I have earlier told you about us having four dogs. Two hunting dogs 1 and 6 years old, Big boy a Kangal mix 5 years old and a Husky/German Shepherd/ drop of Kangal girl who is 11 years old. This means that we have 4 large to medium-sized dogs that share the house with, my husband and me. That means 6 not so small bodies on 32 sq.m.
That requires that in the house all must be calm and that everyone have their own place. There is not room for sudden lunges of energy especially at night when the door is locked. We also have things spread out just everywhere so you can understand the need of order.
Well, this late evening we go all go to bed as normal and calm descends over the house. I quickly went to sleep after a busy day.
Suddenly I was awakened by a terrible crash and all dogs running around and barking. It is in the middle of the night and pitch black. After some fumbling, crashing a glass of water and drowning a dog bed, I finally get the lights on.
What I saw made me immediately fly out of bed and throw my self towards the broom. Thanks to my upbringing in the old part of Gothenburg with its worn landshövdinge houses with low, damp and dark basements full of big creepy RATS! I knew immediately what my eyes had taken in. My Lara having a big hairy thing in her mouth. The big hairy thing yanks away and disappears behind the cabinet. All the dogs went after it and tried in every way to come both in the cabinet, up on it and under it. Our floor fan flew the laundry basket as well, and everything under the cabinet was torn out. Imagine a scene from a Tom and Jerry cartoon (Disney animated movie) you will maybe get some idea of the chaotic situation.
At this point my husband is woken up by the noise and wonders what’s going on. With a loud voice (screaming) I explained the situation whilst I stand and bangs with the broom on the cabinet and the dogs bark. My hero said oops, pulls the cover over his head and falls asleep again. Despite banging, knocking, screaming and barking, we did not find the Monster.
I lay down to read while and the dogs continue to guard the cabinet. Finally I manage to get some sleep. I left the front door open so if the monster emerged it could disappear through the door. Insolent creature to have the gall to chase me up at 03.45 at night!
In the morning I put on coffee water and marvel at the doggies’ unwavering guarding of the cabinet. After finishing my coffee I thought I slowly start to remove everything from the area around the cabinet partly to see whether the rat was still there and to bring some sort of order in the chaos from the night’s wild hunting. The broom is of course ready in my hand.
When I look at the back of the cabinet I see something that looks as a gigantic dust ball but when I look closer I see that the dust ball has tail and rests on the frame of one of my paintings I have in stored there. Fast as lightning, I run down the broom behind the cupboard in front of the monster and a pushed. Out shoot a giant rat and flies, yes it looked like flying because I never saw it’s feet touch anything, out on the floor, flip over and out through the door. The dogs were on its heels but the monster snuck in among the cacti and out through the fence.
But I saw it clearly, a large tree rat which is mainly known as the rat that eats up all the fruit on fruit trees but in the absence of fruit eats what available in the close area (our house). It had probably smelled the Carob we have to dry and penetrated by gnawing a hole in the mosquito netting.
It fled this time but now it has got the taste so there’s no question about it, now it´s war! Rats destroy everything, unfortunately.
If you live in the forest but still near civilization you have to accept and live with such “natural phenomena”. We are fortunate here in Northern Cyprus that the large game such as moose, deer, wolves and bears don’t live in our forests and come into our gardens.
Lara seems to become a good rat hunter with practice. It really was an exciting night I have to say so now I’m going to get some rest, I think I will lay down on the couch outside where there is a nice breeze and contemplate the inside of my eyelids.
Sense moral: get a bigger house or clear out all things cluttering.
