We have a modest amount of rats in our city, nothing like NYC, but I have a story. And it doesnât end well.
In the easement between our house and the one behind neither the power company or the cable company take ownership anymore for the growth, so we have to keep it up. Unless it gets into the wires, then they will cut branches.
In itâs best state, itâs still a haven for rats and possums. Fucking possums in the middle of the city. And skunks, WTF.
Anyway, the wires carry the power and cable internets AND the rats right to the houses where they scamper across the roofs and worse. We have 4 dogs so they seem to not like our yard too much, though. Otis once caught a possum.
Weâve lived here 13 years and for the first time we got one in the house - he chewed through the laundry room window screen and got in our pantry. Otis alerted me in the morning and I trapped it in there.
Went to home depot, got a rat trap - the snap down and snap the neck kind - and a new rubbermaid container for the dog food. The rat had chewed a whole right into it.
I emptied out the entire pantry other than the electric skillet he was hiding behind, left the trap set and we took the dogs out for a walk.
When we came home, I heard something and looked in - the damn trap snapped down on his head but didnât kill him.
My wife had long since run to the other side of the house and asked me what I was going to do.
I went in my toolbox and⌠well. Heâs not around anymore.
Iâd also like to note that itâs a record year for the number of respectful messages of support in regards to our rodent overlords. Just because thereâs a few bad apples in the big apple, that doesnât mean the rest of humanity isnât fully pro-rodent.
Some rodents are more equal?
If itâs any consolation, I encountered my first âcyclist at faultâ traffic accident when I ran a rat over on a canal path last week. Unfortunately I donât think that will help with the NY population.
It was pretty traumatic.
Ha ha ha, rats, amirite?
BLACK PLAGUE!
You mean itâs mostly made up of white rats with very few black rats? 
I deliberately aim for the squirrels in my neighborhood. There are too many.
Funny how the animal rights folks turn out for the adorable animals. Less so for rats.
I know youâre being slightly cheeky, but house pets or otherwise âhuman raisedâ animals donât spread disease and all that compared to our furry friend the rat.
Our dogs shit in the backyard - not in my pantryâŚ
[Original image was too high-contrast, also a mirror-image of the painting in the Staedel, so have replaced]
This isnât hyperbole; NYC has talking (and literate!) rats, thanks to the National Institute of Mental Health:
The great days come!
They donât teach you about this at James Buchanan High -
Be very wary of the Rat King hive mindâŚ
Someone at the daily mail is going to lose their next over this.
Rats running on four legs are just the right height to run under the 3rd rail of the subway without getting electrocuted. Next time Iâm waiting for a train late at night Iâll be watching for rats on two legs running into the 3rd rail.
