Scratching around for rodent solution

IT started scratching with the sound of in a corner of the room, under the floorboards. Then a noise which sounded like something skittering along a hard surface.

When I got up to investigate, the noise went away. But not for long. It soon happened again.

A few days later, I deduced I may be being visited by Mr Rat, possibly along with some other members of his wider family.

While other people might have put their houses up for sale at this point, I was more concerned about the possibility of Mr Rat and his brethren chewing through something they shouldn't and causing damage, like a leaky pipe.

I didn't much fancy the idea of having to take up the flooring I had carefully laid to take a peek and see if he was making a little pad for himself under the shelter of my home.

I checked to see if there were any piles of rubbish outside which they might be feeding on, and which was making it worth their while to stick around. No, unless they had developed long stilts and the ability to access wheelie bins, I couldn't see anything that would pique their interest.