I took a couple of days off a few weeks back, in order to do some decorating. My wife was out at a toddler group and I was eating my breakfast looking out onto the patio. To my horror, a large rat appeared and sat casually cleaning itself beside the rabbit hutch.
My wife is particularly averse to rodents. In fact, back in the summer we had to move out to her mother's house for a few days
eek
and all because she thought she heard a rustling at night in the bedroom. I'd been lecturing my daughter about not spilling rabbit food around the patio for just this reason and I was determined not to have to decamp to the mother-in-law's again. I had a couple of hours before wifey was due back, so I jumped in the car and headed to my dad's house. He still had an old air-rifle of mine in his garage. On the way I stopped off and got some rat poison and, on the way back, I stopped and bought some .177 pellets for the rifle.
I arrived home at the same time as my wife and spent a nerve-wracking afternoon and evening, hoping that the rat wouldn't show itself again. It didn't.
Next morning, after the wife went off shopping, I put some rabbit food on the patio near the hutch, opened the patio doors wide and loaded the rifle. The rifle didn't even have field sights on it - they had broken years ago and I was going to fit a telescopic sight, but never got round to it. So, I put an apple on the lawn and had a few practise shots. Reasonably confident that I had a chance to hit the rat if it appeared near the hutch (about 6 or 7 yards), I got myself a bowl of cornflakes and started my stake-out.
After five minutes it came. This time, however, it was sitting a little bit more sheepishly next to the shed, about 15yards away. It knew there was something wrong, but it didn't move as I slowly cocked the rifle and took aim. I aimed a little low, thinking that if the pellet hit the concrete in front of the rat, it might ricochet and still hit it. Just as well because I squeezed the trigger and it dropped immediately. I was quite surprised at this, because I have shot loads of rats (even with a twelve bore) and seen them scurry off. I went over to check out the rodent and it was still. The pellet had gone right through its neck and out the other side! Bulls eye!
Boy, was I pleased with myself, but I've had to be careful about who I tell, because if the wife found out then we'd be at her mother's and I'd be paying for Rentokil to come around.
The rat poison is down under the hutch and there's been no sign of any more of the buggers. I remain vigilant, however!
