Today had the makings of a bad rat day. It started with another dead rat. I know everyone's probably getting tired of reading about dead rats-- I'm getting tired of posting about them. Quit dying, my rodents! It's depressing. To top it off, I came home from school to find that
Allister was sick, and had to rush him to the vet, where he'll be staying overnight. Hopefully he'll be well enough to come home tomorrow.
Anyway, I did say today had the
makings of a bad rat day-- meaning it wasn't completely bad. For what did I spy as I was coming home from the vet? Rats. Live ones, no less.
Thoroughly disheartened and carrying an empty rat cage, I unlocked the main gate to my apartment building. The noise of my entrance must have startled the residents, because from the corner of my eye I saw a little form dash across the courtyard. I couldn't help but smile as I saw two more young rats scamper past, one at a time. Somebody had stupidly left a pair of trash bags against one wall of the courtyard rather than placing them in the trash bins, and they had been predictably discovered by rats. Baby rats. As I watched three, four, five rats ran past. I was exuberant. Setting down the empty rat cage, I hurried over to the trash bags for a better look. Another rat ran past, then another. Apparantly the fear of being caught in the bag overwhelmed the fear of having to run past me to safety. Or perhaps they just didn't want to be left behind.
Someone else entered the courtyard just as another rat ran past. The large, presumably tough male gave a yelp of surprise and squeaked, "Was that a rat!?"
"There's seven," I replied in delight, just as another ran past. "Oh, he's so cute!"
"Cute?" Said the man in disbelief. "Man, you're whack." And then he retreated to the building.
Nine rats altogether ran from trash bags to mysterious hole. Nine baby rats crossed my path. Is that good luck?
#
posted by Sophielynette @ 12:06 AM