The Visitor!

A few days ago I was sitting in bed reading on the computer when I saw something out of the corner of my eye scoot into my room under my armoir.  I thought it was my friendly little gecko (who is as afraid of me as I am of him).  In a few moments my "friend" decided to leave my room.  That's when I discovered it was not a gecko but a rat (not a very large rat but a rat none the less).  I quickly jumped up and closed my bedroom door.  There is no space between the door and the floor so I figured the little guy wouldn't be able to get back in my room and become my bedfellow.  I had no idea where he went but at least he was not in my room.  The next night, as I was sitting in my chair in the living room, my "friend" came scooting around the corner, ran under my couch, headed to the piles of boxes stored under my steps.  Needless to say, I slept with my door closed again that night.  I didn't have a rat trap in my house but I did have some rat glue.  My housekeeper helped me spread the glue on a piece of cardboard.  I added some peanut butter and flakes of oatmeal in the center.  We had already moved most of the boxes from under the stairwell and put them in the garage.  So now I had a nice open space to place my cardboard to see if I would catch the rat.  I checked periodically all day long but there was nothing.  I didn't even see him run around the room before I went to bed.  Since I felt pretty comfortable about the rat glue, I decided not to close my bedroom door last night (it's too hot with the door closed).  This morning I got up, dressed for my morning walk, and sat down in my chair to check emails.  I heard a squeaking sound so I grabbed the flashlight and headed to my cardboard "trap."  Sure enough, there he was, stuck to the glue on the cardboard!  My plan was to leave him there until the kids got to school so N could dispose of it for me (the rat was still alive).  However, I wasn't sure that the glue would hold him that long.  So, I got a broom handle and started scooting the cardboard (and rat) out the door.  Unfortunately, his tail was stuck to my floor.  I managed to unstick the tail and push the cardboard out my front door into the courtyard.  When my housekeeper arrived I showed her the rat and we both did a lot of cheering.  We left it there so N could dispose of it when he arrived for school.  At least I now know the rat glue works.  If I have another "visitor" I will be prepared.