It seems to be the flavor if the week for me.
As most of you know, i work in a kitchen. As you should know, this attracts various critters such as flies, roaches, and our current issue with rats. I dont know how many there are, but the evidence (food thats been nibbled on) is clear.

Now, i work for a living. I dont just ignore problems when i see them... We'll one of them walked right up to me.

There i am, minding my own business when i turn around and see a rat waddling across the floor of my brightly lit and rather loud kitchen.

I dont know how most people react to the sudden appearance of a wild animal, but i was only startled. What harm could this rat conceivably do me? Get germs in my food? How is that the rat's fault, and moreover, how does that make this creature worthy of such murderous scorn and terrified disgust? The rat needs to eat just like me, and every other biological organism on this planet.

She/He/It stopped a few feet from me. He looked confused and lethargic. Anyone who frequents genesisw's livestream channel has invariably met the "family," namely, her pet rats. This rat was just like them. For a moment, i entertained the notion of just leaving him be, presuming he would wander off again on his own. But as i said, i work for a living.

But i couldnt kill him. Im not wired like that. Insects? Sure. Mammals? No. So i did the only thing i could think of and shooed him away. He didnt actually move till i nudged him with my shoe, and even then he just waddled back towards the pantry. But he stopped again, still in plain sight.

Not knowing what else to do, i tried to catch him.

I grabbed a towel, and tried to gently pick him. He squeaked and bolted under some shelves, behind some big plastic bins. I decided he was gone, but felt i should warn my coworkers about him. When they reacted with aforementioned fear and disgust, i figured i should at least keep an eye out for the little guy, to forego any incidents.

Then i checked behind the bins. He eas still there, curled up in a tiny ball. Again, unable to ignore the problem, i made another attempt to catch him. Less gently this time....

He squeaked and squealed and wiggled and thrashed and almost bit me more than once. But i got him wrapped up in a towel. I stood there for a few minutes, feeling his little heartbeat, trying to comfort him, noticing a tiny bit of blood seeping through the towel. He was dying.

I had no idea what to do.

As a kid, you always dream about catching a wild animal and making it your pet. I know from experience that that... Doesnt work. A vet would invariably put him down, even if i was capable of bringing him to one. I knew that if i let him outside, he'd just come back in. And i. Could. Not. Kill him. Im not wired that way. Part of me just wanted... To hold him til he was gone. But i was on the clock and the dinner rush was coming...

So i put the rat in a clear plastic pan and weighed the lid down. I knew i couldnt just leave him in there, there wasnt enough air. And anyone could just see him in there. So in the end i put him outside by the dumpster, out in the cold, all alone... More than likely to die...

I know i did the right thing. Or at least, the only thing i could have done given my situation... But i still feel like crying



.....


One day, the human race may encounter something that has as much power over us as we do over so-called "vermin"
And i truly hope they do better than we do.