Rats!

Side story; I've had some nights last month before I went back to America where I heard noises in my roof. Surprisingly enough I didn't just cower under my covers but I immediately went out to investigate with pocketknife in hand. I expected to see a herd of goats (has happened before.. well there were 2) on top of my roof but my flashlight revealed nothing. I turned off my flashlight and listened, I heard some movement. I went into one of my rooms with the unfinished ceiling and my light and I caught the end of a very large rat and its tail crawling into my bedroom ceiling crevice. It can't get into my bedroom as the ceiling is finished so I thought I'd leave it alone. Then I got a package with Spam, left it out, and it got eaten by this rat. Actions were then taken, and I put poison out for it the week before I left. I left out some cookies to test the water, and they weren't eaten- I eliminated my pest. I went home, returned, and saw no real signs of it still being around. If it really wanted to it can go into a box I have in an open room but no dice. But no terrible odors either... but it has been winter so I expected the smells to surface come springtime anyway.
Well today the rat either rose from the dead.. or I'm dealing with a cat. Had a half kilo of goat meat wrapped up in tinfoil and plastic, put it on a chair in a cold room with a reasonable hole in the wall. I left for about an hour to visit my host family, returned, and it was gone. Gone. I peered around with furrowed brows but can make no allegations yet beside it either being a cat or zombie rat. If it was the rat then I'm not even mad, I'm impressed. It would've been almost the same size as it. Whatever it is, will be got.
On a lighter note, I ate dinner with my landlord's family tonight. Tagine.. and delicious as always. I told them that I want the next kitten they see, and they said ok. Also had tea today with my host family (best tea I've ever had) and some snacks. They invited me over for dinner tomorrow after souq which I look forward to. Souq days are always busy for me, as I do my shopping but also meet with community members from further away in my valley when we get the chance. I need to get on the same page with one association president about the construction of a water chateau and new drinking water system tomorrow, and also find out from another president/artisan when we will go out and collect fallen food for his woodshop. The fallen wood we will collect comes from an indigenous boxwood tree species, and I would very much like to start a nursery for it, but I need to do some research on it. He also has some trash bins left over from a previous volunteer's project and we want to give them to some schools down by me. We just need to decide on a time.. Also am meeting with the teachers tomorrow to begin talks/plans on an Earth Day celebration. The Earth Day website is terrible to navigate by the way... wanted to get some lesson plan ideas or contact them about what we might do but the links on the site put me in a circle. Anyway, I've gone off on a rant, so that'll be it for me. Also, read a bit about the happenings in Tunis right now.. crazy stuff. Should get you started: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12198396
LP Butz