[Clough]

It wasn't a mouse and also wasn't flying.

A bit of background...

I own a really nice, old home. I've had many student recitals here as well as parties for friends and/or neighbors. Old homes need a lot of maintenance, though. Mine now needs a lot of maintenance!

There are holes in my kitchen walls from where I've repaired broken pipes. The kitchen is right underneath the back porch roof.

I know that I have some holes in my attic that need to be repaired, because critters have gotten up and entered there previously.

The upstairs bathroom adjoins the downstairs kitchen corner at the ceiling area, and is right next to the back porch roof, also.

I've been sleeping on couch cushions on my dining room floor because my old furnace wouldn't heat the upstairs adequately. I recently acquired a new furnace, so the problem with the heating is solved. I just need to move back upstairs for going to bed.

Last night however, I could hear something in the bathroom floor that was obviously an animal of some kind running around. Okay, I thought... Something finally got into that area...

I shut the door to the upstairs, then, went to sleep with my cat in the dining room...

About 4:20 this A.M. though, I awoke to the sound of something falling in my kitchen! I immediately yelled at my cat for possibly doing something. But, it wasn't him who was doing anything!

I then got up and saw something running rapidly across the dining room floor that appeared to have a large, fluffy tail. It appeared to be a very small animal. I couldn't see very well though, because I didn't have my "eyes" in at the time. The thing appeared to be black, but most things appear to be black when it's really dark.

I continued to hear this thing running around my home. I've had raccoons in my attic as well as birds come in from the outside into the main portion of my home. My thought was, that I would just deal with it when I got up. After all, it didn't seem to be very large, and my cat really didn't appear to be alarmed.The opening, in my kitchen, wasn't very large at all.

I shut both entryways to the dining room and went back to sleep.

About mid-morning, when I woke up, I could still hear sounds of "it" running around my home. I then heard sounds of "it" scratching on something metal, like furnace duct pipes.

I haven't heard it since...

My question is, do any of you have an idea as to what it might be, (or, have been?)

To me, it might have been a black squirrel. I've seen one that climbs up the sides of a neighbor's home for many years now.

What do you think?

Thanks!

[Alty]

I'm guessing squirrel too Clough. They are very crafty and can get into very tight and high places. They're also great climbers.

My neighbour had a next of squirrels in her chimney one year.

You could try a humane trap. A lot of places rent them, but I wouldn't know where in your neck of the woods.

Here they'll even come and set the traps up and then come to remove them for a very small fee.

Worth a try. :)

[Clough]

I thought that I had posted another response here about what is happening now. Don't know what happened to it.

I've now put insulation in the areas in the kitchen where "it" or "them" could come in. Seems to be pretty well blocked with that.

I'm sure that "they" have friends who they share things with, as far as accommodations!

I've also heard some additional noises tonight in the floor area of the bathroom.

I'm still going to be sleeping in the dining room and shutting the doors!

Thanks!

[Wondergirl]

The poor baby was just trying to get out of the snow and find a warm place to sleep (and breed).

[hheath541]

I would let the cat have free reign of the house at night. If the squirrel thinks it's in danger, it'll stop coming inside.

[Wondergirl]

i would let the cat have free reign of the house at night. if the squirrel thinks it's in danger, it'll stop coming inside.

The squirrel might be as big as the cat, plus they are mean and evil. And it might not be a squirrel.

[Clough]

The poor baby was just trying to get out of the snow and find a warm place to sleep (and breed).

Not in my home! Others might not like it, but I was kind of relieved that "it" had apparently found the way to the furnace ducts!

I'm an animal lover! However, in my opinion, they do have their space and place where they need to be.

Thanks!

[Clough]

i would let the cat have free reign of the house at night. if the squirrel thinks it's in danger, it'll stop coming inside.

My cat does have free reign of the house at all times! He just didn't seem to notice any danger.

Although, I did hear a really big "growl" from him last night.

I thought that maybe he had seen the intruder!

Thanks!

[Wondergirl]

My cat does have free reign of the house at all times! He just didn't seem to notice any danger.

Although, I did hear a really big "growl" from him last night.

I thought that maybe he had seen the intruder!

Thanks!

There may be a short story somewhere in this adventure.

I'm off to bed. Good night! (We will begin to practice comma placement tomorrow, Wednesday. Eat a hearty breakfast.)

[hheath541]

Well, maybe just seeing the cat around will convince mr. furry to leave on his own.

If you do set up any traps, make sure kitty can't get into them.

[Clough]

The squirrel might be as big as the cat, plus they are mean and evil. And it might not be a squirrel.

What squirrel would be as big as my cat, please? If it was a black squirrel, they tend to be one of the tiniest varieties.

What do you mean about them being mean and evil?

Yes, it might not be a squirrel. Maybe it was a rat?

Thanks!

[Clough]

Okay, I've got to shut the doors and get to bed! Hopefully, there won't be anymore surprises, tonight!

I wish to heck that the city would plow out the court where we live! It almost seems like we're being neglected here!

Thanks!

[KISS]

IL squirrels are HUGE compared to the small ones in the back yard.

Useful squirrel info: The All New Squirrel Place

[Catsmine]

First chance you get, pick up some hardware cloth to cover those holes you stuffed the insulation into. For tonight, maybe some mothballs in that bathroom where they came in. Most wild animals hate the smell.

[Clough]

First chance you get, pick up some hardware cloth to cover those holes you stuffed the insulation into. For tonight, maybe some mothballs in that bathroom where they came in. Most wild animals hate the smell.

Hi, Catsmine!

I will be covering the holes with something permanent. I do like the idea about the moth balls.

I don't know if "it" actually came into the bathroom, since I really didn't see "it" in there. However, a number of years ago, I had created an access panel on the wall on the end of the bath tub so that I had access to the pipes, in case something happened. I closed the acces panel when I knew that I had a critter "somewhere".

I will open the access panel and throw some moth balls in there. It might work with the small critters. I did try moth balls in my attic, a number of years ago in my attic when I had raccoons up there. The moth balls didn't work.

Thanks!

[Catsmine]

'Coons, like primates, can ignore things. I think that their noses aren't as sensitive as other wild creatures, but I have no proof of that and there may well be proof that they are.

Squirrels normally leave after a day or so exposure to napthalene, and (this is the biggie) they tend not to come back.

If you'd rather not leave the fiberglass insulation behind the hardware cloth, I've seen the polyurethane foam do a really good job sealing up holes.

[Clough]

What's "napthalene", please?

Thanks!

[KISS]

The stuff that makes moth balls smell:

http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Naphthalene-9927671

[Clough]

Are there even smellier moth balls that can be found and purchased, please?

Thanks!

[Catsmine]

Are there even smellier moth balls that can be found and purchased, please?

Thanks!

You can buy crushed ones, or "Moth Flakes", that let you spread more of them.