At 1:20 AM last night I heard a lot of banging and what sounded like furniture being slid across the floor, but no yowling. So I got up to see what was going on and found 4 or 5 kitties with poofy tails pointing at the front door. (I lock to security screen and keep the front door open at night to get some fresh air). I was still about 5 feet away from the door when I heard a rattlesnake buzz!! EEEP!. I think my tail went all poofy, too. My outside light is pretty dim so I got a flashlight and shone it through the screen. The rattlesnake was coiled up right in front of the door. I closed the door as fast as I could and crammed a towel along the bottom edge, even though the door really does fit well and there isn't any space between the door and the sill. The kitties knew it was still there because they kept sniffing at the door and backing away. Then I went to the other side of the house and hauled the rest of the cats in from the screened-in patio, and locked the cat door so they couldn't get back out. Not a popular action as far as kitties were concerned.
The snake was gone when I got up this morning but I'm still kind of freaked out because I don't know where it went. I didn't even go out to do the yard work I was planning for today. I've lived in Arizona for more than 25 years and this is only the 4th rattlesnake I've ever seen. Mostly I see king snakes around my house, which is good because they eat rattlesnakes.
I'm halfway tempted to leave my door closed tonight and turn on the a/c, even though I really don't like a/c all that much.
The snake was gone when I got up this morning but I'm still kind of freaked out because I don't know where it went. I didn't even go out to do the yard work I was planning for today. I've lived in Arizona for more than 25 years and this is only the 4th rattlesnake I've ever seen. Mostly I see king snakes around my house, which is good because they eat rattlesnakes.
I'm halfway tempted to leave my door closed tonight and turn on the a/c, even though I really don't like a/c all that much.