Rizzo is taking the proverbial

Rodents are social creatures so the idea of a single rodent taking up residence in our extension roof and, apparently, not breeding there kind of appealed to me: here we were, giving shelter to maybe an old-age pensioner of the rat world, someone who just couldn't stand the rough and tumble of the usual nest of squealy ratty babies and their constant needs down the bottom of our garden near the ditch and the compost daleks, this hermit, who is simply looking for some peace and quiet. I've named him Rizzo, he is pretty and brown and unassuming and only active at night when no-one can see him, and the rat poison is still in its box: I haven't been able to bring myself to deploy it. Peaceful co-existence.

Unfortunately, he is no longer night-active. He popped up on the birdfeeder two late afternoons ago -- the catfood was long gone by then -- and took a little too long before he shifted and ran off, a sure sign of a rat getting a tad overconfident, a bit too demanding and territorial. He was clearly expecting me to serve him his dinner and him lingering was the rat equivalent of wanting to speak to the management. Trouble is: I am the management. And I am not best pleased. Because if Rizzo is out during the day now, the neighbours will definitely spot him and then I will have to do something about him. That rat is smart, but if he's hanging out this close to the house during the day, he ain't that smart.

Then, yesterday, OH discovered the hole in the plastic birdfood bin outside: he had had to protect it before when a smart mouse, not Rizzo, had managed to pop the airing hole in the middle of the lid out and snuck in. So he had superglued it on and that superglue had lasted over a year. Rizzo has now chewed it clean off, leaving nice tidy teeth marks all around the hole. It was probably a message, like a fish wrapped in paper or a horse in a bed. This is what I could do to your electrics if you don't keep the catfood coming. This isn't peaceful co-existence anymore. He's forcing me to play dirty. Alright, mate. It's on.