Please bear with this long story. It is gross but I need help from anyone who's been through it because until I get this problem solved, I can't do my music.

I heard noise coming from the kitchen and something had chewed a hole under my sink so I patched the hole and then I heard more noise but I couldn't find anything and the noise stopped. I started smelling this repugnant smell at different times of the day but there were no other signs like droppings.

Sadly, I was an idiot. I can't believe how dumb I was and didn't realize what was going on until a rat ran out from the bottom of the dishwasher and sent me screaming out of my kitchen. Now I know that it chewed another hole and must have made a nest behind my dishwasher. I finally found the new hole by shining a flashlight through the crack where the dishwasher sits under the countertop. But all I can see is a hole with an electrical wire hanging right in the middle of it. I've checked inside all the cabinets, behind the refrigerator and moved out the stove which had some signs of insulation being moved otherwise no signs anywhere else.

I got traps from Home Depot and killed two but then a few days later one ran back in when I involuntarily screamed as I saw it coming out. A couple of days later I heard a commotion and went to the kitchen to see a trap trying to be dragged (the trap was too small) back under there - only the broken trap was left behind as I watched a long gross tail slink back in. The way the dishwasher fits into the cabinets, there's a gap between the side cabinets at the floor but it's not big enough to fit any poison in there or under the dishwasher. The large traps fit on the other walls but not under the cabinet overhangs at the floor which is why that trap was too small.

My kitchen has at least six traps set out every day/night and a $40 rat zapper that's being totally ignored. My studio/den is off the kitchen with no door so I've been afraid to be in there although I've found no signs there.

Now it's been several days with no signs or sounds of activity. I don't know what to do. I'm afraid to move the dishwasher out to see what's back there in case the one that got away and the one that was injured are still in there alive or there are more that might run out. The smell is still gross and not as loud but it's not dead animal smell. I want to clean it and disinfect with bleach back there. Plus I need to repair the damage done to the wall and dishwasher.

We have a cat but he's old and incapable of fighting rats. So I'm also concerned about using poison with a cat and all the neighbors around me have dogs. I actually suspect a couple of the neighbors yards is why I have this problem but that's another story....

My nerves are frazzled and the nearest company that specializes in rodent control is 100 miles away. I don't want to pay big money for someone to do what I'm already doing. This is the first time a rat family has chewed it's way inside my house. I had a mouse issue once in TN but we got rid of that fairly quickly. Down here they say there's both roof and norway rats.

I've read about rat control on google until my eyes are bloodshot and I get nauseous. I already know I need to rat proof better outside once they're out. So PLEASE DON'T SCARE ME ANYMORE THAN I ALREADY AM. if you've had experience with this, I'd appreciate some good advice to help me get my kitchen, my studio, and most of all, my peace of mind back.

Honestly, I've considered running away from home but that's not an option.

Thank you for your help. :sad:

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