the house. I didn’t think much of it, and went about my day. Later on I was sitting at the kitchen table, and heard a sound. At first I thought it was just the ice maker in the fridge, but it became apparent it was something else. I went in the kitchen to investigate, and it appeared to be coming from behind a basket I use for glass recycling that is tucked underneath the kitchen counter. I pulled out the basket to see, and there was a nice healthy rat with beady black eyes cowered back in the corner! I immediately set up a boundary of pictures and other objects to try and block him in kitchen, and I grabbed a broom. I tried to get him, and pin him down with the broom, but he was so fast and wily! He scampered under the oven, and I could see him under there with my flashlight, with those black beady eyes. I moved the oven an inch or two from the wall, and he ran to hide in the boundary I made. I tried to get him again with the broom, but the highly energetic rat made it past the boundary, and hid under the couch in the living room. The front door is only a few feet away, so I propped it open, hoping he might just scamper outside. Then I lifted up the rather heavy couch, and tried to direct my little friend to the front door with the broom. Well, I lost track of him, and went around the house on my hands and knees with my flashlight to try and spot him. After I couldn’t find him, I thought he must have gone out the door at some point, and dismissed it.
Later that night, I went to bed as normal and fell asleep around 11:30 pm or so. I keep an insulated cup of water, and a CPAP machine I use on my bedside table. I sleep on my stomach. I woke up at 3 am or so, and I thought I felt something cross my back. In my sleepy state, I wondered if it was just the movement of the blankets settling, but then realized it was something else! I sprung out of bed like a grasshopper on a hot plate, and checked the blankets for rats! Nothing. I got out the flashlight, but could not find anything. I was too tired to deal with it, and tried to go back to sleep. I put the blankets over my head, tucked them in all around, and used the CPAP as a deep sea diver’s hose. I was eventually able to go back to sleep. A while later, I felt the feet on my back again, and this time I sprung up and saw him! He jumped off the bed and ran into the next room. He was hiding underneath the stereo in there. I put a Havahart trap down near the stereo, and went back in the bedroom. I saw that he had been nibbling on the silicone mouth piece on the metal straw I use in my water cup, and left me a poop too! Gross! I took the cup downstairs, and put it in the kitchen sink. Then I went back in the bedroom, and closed the door, put down a twisted up towel, and a guitar amp to block the bottom of the door. I also used 99% rubbing alcohol all over my bedside table. I cocooned up in the blankets again with the diving hose, and tried to get back to sleep. Well, I felt the feet AGAIN! HE WAS IN THE BEDROOM! I was really frazzled at this point.
I was not getting any sleep, and had to do something. I decided to set a trap. I went downstairs to the kitchen and retrieved the cup. I put the cup back on my bedside table, and also put a Havahart trap right next to it, rigged with some cashew butter, and a jar lid filled with water as bait. I cocooned back up with my dive hose, and tried to get some sleep. I was in a half-sleep state, and I heard a noise from the trap! False alarm. I must have brushed up against it with the blanket or something. Back to sleep again, and a while later, I heard the trap again, and I had got him! Phewwww! I got a little more sleep, and then took him to a nice field a few miles away and released him.
Trapped Rat! -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YemnmD6QEJE
Rat Release-> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV5DvS6cO_g
TL;DR
A rat got into my house, and was in my bed while I was sleeping! I trapped him, and put him outside without harm.
​
Edit: Thanks for the eyeballs, comments, awards, and up boats (are we still allowed to say that?)! I read comments saying it looks like a pet rat. That thought is harrowing, and I certainly hope not! I think these comments mostly stem from the way he acted in the release video. Believe me, he was much more wild acting all night! I think he was just played out, and very thirsty by the time I released him. There are no accessible water sources here, no pet bowls, no dripping faucets, and I have auto-close toilet seats. I have a cistern, and every drop of water is brought here by truck. If someone let him out, that would be terrible! Up here in the mountains, there are foxes, coyotes, mountain lions, and bears. People around here would be careful about a rat getting out, or anything, as people lose dogs. A neighbor of mine watched their dog get carried up the mountain in the mouth of a mountain lion! Thanks again everyone!