by Pajarita » Sat Jun 27, 2020 9:32 am
Not everybody hates rats... I certainly don't. Many years ago I read a book called: "Animals nobody loves" and it was about wolves, rats, spiders, etc. and described all the good things about these animals and I learned then how very intelligent, social and loving rats are - they also said that they are completely fearless warriors and the best mothers ever. Aside from that, everybody knows they are big survivors and I admire any species that can make it even when faced with terrible odds. I also like mice and spiders and worms and centipedes and all kinds of 'yucky' animals and the best thing I have done as a mother and grandmother is instill the love and wonder of nature to the 'portion' of the younger generations under my supervision. I am very lax when it comes to parenting... According to my husband, I allow, forgive AND give too much but there is one thing that is NOT overlooked or forgiven and which will bring a strong scolding and a quick smack: any action that disregards an animal's wellbeing - and ignorance is not an excuse. I am not talking cruelty because that would never happen in my house but even bothering an animal would come to a fast stop with me.
I have a grandson WHO has ADHD and he can be a handful when it comes to obedience... He used to visit me a lot because, like I said before, I am very forgiving and flexible and I LOVE children so I not only pay a lot of attention to them but spend a lot of time playing, watching movies, etc. with them and he loves the personal attention I give him (I am also hyperactive so his level of activity doesn't bother me as much as it bothers other people). One day, he became interested in Javi Caique because I pointed out the three different walks he has (the normal, the soldier and the Leroy Brown walk) and I caught him putting a stick in front of him when Javi did NOT want to step up so he got a scolding. But a few minutes later, he cried out because Javi had bit him twice on his hand (hard, he drew blood). Why? Because he had kept on bothering him and had put his hand too close to him while kind of pushing with the stick in front of his chest, still trying to make him step up to it. I was so angry with him that I had my husband drive him home and was not allowed to come back for two weeks! He never did it again because I told him that if I ever caught him bothering an animal again, he would not be able to come back to my house - EVER! Now, he is very careful of Javi, especially because, since this happened, Javi has taken a thorough dislike of him and goes after him every time he comes to visit (Javi is a cantankerous bird who doesn't like anybody but me).
But, there is no need to kill mice or rats, there are humane traps for them and all you have to do is release them in an safe area. Our house had A LOT of mice when we first moved in - and it took years for us to get rid of them because I absolutely refuse to use poison or traps that hurt or kill them so my husband kept on closing the holes they would open on the walls and I kept on putting the ones I trapped outside until they were all gone.