I’ve been writing about Zip lately and gushing over Zinnia’s therapy work, giving Bud less attention except for some cute photos of him lying in the sun. Last night, he showed us what a working dog can do and how much heart he has. I rarely think of small dogs as powerful and brave, but they often are way out of proportion to their size.
Boston Terriers were bred in Boston to hunt rats, and he had all the working drive of a champion border collie last night.
The struggle with a very smart and tough rat went on all night.
Maria and I were latecomers; I joined the fray at 4 p.m. Maria came in at 5 when all hell broke loose, and we realized that Bud had trapped the rat inside the refrigerator, where it had been hiding, storing stolen food for at least 24 hours completely out of sight.
He obviously tried to escape, but Bud kept heading him off and challenging him. As a result, there were all kinds of papers, calendars, and unique papers with smells rats don’t like all around the kitchen.
Yesterday, Maria looked under the refrigerator – Bud kept going there and pointing her there – and she removed boxes full of crackers. What was frightening was that we had no idea where the rat was, if he had been there all night, or if there was another entry hole somewhere we had missed.
I did a Sherlock Holmes and thought about what was most likely, and it added up to certainty that he was still in the refrigerator. Bud was guiding us to his location when we pulled the fridge and saw that all the protective cardboard had been ripped to bits; this could only mean that Bud had been tearing the cardboard apart to get at the rat, and his stare told us he was still there.
Bud worked closely with Maria, as in the night before, he guided her to the rat’s location, got her to look at the back of the refrigerator, and told us where he was. He was working with her, and she was getting the messages.
Bud never left his post all night, sitting by the refrigerator waiting for the rat to show himself. We led him out to eliminate, and the rat, ever alert, sensed his absence, zoomed out of his hiding place, and headed to the bathroom, where the rats used to get in with a hole they had opened through the basement.
We had sealed the hole, and he was trapped. Maria could put a box over him and take him out to the woods. As I wrote, I was going to shoot him, but she couldn’t bear to see that, so she let him go. I suspect we haven’t seen his last; rats should return to their homes from as far as 50 miles away.
Bud is ready, and so are we.
The most astonishing part of this was seeing how brilliant the rat was.
He avoided all our traps, climbed cabinets, opened seal boxes, took scores of cares into the refrigerator’s inner workings, and hid them with great skill.
Without Bud, we never would have thought to look there, which was the key to getting him out. By the time we were there, Bud had panicked him into making a mistake and getting cornered. Even then, we had to take a baseboard heater apart to flush him out. He could slip into the tiniest spaces and squeeze through in an instant.
It was amazing to see what he avoided, what he grabbed, and where he hid both it and himself. He was so skillful that it was scary. We weren’t sure how to find him and get him out.
It worked out, at least for now. I respect Maria’s decision not to drown him, but this means he very well might return. I understand why she did that.
Bud tearing apart the refrigerator covering was amazing for a small dog with a small row of teeth. At that rate, he could have pulled all the wires and plugs out of the machine and ruined it. I can’t quite imagine how either of these animals did what they did. We’re not sure, but the refrigerator is probably salvageable.
Bud is still sleeping; he’s worn out, and I suspect the rat is resting somewhere as well. My guess is this battle isn’t over. Bud will stay out of his crate at night from now on, and we’ll keep our eyes on those holes.
It was a long and harrowing night, but the most interesting part was seeing how two very different animals used all of their instincts and special skills to battle one another for hours. It was astounding how much work the rat had to do to get those boxes onto the floor, open them, move all their contents into hiding across the room, and zoom through the tiniest spaces. Bud was in his crate the first night but was on guard last night. If the rat is as intelligent as he is, he might not come back.
There was no clear winner until the humans showed up with their brushes and dustpans. It was a remarkable evening, and I won’t soon forget it.
And all of us, people and animals, are worn out.
and all could have been avoided if a certain black cat was allowed inside the house. a lot less destructive than Bud. but of course that will never happen…rather pay for a new fridge, stove, whatever…house….
Sean, sadly, this is just why so many people with working animals hate the animal rights movement. we are thankful Zip wasn’t there. Bud would have a great day since he hates cats. Once Zip is in the house, the rats are free to roam the barns at night, which is when they come out to spread disease and sicken and kill sheep, donkeys, and even dogs. They would love your idea. Then, once Zip is in the house, he loses his night hunting, which is when Barn Cats learn how to hunt rats and mice. He won’t need his heated cat house in the barn. Great advice, Sean; why didn’t we think of it? Your rat buddies, thank you. Here’s some advice for you: visit a farm somewhere; you might learn some reality and know what you are talking about, city boy. Take care.
I’m having some fun with Sean, but it isn’t funny. There are so many wrong statements in this short blog message that it needs to be evidence of a movement that has gone off the rails and is driving working animals out of our country. Zip has not suffered from sleeping in his heated barn cat house in the barn, not that he needs that either. Barn Cats all over the country are dying from hunger, predators, starvation, and disease. Zip was saved from that; he gets food, his shots, and the best cat food every day of his life, and then, in the evening, he kills off the rats who cause so much disease, dirt, and damage. To help protect the rights of animals, you have to know something about them and how they interact with good people. Sean has very obviously never come near a farm or a barn cat or me or a barn or rats. All he sheds is light on what he doesn’t know about barn cats or working animals.
Yet he is happy to dispense inane advice to a stranger who does live with them and knows them and loves them, and then, of course, run and id. Animals suffer from this, and too often, the animal rights movement has become a gathering place for hate and stupidity. Go away, Sean, and please do not return. I would say that your wisdom is best applied elsewhere.
Right-o
I hesitate to make a suggestion about your rat situation. My credentials: Years of Rat Wars in an old house. I had 3 killer cats, 2 terriers – rats didn’t care: destroyed washer/dryer, stove, fridge. Sometimes, a terrier would catch one in the kitchen, bite it in two: let’s not talk about that. I refused to put out poison., tried slam traps. That worked until I found a still-alive, mutilated rat in a slam trap. I had rats leaping from the tops of kitchen cabinets, had a rat run across my feet as I was sitting on The Throne. I bought a battery-powered rat trap – about the size of a shoebox. Not cheap. Bait with peanut butter – rat steps into trap: immediate electrocution. I killed them all, humanely.
Thnx our rat had no interest in peanut butter or any kind of trap just boxes with crackers we used a lot of peanut cutter
Wow. This rat is a genius. I think if a rat lived in my refrigerator, I would have to move. There’s a lot of courage in your kitchen. Good job Bud!
All hail Maria the Merciful!!! 👍🏼 I was hoping the rat made it out alive as I was reading the story! 🤣 🐀 👍🏼
Yes, I understand, I’m sorry I missed the chance to kill him, he will be back and do more damage…
Rats are VERY smart! I had pet rats as a kid. once they figured something out, they know it! Remember, they have been used in maze experiments, and other things for decades. They have even trained them to find bombs so they can be removed. don’t underestimate them. Bud is a terrier, as all terriers were bred to find and kill vermin. My bet is on him sooner or later. Zip takes care of the outside, if he is found. good luck, I am well aware of the struggle having lived and worked on farms for years in the past.