Chipotle Touring the...clinic?

[TIFFERS]

Before we get to Chipotle, I wanted to share the clinic's most recent epidemic. The building we're in was built in the 60's, I believe, and the clinic has been in it since the early 70's. Well, everytime Winter comes around...we get a rat problem. It's usually pretty bad. The clinic cats can hear them walking around in the walls and the ceiling. But, two of them are scared of Chipotle, so they're not good mousers. Well, usually the rats eat through the dog food bags, sometimes they eat some of the medicine and we'll find the rat or mouse dead somewhere in the floor when we get there in the morning. Well...this time, they decided to get into the kennels. It looks like they were trying to get to the dog food below, but with the door shut...they can't. But, anywho...this happened overnight.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/Chipotle%20and%20Chamomile/S5007563.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/Chipotle%20and%20Chamomile/S5007564.jpg

[TIFFERS]

Now, we have one good mouser. Her name is Tequila. She was abandoned at our doorstep almost a year ago, and no one would adopt her, so she became a clinic cat. She's notorious for causing trouble, breaking things, and she's the cat that ate Matilda's (a now dead mouse) tail through the cage bars! ...so, if we could leave the kitties out of their cages overnight, we might get somewhere with the current rat problem. But, we can't...so, we let Tequila practice during the day to hone her skills.

So, you ask yourself...why is she staring at the countertop with 'that' look?!

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/Chipotle%20and%20Chamomile/S5007574.jpg

[TIFFERS]

Well, that's because there's a rat (Chipotle) roaming around!

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/Chipotle%20and%20Chamomile/S5007573.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/Chipotle%20and%20Chamomile/S5007572.jpg

(If you look real close in the window of the first picture...you can see me taking the picture.)

[TIFFERS]

And here's Chipotle visiting the Reception Check-Out Area giving the little old ladies heart attacks and making the paitents ansty. :)

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/Chipotle%20and%20Chamomile/S5007568.jpg

[dlaura]

Ugh, I hate to imagine what she is staring at. I thought they avoided humans and wouldn't be out much during the day.

[TIFFERS]

dlaura, I think we posted at the same time. :) She's staring at Chipotle!

[dlaura]

Oh, Ok you are letting your mouse give her practice. Aren't you worried that she might actually get Chipotle?

[TIFFERS]

I let her (Chipotle) run around the clinic under STRICT supervision. Tequila got a hold of my mouse, Matilda (who's now dead) a while back. Ate the end of her tail off, through the cage. So, Tequila knows what they taste like. Tequila and Chipotle have been nose to nose, and Chipotle bit Tequila's nose, and Tequila popped Chipotle on the head. :) The other two clinic cats are scared of Chipotle and run the opposite direction...so, I'm not worried. I don't ever let Chipotle out of my site, because she could easily disappear into a drawer or cabinet and we'd never see her again...I'd hate for her to have the fate of the current 'pests' we have about. :(

[Julia423]

A rat caused the damage to those plastic tubs!? That must be one BIG monster rat...!

[TIFFERS]

lol Julia!

...every Winer, it never fails. They're usually smaller than Chipotle, but there's always more than one. We had the Pest Control Guy come out today.

[vix506]

Chipoltle is the darn cutest rat!!

[nanamouse]

A wild rat doesn't have to be big to chew through some pretty heavy duty plastic, their teeth mean business. At a resteraunt I worked at in East Dallas in the 70s I came eye to eye with a rat big enough to scare me. It was larger than any cat I've ever seen, I screamed and ran slamming the stockroom door behind me, none of my usual "Oh, isn't it cute"! The storage unit I have a lot of junk in has a rat problem, and those are cute little guys, no bigger than 5 inchs plus tail. They are also capable of chewing through a plastic toolbox (for what?), the large buckets that cat liter comes in, (that was a mess!)and I lost a lot of books to nesting material.:( If there weren't so many humans that are equally destructive I'd leave it open a few days to let the local feral cats get a good meal! Maybe not, they are cute little guys after all!

[TIFFERS]

Thanks, Vix. She's preciously and beastly all at the same time! :) Yeah, when we get the rats at work...I won't touch them, I tell them I'm sorry and close the cabinet door back and let someone else dispose of it. :(