Uninvited House Guests

United States
September 8, 2010 5:41pm CST
This past July, I had the strangest uninvited house guest ever. Of course, this taught me a very important lesson -- don't leave the back door ajar to serve as a doggie door! I was computering and heard odd noises and made the mistake of assuming the dog was shuffling around on the floor nearby. A moment or so later I hear my roommate say, "Where the he double L did that alligator come from?" Yeah, right! But since he sounded serious, I decided to walk into the livingroom to see what he was babbling about. Sure enough, there waltzed an alligator! He waltzed right out of the room into my roomie's bedroom, to which we closed the door, locking him in there until we could figure out what to do. Thankfully, my roomie had grabbed my dog by the collar, so she didn't get within the gator's reach. Eventually, The Ohio Reptile Service rescued us from this uninvited guest. I've attatched a photo for you that will give you an idea of the size of this gator. We eventually discovered it was a neighbor in back of us who had this as a pet and had turned it loose. Needless to say, I am not happy about my neighbors. But I sure was happy to say ... See ya later alligator! What's the strangest uninvited guest you've ever had come walking into your house through a door left open?
4 people like this
6 responses
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
9 Sep 10
Ohio? An alligator in OHIO? Had to have been somebody's. NYState, illegal to have wild pets and non-indigonous unless a bird raised in captivity from a licensed aviary. The list of fines and charges for that neighbor here would be numerous. Skunks how up if you're not careful and raccoons, strangest are the Kangaroo mice/rats, whatevery they are. Hopping mice with long back legs, short front legs and super long tails are the weirdest thing we get.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
9 Sep 10
Unless she's bigger and faster than the alligator, that may have been for the best.
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Sep 10
Well, she's chow and very aggressive, but that gator could have hurt her, so am very glad she didn't get the chance to get near it; for the best for sure.
@jennyze (7029)
• Indonesia
9 Sep 10
oh oh, an alligator? You and your friends were so calm in handling this. I would freak out. Your neighbor was pulling a prank on you. Why did they loose an alligator? Didn't they know better it will freak most of people when they saw it loose? Yes, I would be angry with that neighbor in the situation.
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Sep 10
It wasn't a prank. They were tired of feeding it and caring for it so they turned it loose! Now that it's over, I'm glad it happened, as now the alligator is safe in south Florida in a sanctuary.
@jennyze (7029)
• Indonesia
9 Sep 10
Such irresponsible neighbor. They could just call the authority to pick up the alligator instead of turning it loose. Yes, it was happened and taken cared of before it roamed many houses.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
18 Sep 10
Oh my goodness Ruthi I would have ran out of the House and not gone back in there I am so glad we do not have them here and that I do not have a Dog Flap lol as I know I would not have been as brave as you
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Sep 10
I tell you, Gabby, I had the heebie jeebies for a few weeks over it all! And didn't leave the door open for awhile, until that became a pain in the neck to stop everything to let Tidbit in or out. And, I was only brave because the thing was locked in the bedroom. Had that gator just been roaming around the house, I would not have been in here with it!
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
9 Sep 10
I haven't had that happen and I am very glad it hasn't. We have alot of strange things that could walk in. Just had the neighbor guy shoot a possum that was back by my garage....if he was visiting in there is was okay as there's nothing in there....I use it for storage.
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Sep 10
I live in a rural area with lots of critters. Funny thing, saw more oppossums in the city than we do out here. Of course, my chow Tidbit chases most everything out of the yard so I don't get to see much and generally don't worry about critters coming in the house, but that gator slithered right in, gheesh!
• United States
9 Sep 10
Thankfully, I have yet to manage to have any sort of uninvited guest other than insects, the occasional mouse, and the rare squirrel (only in one place I used to live, which was student housing). I definitely wouldn't be too happy if an alligator showed up at my home. I still believe that people shouldn't be permitted to keep them as pets; there are simply too many bad outcomes that arise from allowing the average person to keep an alligator as a pet.
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Sep 10
I agree with you completely that people should not have alligators as pets, any wild animals, for that matter.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
11 Sep 10
Well, if you include both the mice that live in the adjoining open field and the kids that live up the street from us, I will let you have your choice. I tend to think that the strangest is probably the little boy from up the street because he seems to think that if the door is open then it is an open invite for everyone to walk in. In fact, I was up the street after chasing down my son one afternoon and when I walked back into the house, he was sitting on my couch watching the Disney Channel.
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Sep 10
Oh my! I'll take the mice, thank you very much! Too funny!