Yes, I know, it's a lot of posts for one day, but there's so much going on.
Anyway, we really don't have rats. We're taking care of 2 black dachshunds, Dante & Shawn, for a couple of months for a friend who has gone to take care of her mother in California. They're very sweet but a little spoiled and not completely house trained. It seems that they're smart enough, we were able to train them in an evening to stay out of the kitchen.
They're getting along well with Papas, Buddy and the cats, although Sneezy will hiss at them. The first night, Bashful was fascinated by them, looking at them through the petdoor in the garage. It almost look like Bashful was hunting them. Since they're about the same size that might be interesting. If Bashful could actually hunt, I might be worried but considering he needs all his meat pureed, I think the dogs will be safe.