I Have a Stalker

May 10th, 2012, In Le Pavillon (The House), Tout le Reste (Everything else), by ladyjennie

Do you people see what I see?

The vacuum cleaner doesn’t really fit under the radiator so I was going to give the usual cursory wipe, but thought I would be more thorough.

And then I thought I saw something move.

To my credit, I didn’t scream. I just shut off the vacuum cleaner and ran downstairs and called my husband.

Then I ran back upstairs and took a picture so that I could guilt him into coming home early, but he’s waiting for the apocalypse.

No scratch that. The image took so long to download that he didn’t get it right away. He’s on his way.

And now my furry friend is holding my kitchen hostage with the door closed. We will have to order out every night for the rest of our lives.

I’m wondering how often those beady little eyes have been staring at me as I waltzed along blithely in bare feet cooking and cleaning and answering demands for water?

I will never complain about our “little mice” problem again.

I will never vacuum again.

(just kidding)

I’m just livin’ the dream over here folks.

Somebody heeeelp!

28 Comments

OpinionsToGo May 10, 2012

I am soooo sorry to hear about AND see your problem.
I am sorry for you and sorry for me. You are the only person I know in France and IF I ever come to France…I can’t stay with you! Is there a hotel near by????
Kimberly May 10, 2012

Holy crap. That is a huge mouse.
Hey, maybe it’s like that talking one in Ratatoulie (did I spell that right)…you know the mouse who cooks and talks?
You could use this to your advantage
angela May 10, 2012

Yikes! #thatisall
Jessica Michael May 10, 2012

LOL Jennie- we had a little tiny mouse problem – they were running through our a/c vents all night long and my wonderful husband was trying to be humane but it got so disgusting we had to trap and kill them.
Hope you catch all of them if there are more!! (AND I WOULD STILL COME TO FRANCE AND VISIT YOU IF I COULD AFFORD IT).
- ladyjennie May 11, 2012
  
  We haven’t been able to trap ours!!! I do hope you come Jess!
Jon Yates May 10, 2012

Nice rat! Tell Remy I said “Hi!” The kids loved his movie…
- ladyjennie May 11, 2012
  
  This cracked my husband up. But he said it’s not nice little Rémy, it’s the fat brother who lives in the garbage and doesn’t die when he eats poison. Except now he’s dead, thankfully.
anna see May 10, 2012

eeek! thanks for taking out a little of the romance of living in france for me!

in my experience, these little/big guys always somehow find the silverware drawer. gross…and it means more work for mom!
- ladyjennie May 11, 2012
  
  Any chance I can get to cure you of glorifying France! (just kidding – I still hope to see you guys here one day).
  
  Thankfully I don’t think there is anyway the little guy could reach or fit into our silverware drawer. It’s that flat Ikea one and it’s high up.
cm May 10, 2012

Poor thing is probably is scared to death as you are of it. (I know, ewww).

I don’t like to see animals killed even Remy here. Ideally, if he lived free in the fields and foraged there away from your home. Unfortunately, we all know mice and rats carry diseases, chew on wirings (can cause homes to burn down). Sorry Remy.
- ladyjennie May 11, 2012
  
  We’ve had this problem for awhile and we started out the humane route, but the stakes have changed.
Jackie May 10, 2012

What the heck… that thing is freakin’ huge!! What are you feeding them?

I hate mice… I hate them more when they’re in my house.
- ladyjennie May 11, 2012
  
  I knoooooow!
Galit Breen May 11, 2012

Eeek!

(I so would have screamed!)

One more time: Eeek!
Carole May 11, 2012

Kimberly’s comment is too funny!!

Hope that sucker is gone soon.
janestheone May 11, 2012

that is not a mouse, it is a rat. If it stayed still long enough for you to take a picture of it it is one very sick rat and is not long for this world. Rats don’t smell (mice do, or their urine does) which is why you didn’t know it was there. If you can, get a box over it, slide a piece of cardboard under the box and turn the box over. Then put a bowl (cereal bowl size) filled with bicarbonate of soda into an open-topped bag (plastic for preference), get ready to slide back the cardboard and put the bag into the box (quickly, so the rat can;t jump out) and just before you do, pour a jugful of vinegar into the bowl/bag and put the whole lot into the box, closing the cardboard lid. It’s easier if two people do this. It doesn’t matter if it spills out into the box. It will fizz and hiss. The combination creates a lot of carbon dioxide, which is a powerful sedative on an animal that size (it works for all animals up to about the size of an adult male rat, which is what your picture looks like). The animal will be asleep within half a minute, and will be dead within fifteen minutes at most. It is a totally humane form of euthanasia. Afterwards don’t touch the rat with your hands. Wild rats carry Weill’s disease, which is not nice. Don’t let the children near it. Rats live in groups, so if you have seen one it means there is a family group living nearby, but almost certainly not in your house, or you would have seen droppings (like black grains of rice, odourless). Above all don’t worry! And rats make great pets. Just not the wild sort. Hope this helps/
- ladyjennie May 11, 2012
  
  I do know it’s a rat and I think it’s sick from the poison we put out. We’ve been trying to get rid of it for 8 months (although we didn’t know it was a rat)! At first we saw droppings, and then we put out some traps and for months we saw nothing – I think the traps freaked it out so it stayed in the pipes, above the ceiling and in the garbage drawer. But when we went to Provence for a whole week it got cocky. I thought it was gone for good, but my husband said he occasionally heard stuff so he wasn’t surprised to see the droppings. Now it’s still cocky, but sick. By the time my husband got home the rat was hiding so it was too late to catch it. We’re trying one last ditch effort before calling the very expensive exterminator.
  
  I keep seeing it every time I close my eyes.
Maggie S. May 11, 2012

It’s nice that you were that calm. I have no idea what I would have done. Maybe it would have included changing into clean clothes. I just don’t know.

Anxiously awaiting the report on what your husband did with that GIANT BREAKING AND ENTERING SON OF A GUN

*cold chill*
Alison@Mama Wants This May 11, 2012

OK heebie jeebies!!

Hope your husband got home quickly!
tracy@sellabitmum May 11, 2012

That is one hell of a big mouse. Okay, weird story. When I moved into my apartment in Amsterdam I had quite a large mouse family living with me. Awesome. Anyway – I let them stay and I pretended that my house was a great place for them and basically invited them to watch Sex and the City on syndication each night as this single lady dined on popcorn and cheap wine. (Okay, maybe I was lonely). But I knew I was heading back to the States to fetch my cat. Within three days of my dear Wilshire become Dutch, he had killed off 15 mice in my apartment. Never saw another one for the next two years I lived there. (again, maybe I was lonely). xoxo
Amina May 11, 2012

Hey, Jennie this is not a mouse, it’s rat!!!

I told you since I’m here, I had the same problem; 1st mice, then rats.

We solved the problem by little Jimmy instead of Remyssssssssss, yes we got a cat, and kids are happy.

You saw this one, you might have a big family over. Hope we already find the way to get rid of them!!!
Amina May 11, 2012

Ps: I’ve got some shot and video too.

Ps2: Hurry before we got time to take a movie from them:-D.
- ladyjennie May 11, 2012
  
  Amina – you’re cracking me up!!! (Do you know this expression?)
Kate May 12, 2012

Ug. We had a rat die behind the dishwasher once. Worst smell ever. Ever. But at least we could get it out. Oh. I HATE rodents inside.
julie gardner May 12, 2012

We have a hole in our master bathroom wall patched with duct tape where our determined rat scratched its way through our wall.

More than once.

Yeah.

I feel your pain.
Also, I need someone who’s good with drywall and paint…
Jackie May 12, 2012

I’m so impressed that you didn’t scream. I think I would have.
No. I know I would have.
I see rats in the subway regularly, but I kind of expect them there. They don’t look so menacing when they’re on the tracks and I’m on the platform. But in the kitchen? Then they look HUGE.
Alexandra May 12, 2012

FINALLY!!

:dancing jig:

FINALLY.

Something about your life that doesn’t leave me enveloped in jealousy.

All yours, sweet lady.
Ameena May 14, 2012

Holy s@#$%! I am not even sure where to begin. So I’ll just say I am SO SO SORRY you have to deal with this furry pain in the a$$!