Something is scratching in my floor with long nails and its not a mouse!
By peanutjar
@peanutjar (5251)
Canada
December 5, 2007 7:30pm CST
Every night for the past 5 days i hear a walking/scratching noise in my floor a couple times a night.It drives my cats crazy and me trying to find it and see what it is,the problem is it does not sound like the small pitter patter of mouse feet but like a larger heavier animal/thing.Ive seen a flying squirrel around here since then also and have wondered if it could be it.We have a brick house with no holes anywhere but a dryer vent and central vacuum vent with flaps covering them.Do you think it could of gotten in through the dryer vent by flipping the flaps that let the air out and chewed a hole in the plastic hose and set up its winter house in OUR house?Im beside myself here and scared to wake up to somethin staring me in the face in the middle of the night,haha.What would you do?Put a trap?Put a grill with small lines over the dryer vent,etc??HELP!!
2 people like this
8 responses
@lilaclady (28270)
• Australia
6 Dec 07
oh that would drive me crazy, I can't even stand the thought of a mouse, oh I wonder what it is, maybe it is another cat that is stuck, I would be so terrified but at the same time I would to think it is some animal in distress if it is stuck or something....Oh I hope it all works out for the best for you and the animal concerned..
@AmbiePam (43420)
• United States
6 Dec 07
Our church once had a bird stuck in one of their walls. It just ate me up that we couldn't figure out exactly where it was. We could hear it, but couldn't pinpoint the exact wall. I just kept praying it would free itself and fly out the way it got in.
1 person likes this
@peanutjar (5251)
• Canada
6 Dec 07
Im sure its not bigger than a rat or squirrel,i hear it only at night around 9:00 pm or so.The dryer vent is only big like a miracle whip salad dressing jar(round)and has a vent on it with 3 plastic grills that can be easily fliped up and is 5 feet up the wall from the ground.I looked for holes on my brick house and there are none,nada,so im wondering it had to get in from the vent,animals cant turn door knobs,haha:)
2 people like this
@uath13 (8227)
• United States
7 Dec 07
I'd bet on an possim myself. If its been going actoss your floor at night I'd lock the cats up & get a live trap to set up in the area to see if I could catch it. Squirels aren't likely to mark up your floor very much but a possims long nails would.
2 people like this
@uath13 (8227)
• United States
7 Dec 07
Oh wait, you said scratching IN your floor, not scratching your floor. Thats a different story. Does it sound like it.s crawling through the vents or through the flooring itself? Throught the vents you could have a squirrel, chipmonk or possim. Through the floor its probably mice.
2 people like this
@peanutjar (5251)
• Canada
8 Dec 07
We do not have possums here in canada,well the part that i live in,haha!Its inside the floor or if im in the basement its in the ceiling,hehe.It always seems to start at the same place and goes through the same ,well,road?path direction.I checked my dryer vent that lead outside and there was a hole big like a tennis ball.Something had chewed a round hole in the plastic pipe inside about 2 feet from the entrance.Im betting on a stupid squirrel now.I put a metal grill behind the outside dryer vent today,i hope it got out or its gonna chew the house up trying to get out,haha.Its always going(noise)around our floor beams by the walls and then cuts across where the furnace room is,but i dont see "it".
@chrislotz (8207)
• Canada
7 Dec 07
Oh my goodness. I don't know what advice I could give you. I sure hope you aren't right about it being something big. I would be terrified. I don't know. I have had mice that sounded really loud and big but your cats should be able to get rid of it if it was a mouse. So I agree with you and don't think it's a mouse. I would maybe get your hubby to check it out. Have him, or you, stay up all night with the light off, and see if it will come out so you can see what it is. I don't know what else to advice you.
@peanutjar (5251)
• Canada
8 Dec 07
Im not scared but curious,haha!My cats are more curious though than me.
Peanutjar:)
@sabbathandruth (567)
• Canada
6 Dec 07
EWW
it could be a squirrell, or a rat or a skunk thats trapped but MoST likely its a raccoon
1 person likes this
@peanutjar (5251)
• Canada
8 Dec 07
Hi,we have a 2 story house which is made out of bricks everywhere,so a shunk or racoon could not get in but maybe a squirrel which had flipped the dryer flap thats outside which lets the hot air out when drying clothes.I think thats what it was.I put a metal grill net over the outside vent and didnt hear anything last night.Maybe i locked it out,haha.There was a hole chewed in the pipe for the dryer air anyway i had found.
Peanutjar:)
@AzraelValley (682)
• Philippines
6 Dec 07
As I was browsing thru topics, I notice this one. It is so scary. I want to participate in this. Are you scared?
Try calling aa police at night, then maybe you will have a peace of mind. Or better yet, go geet a watch dog for a change.
Cats are good, but, not for protection.
Go girl!
@peanutjar (5251)
• Canada
8 Dec 07
Hi,i dont think id call the police when i can use my broom or 2 cats or dog for this myself,haha.Im not scared but more curious.I hate not being able to "know" what it is,but im sure its a squirrel thats causing the noise because winter is here full of snow and it seems to be a good warm place to stay for the winter,haha.
Peanutjar:)
@Grandmaof2 (7604)
• Canada
6 Dec 07
OMG I don't think I'll sleep tonight for sure LOL. Set a trap two or three of them hon and for goodness sake let us know the results of the trap line tomorrow!!!!!!! Uck.
@peanutjar (5251)
• Canada
8 Dec 07
Hi,i still dont know what it was.I never heard it last night.I put a metal grill net over my dryer entrance thats outside that lets the dryer air outside.Maybe it went outside and i blocked it from getting back.I found a hole big like a tennis ball chewed in the dryer hose about 2 feet from the outdoors entrance.Im sure it was a squirrel that did it,haha.I will see tonight if i fixed the problem.
Peanutjar:)
@peanutjar (5251)
• Canada
6 Dec 07
Hi AmbiePam:)
The hole for the dryer vent is big like a mayonnaise jar(big)round i think a raccoon would get its big butt stuck in that,hahaha!Its 5 feet from the ground also up on the wall of our house.
Peanutjar:)
1 person likes this
@salam1 (1476)
• Malaysia
8 Dec 07
maybe it is a bear. big bear is known to have an ability to walk in a place but sounds like a small harmless animal. like you said. sumatran tiger is also known as a non-domestic animal that has claws but can hide them when not in use. I am sure this is not orang utan or other primate as these group of monkeys make unnecessary noise. why dont you check you local zoo in case they hiding any horror fact. Also, wise to check your local exotic pet shop too.
