Last time, there was a rat

[Merry Mrs Martin]

Rats that are not pets are filthy--F I L T H Y-- creatures. I agree with the poster who said "no way, no how, not at any time." I'd never go back regardless of the social or business cost.

And almost more than the sight of the rat--because where there is one there are plenty more--I am thoroughly squicked out that the hostess was calm about it; that means she's seen enough that the sight of one doesn't phase her.

That's what gets me. Houses sometimes get pests, but the homeowner should at least act like it's something out of the ordinary.

It reminds me of a bakery my dad went to once. There were cockroaches on some of the things in the display case, and when he pointed it out, the counter person looked confused and said, "so?". He walked out. It wasn't the cockroaches that squicked him out, sometimes bakeries get bugs, it was the cavalier attitude.

I don't know what's a host to do in the middle of party ? Scream RAT and start running around the kitchen with a broom over her head?  Having A rat isn't about bad prevention it's about bad luck , they can climb telephone wires , climb drain pipes to gain access through a roof ,  swin through horiznal sewers and fit through pretty small holes.  A rat can show-up in a relatively spotless house.

[exitzero]

Rats that are not pets are filthy--F I L T H Y-- creatures. I agree with the poster who said "no way, no how, not at any time." I'd never go back regardless of the social or business cost.

And almost more than the sight of the rat--because where there is one there are plenty more--I am thoroughly squicked out that the hostess was calm about it; that means she's seen enough that the sight of one doesn't phase her.

That's what gets me. Houses sometimes get pests, but the homeowner should at least act like it's something out of the ordinary.

It reminds me of a bakery my dad went to once. There were cockroaches on some of the things in the display case, and when he pointed it out, the counter person looked confused and said, "so?". He walked out. It wasn't the cockroaches that squicked him out, sometimes bakeries get bugs, it was the cavalier attitude.

I don't know what's a host to do in the middle of party ? Scream RAT and start running around the kitchen with a broom over her head?  Having A rat isn't about bad prevention it's about bad luck , they can climb telephone wires , climb drain pipes to gain access through a roof ,  swin through horiznal sewers and fit through pretty small holes.  A rat can show-up in a relatively spotless house.

Nope, but I might apologize and tell people I will take of it as soon as everyone is gone. I wouldn't just roll my eyes and ignore it like it was an everyday happening.

[wolfie]

I don't know much about rats, but I have had mice in my home. Maybe the sight-seer saw a mouse and called it a rat. Either way a rodent was spotted.

Which really concerns me. In my limited knowledge of mice, they never appear while people or noise is around. I've only known that they were in my home because of droppings or nibbles on cereal boxes, bread loaves, etc. or when kitty is running around crazy in the middle of the night.

A rodent showing itself in the middle of a human-infested party? Tells me that there's something wrong with the rodent. (I may be completely off-base, here. Just my thoughts.)


Please do talk to the hostess.

You do have a point. I usually only know there is a mouse (twice it was a small mole) in the house because all of a sudden cat ears wingadingdingy up and they all start moving to the basement. I usually follow because I would like to get it out of the house before they kill it - but I have no always been successful in that. I usually find all the cats in a circle around something and then try to find the creature and get it out if I can. If I can't I know I will never see it again - Willis once waited an hour for the mole to get out from underneath the stand it was under. There is a theme there - Willis is one heck of a hunter - he is usually the one of catches anything that attempts to make an incursion into the house. I haven't seen something this year so I am hoping the word is spreading that this is the last house you want to spend the winter in.

[O'Dell]

I'm with those who say ask the hostess. Explain your irrational fear. Yeah it might be a tough conversation to initiate, but if the hostess was that casual about the rat, then I imagine she's unlikely to get too bent out of shape over you mentioning it. The conversation about why you never go back or never eat at her house again will be just as tough to have.

Another explanation of why a rat got in and was wandering around while there was a lot of activity is if a cat brought it in. Our best hunters have brought mice, birds, rats, chipmunks, large bugs (I hate bugs!) in to play with them and nibble on them in privacy. Sometimes they get away....I suspect the cats sometimes let them go so they can experience the chase all over again.  My husband and I have had to chase many a small critter out of the house while restraining a cat.

[Venus193]

With three cats in residence (I've had four in the past) the only rodents I ever get are kamikazes.

[TootsNYC]

I don't know what's a host to do in the middle of party ? Scream RAT and start running around the kitchen with a broom over her head?  Having A rat isn't about bad prevention it's about bad luck , they can climb telephone wires , climb drain pipes to gain access through a roof ,  swin through horiznal sewers and fit through pretty small holes.  A rat can show-up in a relatively spotless house.

Nope, but I might apologize and tell people I will take of it as soon as everyone is gone. I wouldn't just roll my eyes and ignore it like it was an everyday happening.

I wouldn't draw everyone's attention to it that way. Probably most of the people didn't notice. I'd try to keep the info as secret as possible.

And I might roll my eyes at the stage whisper, bcs that DID focus people's attention on it (tell me more privately than that, please), or at the shockedness if I thought that the person was being over the top (if I lived in the country and wood rats weren't terribly uncommon).

[artk2002]

I don't know much about rats, but I have had mice in my home. Maybe the sight-seer saw a mouse and called it a rat. Either way a rodent was spotted.

Which really concerns me. In my limited knowledge of mice, they never appear while people or noise is around. I've only known that they were in my home because of droppings or nibbles on cereal boxes, bread loaves, etc. or when kitty is running around crazy in the middle of the night.

A rodent showing itself in the middle of a human-infested party? Tells me that there's something wrong with the rodent. (I may be completely off-base, here. Just my thoughts.)


Please do talk to the hostess.

My father was a public health inspector for many, many years. His rule-of-thumb was this: For every rat you hear, there are 8; for every rat you see, there are 32 nearby.

That's based on averages -- this one rat could easily be a one-time issue. I'd be looking at the kitchen for general cleanliness and not worry about it too much if it looked otherwise clean.