 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / June 2004Cats in the Belfry
Over three days B and C have developed a fixation with the ceiling in the corner of the lounge. At first I thought they were looking at a creepy crawly of some kind - and then I heard it, scuffle, scuffle, munch, munch, rattle rattle. Rats!!!!!!! We have never had a rat in our house and never in the ceiling!! It was time to get out the humane rat trap. I had to throw everything out of my untidy linen cupboard for John to climb up into the roof with the trap. No mean feat. Then from the recesses of the roof was a lot of cursing. "Those bloody cats". Neither of us had noticed that B and C had discovered a whole new world when they leapt up into the loft after John. Normally there is a cover over the opening to the loft. We rationalized. Perhaps two four legged exterminators would be just the thing for routing rats! Rats hate the smell of cats. But OMG, perhaps we will never get the cats down! I had visions of us both scrambling around in the loft. We will place the humane trap up in the loft later. This saga is far from finished. THEY are still in the loft and ominously silent. I'll keep you posted :)  SignatureBev The email of the species is more deadly than the mail. PS Have just rung Ted - HELP > Over three days B and C have developed a fixation with the ceiling in > the corner of the lounge. At first I thought they were looking at a [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > from finished. THEY are still in the loft and ominously silent. I'll > keep you posted :) Ewwww. Sounds like when I had bats in my walls. I need to find and scan a picture of Grant and Sugars as half grown kittens sitting on my electric piano staring at a blank wall. They could hear the bats! >Ewwww. Sounds like when I had bats in my walls. I need to find and scan a >picture of Grant and Sugars as half grown kittens sitting on my electric >piano staring at a blank wall. They could hear the bats! When Marina gets back, we'd better let her know that there may be bats in her refrigerator. ;) >Over three days B and C have developed a fixation with the ceiling in >the corner of the lounge. At first I thought they were looking at a [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >from finished. THEY are still in the loft and ominously silent. I'll >keep you posted :) If you manage to catch the cats in the trap, I suggest you then call in an exterminator. The entrance where the rats came in will have to be located and closed. I suggest an expert. Rat bites can cause abcesses in cats. Best of luck to man and beast. MLB > If you manage to catch the cats in the trap, Ummm... I don't think she's TRYING to! > I suggest you then call > in an exterminator. The entrance where the rats came in will have to > be located and closed. I suggest an expert. Rat bites can cause > abcesses in cats. So can cat bites! >> If you manage to catch the cats in the trap, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >So can cat bites! catching the cat instead of the rat was an attempt at humor. Sorry it didn't make it! Right after dad and I sold the old house, literally the day after the closing, I hear this scratching sound in the roof above my head. I'm thinking bird or squirrel - whatever it was was nocturnal, 4AM I'd hear it. Annoying as hell, so I kept a stick close to the bed and bang on the ceiling - I figured if they could make noise so could I. Never mentioned it to the buyer, she wouldn't have believed me that it happened day after closing. About a month after moving, I found out what was in the ceiling - a family of four raccoons. They got up into the chimney, which apparently was falling apart, and got into the ceiling that way. Not quite sure what happened after that, girl that was renting moved out before lease was up - said raccoons would sit out on deck and watch her, wouldn't even run. She was afraid her daughter would get bit, so she moved out- landlord wouldn't do anything about the extra borders. Whatever is living in your house - get an exterminator and someone to look and fix where the little buggers are coming in at. Not only do you have to worry about diseases and things - they could chew through electrical wiring and cause a fire. Best of luck! > Over three days B and C have developed a fixation with the ceiling in > the corner of the lounge. At first I thought they were looking at a [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > from finished. THEY are still in the loft and ominously silent. I'll > keep you posted :) >Whatever is living in your house - get an exterminator and someone >to look and fix where the little buggers are coming in at. Not only >do you have to worry about diseases and things - they could chew >through electrical wiring and cause a fire. Amen to that! I had a house fire in February 2003 that was severe enough that I had to live elsewhere for over three months while the house was being repaired. I lost my cat Annabel Lee, and about half of my possessions, including nearly all of a 30-years' collection of books. The fire started in the electric cable serving a row of outlets in one wall of my house. I didn't happen to have anything plugged into that set of outlets, and had been having problems with squirrels in the attic, so I suspect that one of them got down into the wall and chewed on the electric cable. That room was a former attached garage, and that wall had no insulation (a fact that I didn't learn until after the fire), so the squirrels had probably moved down into the wall to keep warm. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better > than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria John, that is so scary and how terrible to lose Annabel Lee. I treasure my collection of books also and have collected many over the years. The sound I heard in the lounge was definite munching!!!! John set the humane trap last night and left some more bait outside as he knows rats are very cautious and cunning and might not venture into the cage. This morning the bait had gone but the bait inside the cage was untouched!! So, rats are in residence. I suppose we could set an ordinary trap but I really hate doing that; I know, I know they are rats, but they are still little animals. Bev -- >I didn't happen to have anything >plugged into that set of outlets, and had been having problems with [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >didn't learn until after the fire), so the squirrels had probably >moved down into the wall to keep warm. Those industrious little squirrels do the nuttiest things. I was getting some things from the shed last week, and I noticed that in the corner where I had a bag of potting soil, some squirrels had apparently chewed the bag open to get at the dirt, and buried acorns in it! >>I didn't happen to have anything >>plugged into that set of outlets, and had been having problems with [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >apparently chewed the bag open to get at the dirt, and buried acorns >in it! I once left an open bag of charcoal briquettes on my back porch, and returned from work to find several briquettes on the floor of the porch, with one squirrel-sized bite taken out of each of them. Apparently, he or she was checking to make sure they weren't nuts (several of my neighbors have black walnut trees, and their nuts are about that same size). SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria > Those industrious little squirrels do the nuttiest things. So to speak. :) Joyce >Those industrious little squirrels do the nuttiest things. I was >getting some things from the shed last week, and I noticed that in the >corner where I had a bag of potting soil, some squirrels had >apparently chewed the bag open to get at the dirt, and buried acorns >in it! Well, that was pretty industrious, yeah. But not real smart. :) Sherry > >Those industrious little squirrels do the nuttiest things. I was > >getting some things from the shed last week, and I noticed that in the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Sherry About squirrels. We don't have these little critters in New Zealand so when we went to the US and Canada we were fascinated by them. Unfortunately most people didn't seem to share our admiration for squirrels (our image was probably largely fueled by Disney movies). They called them large rats and reckoned they were very destructive. All true, no doubt but I just loved watching them scurrying around the trees. When I saw one with his face bulging with nuts it was a real bonus :) Bev -- Bev <bevdun@xtra.co.nz> had some very interesting things to say about Re: Cats in the Belfry: >About squirrels. We don't have these little critters in New Zealand so >when we went to the US and Canada we were fascinated by them. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >trees. When I saw one with his face bulging with nuts it was a real >bonus :) I've heard they can be pretty destructive, but I still think they're seriously cute little brats :-). [After all, puppies and kittens are destructive, too, and they're lovable, and let's not even get into the mischief that barekittens dream up :-).] Signature"Don't mess with major appliances unless you know what you are doing (or unless your life insurance policy is up-to-date)." - John, RCFL > Bev <bevdun@xtra.co.nz> had some very interesting things to say about > Re: Cats in the Belfry: [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > destructive, too, and they're lovable, and let's not even get into the > mischief that barekittens dream up :-).] True. But then a squirrel really is just a rat with a fluffy tail. Vermin no matter how you view it. When we visit the coast there is a place with a lot of rocks and a ground squirrel colony. The kids just love to feed them. There are also rats in the area but nobody seems to care if they starve. Both are destructive and both carry disease. Jo > True. But then a squirrel really is just a rat with a fluffy tail. Vermin > no matter how you view it. "Rodent", yes - but so are rabbits, chipmunks, and gophers. Do you classify those as "rats" too? > When we visit the coast there is a place with a lot of rocks and a ground > squirrel colony. The kids just love to feed them. There are also rats in > the area but nobody seems to care if they starve. Both are destructive and > both carry disease. So do humans - and unless the animal is rabid, bites from a human can cause far more trouble. (Most diseases do not transmit between species.) >True. But then a squirrel really is just a rat with a fluffy tail. Vermin >no matter how you view it. Like in that movie, "Ice Age"! They had a character named "Scrat", a proto-rodent squirrel/rat looking thing. >I've heard they can be pretty destructive, but I still think they're >seriously cute little brats :-). [After all, puppies and kittens are >destructive, too, and they're lovable, and let's not even get into the >mischief that barekittens dream up :-).] Bringing up barekittens again? ;) >About squirrels. We don't have these little critters in New Zealand so >when we went to the US and Canada we were fascinated by them. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Bev Lots of people think they're just tree rats and don't like them. I just adore the little critters. They have tons of personality. We raised an orphan once. They really make excellent pets (but they belong in the wild of course)....downside is, she loved to climb on top of my head while I did housework, and invariably peed there. Sherry >>>Those industrious little squirrels do the nuttiest things. I was >>>getting some things from the shed last week, and I noticed that in the [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > trees. When I saw one with his face bulging with nuts it was a real > bonus :) Where in the U.S. did you go? Yes, they're destructive (so are 'possums and raccoons) but 'most everyone I've ever known agreed that they're cute, and liked seeing them around. My grandfather used to buy raw peanuts in bulk, just to feed the squirrels that nested in his elm trees. He'd sit on his back porch with a dish of peanuts beside him, coaxing them to come eat from his hand. > >>>Those industrious little squirrels do the nuttiest things. I was > >>>getting some things from the shed last week, and I noticed that in the [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > trees. He'd sit on his back porch with a dish of peanuts beside him, > coaxing them to come eat from his hand. We were in New Jersey. Bev >About squirrels. We don't have these little critters in New Zealand so >when we went to the US and Canada we were fascinated by them. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >trees. When I saw one with his face bulging with nuts it was a real >bonus :) I think they're cute, too, and much cheekier than most animals. It's too bad you don't have them in New Zealand - do you have oaks in NZ? Squirrels have a reputation for being inadvertent oak tree planters. Oh, I recall that TJ didn't know what squirrels looked like, even though she lives in the US. She seems to see a lot of other weird animals that I never see though, like javelina, scorpions, and road runners. >>About squirrels. We don't have these little critters in New Zealand so >>when we went to the US and Canada we were fascinated by them. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > animals that I never see though, like javelina, scorpions, and road > runners. Well, squirrels aren't exactly desert creatures, as the others you mention are. Probably just not their natural habitat. > About squirrels. We don't have these little critters in New Zealand so > when we went to the US and Canada we were fascinated by them. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > trees. When I saw one with his face bulging with nuts it was a real > bonus :) Squirrels can do great damage to e.g. birds' nests. If they find one unguarded, they don't take just one egg or fledgeling, they usually destroy them all. But that's nature. I suppose they can do damage to wires and such, being rodents who are built to bite through nut shells. I do think they're very cute, and smart. Most people love feeding them here. There is a big colony living at the graveyard, where people from all over the city feed them when they come to visit the graves of their lost loved ones. I've seen some amazingly fat squirrels there, and they are very tame. They will come right up to you and demand food. Maybe some people would think that was pestering. ;o) SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki >>About squirrels. We don't have these little critters in New Zealand so >>when we went to the US and Canada we were fascinated by them. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > right up to you and demand food. Maybe some people would think that was > pestering. ;o) Better to be "pestered" by squirrels than deer! There used to be deer running free on the grounds of the Veterans Hospital in Minneapoils (a long, LONG time ago, when I was not yet in school). They were very tame and friendly, but some hare-brained vistors discovered they liked cigarettes (to eat, not to smoke). Apparently tobacco was addictive when eaten, too, and it got to where the deer were knocking people down to get their cigarettes, so they had to be relocated. (Wild animals are still WILD animals, however tame and people-oriented they may seem to be.) Right after dad and I sold the old house, literally the day after the closing, I hear this scratching sound in the roof above my head. I'm thinking bird or squirrel - whatever it was was nocturnal, 4AM I'd hear it. Annoying as hell, so I kept a stick close to the bed and bang on the ceiling - I figured if they could make noise so could I. Never mentioned it to the buyer, she wouldn't have believed me that it happened day after closing. About a month after moving, I found out what was in the ceiling - a family of four raccoons. They got up into the chimney, which apparently was falling apart, and got into the ceiling that way. Not quite sure what happened after that, girl that was renting moved out before lease was up - said raccoons would sit out on deck and watch her, wouldn't even run. She was afraid her daughter would get bit, so she moved out- landlord wouldn't do anything about the extra borders. Whatever is living in your house - get an exterminator and someone to look and fix where the little buggers are coming in at. Not only do you have to worry about diseases and things - they could chew through electrical wiring and cause a fire. Best of luck! > Over three days B and C have developed a fixation with the ceiling in > the corner of the lounge. At first I thought they were looking at a [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > from finished. THEY are still in the loft and ominously silent. I'll > keep you posted :) > Right after dad and I sold the old house, literally the day after the > closing, I hear this scratching sound in the roof above my head. I'm [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > > > > PS Have just rung Ted - HELP Jojo, the wiring is what I am worried about. We have our own walnut tree down the back and they do attract rats! A while back rats got into the garage and ate through the wiring in our car!! Cost a lot to get the wiring repaired. They removed all the poplars behind our place and further down they have dug out the creek with a digger. Think all the water rats have been displaced. Bev -- >Over three days B and C have developed a fixation with the ceiling in >the corner of the lounge. At first I thought they were looking at a [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >from finished. THEY are still in the loft and ominously silent. I'll >keep you posted :) Oh dear! Be afraid, be very afraid. Suz Macmoosette Thank Heavens There's Only One =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= Waiting for inspiration. Please hold while I contemplate my navel. |\__/| (=':'=) (")_(") |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.