I thought maybe the rat had gone.  The cats had mostly lost interest,
although occasionally Nanki-Poo would lie under my desk, as though he
thought the rat was still behind it.  Someone suggested that it was gone,
and the cats were reacting to its residual smell.  I sprayed a deodorizer
behind my desk - too much of it, actually; I can still smell it.  Apparently
that was a mistake.

While I was sitting in the living room watching TV this evening, the rat
wandered into the room.  Lindy took off after it, and they ran toward this
end of the house.  A few minutes later, Lindy wandered out into the living
room.

Nanki-Poo was in here a little while ago, acting very interested in what
might be behind or under the desk.  However, he's left the room now too, so
he may just have been remembering that's the last place he knew where the
rat was.

The smell of the deodorizer is still strong, so it apparently masks the
smell of the rat.  That means that it's still in the house, but neither the
cats nor I know where.  :-(

Joy