Some animal is making sounds behind my kitchen cabinets or in my kitchen walls. I think it is a rat. This has happened before and the rat has gotten into my house. How can I eliminate this creature?

You must find where they get inside otherwise you can kill this one and the rest of his family will fill in for him. Once you locate the entrance use rat/mouse bait pellets.

Whatever type of critter this is, Ballenger has the first step right. They got there somehow and it's long odds against their finding food there. Finding how they are getting in and out has to be the first step. Then you can determine what they are. You will need to check the attic, the roof, the outside walls, and the crawlspace to find the "entrance."

If it is rats you will find a lot of droppings in and around the entrance. Squirrels' leavings are larger and less frequent. Chipmunks won't leave droppings you can find.

Poison works well for rats. Squirrels need to be trapped out. Chips need to be excluded, i.e. closing the entrance while they are outside in the evening.

Sealing the entrance way after the pests are gone is imperative, or new ones will be back VERY soon.

Another sign you want to look for are dirt rub marks from where the rat is going in and out of.

Find and fill / cover the hole. Lf you cannot access the hole directly, shove medium steel wool into the hole with a stick.

Hold ON .Using poison to kill a rat may not be the best idea. If you do this the rat could get himself in a location you cannot get to ,die and decay and the odor can be unbearable. Hate to say it but a rat trap may be the best solution. The other folks are correct in GET more information on entry,food source,droppings ETC. so you know what you are up against.