Random rat rant

So, just in case you found it rather odd that I was jonesing for more outdoor cats, I thought I'd show you this little gem:

It's a very large rat posing as road kill.
Not exactly a good Facebook profile pic but I'm not publishing this for shock value, I swear. 
I have a point here.
And I did mask the blood and guts portion.

My point is that rats almost never get hit by cars.  They're extremely smart and adaptive animals that don't usually don't succumb to squashing by virtue of the unsuitable defense mechanisms and general lack of situational awareness that so commonly doom animals such as opossums and armadillos.  But in this location, there seem to be so many of them that they simply cannot manage to keep all of their furry little selves out from under the wheels of cars. 

I'm not going to tell you where I took this picture because I'm liable to get a telephone call from someone's attorney if I refer to it by name. 

But it's a commercial establishment not far from Centerpointe, and it seems to be teeming with rats.  I have seen them scampering across the parking lot in broad daylight, which is also unusual behavior - rats are generally nocturnal, but if it's an advantage to them, they will adjust their sleeping schedule to fit their environment. 

As I'm routinely parking my car at this place, my eyeballs are constantly roving around the perimeter of my chosen area.  Any rats on the move right now?  Any possibility of one trying to run up my leg?  OK, coast is clear... now I will make my usual mad dash for the front door of this business...

My point is, I don't know why we seem to have such rodent issues in this general area.  Is it because there's so much new development with animals being displaced and the environment hasn't come to equilibrium yet?  Or is it something else?

I don't know.  I just know that, on some days, the rodent situation just seems to get stranger and stranger.

Meanwhile, our Great Horned Owls continue to hoot their brains out.  They were at it full swing again last night, with one calling out to the other, "It's a nice crisp fall evening, and we're going to have plenty to eat tonight, Charlie!"