Arlene: Hi, Garfield.
Garfield: Hi, Arlene.
Arlene: How was your dinner?
Garfield: Lousy. Jon burned the pot roast, the gravy was lumpy and the brussels sprouts were soggy. How was yours?
Arlene: I ate a rat.
Garfield: Mint?
I had a field mouse get in my house once. You know, one of those mice that is about an inch around at the most. I had three cats and they just formed a circle around it. They seemed to be somewhere between fascinated and terrified. I finally had to catch it and put it back outside before the cats got too nervous.
MrsLuke: There is a restaurant in Banning, CA called Gramma’s. They used to have a sign that advertised their “old fashioned mashed potatoes, lumps and all”. That sign was what got us in there the first time, and their great food keeps us going back. (And, yes, their mashed potatoes are still lumpy, gloriously so.)
There is a hay field right next to my house and we get mice at times mostly in the colder month but what my wife and I found to be much better at keeping them in check is a King snake. A mouse isn’t scared of a cat like it is a snake
And has a side effect we found we had fewer people dropping in unannouced
Jascat, tarantulas make good pets because they are actually harmless to humans. Their sting is too small to easily pierce human skin, they don’t try to attack humans, and their bite is no worse than a bee sting in the rare cases where it does occur.
Like bee stings, an allergic reaction in some individuals is far more dangerous than the venom. According to Wikipedia, all fatalities from tarantula bites have been from allergic reactions rather than the venom.
Tarantulas are large and hairy, so you can touch and hold them. Like cockroaches, (another unorthodox pet, especially the large hissing variety), they have some ability to learn, and a longer lifespan than most insects - females living to 30 or 40 years (males serve as meals at conception - quite the twist on “going out to dinner”).
Tarantulas are popular as movie props because they are large and scary looking, without posing any actual danger to the actors. I’ve seen pet tarantulas, but from Wikipedia I learned that some species have tiny irritating hairs that they can shed as a defense against predators. These can cause a poison ivy like rash.
we were given 2 kittens. male was killed by a car. female had a litter 2 years ago Jan. only the female lived. both just had litters about 3 weeks apart. lost 1 male. don’t have ANY mice or rats. just a VERY few gophers.
Well said Stuart. Yes Jascat, she WAS awesome, She died in August, at about 25 years of age. I had her for 22 years, almost to the day.
They don’t make noise, you never handle them except twice a year when you take them out to clean the dead cricket parts out of the gravel. They don’t poop, they drink off of a natural sponge on a shell, and once every week or two, when they eat all their crickets, you throw another dozen in. They are extremely delicate creatures, so I must have done a good job. I was never bitten either. She was my second one. The first lived 5 years. Nobody else I knew had one.
I had no idea if it was a male or female, until she outlived the male lifespan, and kept on going.
Here she is: Nicademus
I changed the “o” to an “a” after I realized she was a female. This was taken in 2008, after what would be her final molt. You can see her old skin next to her.
I see that most of you are city guys. Being raised in the country, My daughters used to catch trantulas or even snakes every year. and make pets of them til they were bored and set them free. I’ve seen rats so big that they would fight my dogs. They are sometimes as big as a large cat. We live so far out in the country that we didn’t have electricity until a few years ago, after they finally put in a pipeline to bring us sunlight. They say that if we ever get Hoover out of the White House, things may get better.
pouncingtiger over 14 years ago
I like Arlene’s aside in the last panel.
Llewellenbruce over 14 years ago
Garfield gets to eat human food Arlene.
Blockisland over 14 years ago
ROFL arlene’s face in last one its good
mrslukeskywalker over 14 years ago
I like little lumps in my gravy. In my mashed potatoes too, but I prefer lumps over rats any day.
I’ve never even seen one, except on TV.
I had a tarantula for 22 years though. She was awesome.
Pacejv over 14 years ago
Chickenman didn’t like the lumps in his oatmeal, yet–the mint was a nice touch.
NE1956 over 14 years ago
Take two or three Arlene. Rat breath is nastier than you realize.
Lisa Lou Premium Member over 14 years ago
I have three rats and my six cats couldn’t give a rat’s….er, they don’t pay much attention to them. :D
I agree with pouncingtiger and Blockisland about that last frame with Arlene’s face. Hehe.
ronaldmundy over 14 years ago
i hope you mean as pets, cookienut.
Jascat over 14 years ago
Mrs.Luke-You had a pet tarantula? And it was AWESOME?!? You are a sick woman!!!!!!!!!!! JK…LOL
Celticwho over 14 years ago
My cat’s never seen a rat/mouse. She’d probably run away from it. As for Garfield’s dinner, soggy brussel sprouts…EYUCK!
dradk over 14 years ago
mint? awesome!
travburg1 over 14 years ago
Try going into a HOT attic crawlspace to remove a VERY dead rat. Not one of my favorite memories.
Had a pet rat who was a delight, though.
TexTech over 14 years ago
I had a field mouse get in my house once. You know, one of those mice that is about an inch around at the most. I had three cats and they just formed a circle around it. They seemed to be somewhere between fascinated and terrified. I finally had to catch it and put it back outside before the cats got too nervous.
IdahoSpud over 14 years ago
Love the stories from you guys. Especially the 3 cats.
JanLC over 14 years ago
MrsLuke: There is a restaurant in Banning, CA called Gramma’s. They used to have a sign that advertised their “old fashioned mashed potatoes, lumps and all”. That sign was what got us in there the first time, and their great food keeps us going back. (And, yes, their mashed potatoes are still lumpy, gloriously so.)
Trainwreck_1 over 14 years ago
There is a hay field right next to my house and we get mice at times mostly in the colder month but what my wife and I found to be much better at keeping them in check is a King snake. A mouse isn’t scared of a cat like it is a snake And has a side effect we found we had fewer people dropping in unannouced
Templo S.U.D. over 14 years ago
Long time, no see, Arlene! I guess we’ve not been seeing you because of your bad rat breath.
bugboy57 over 14 years ago
my cats were raise around pet rats, they either ignore them or clean them.
ninmas over 14 years ago
why does arlene date garfield? she just ends up being annoyed by him.
stuart over 14 years ago
Jascat, tarantulas make good pets because they are actually harmless to humans. Their sting is too small to easily pierce human skin, they don’t try to attack humans, and their bite is no worse than a bee sting in the rare cases where it does occur.
Like bee stings, an allergic reaction in some individuals is far more dangerous than the venom. According to Wikipedia, all fatalities from tarantula bites have been from allergic reactions rather than the venom.
Tarantulas are large and hairy, so you can touch and hold them. Like cockroaches, (another unorthodox pet, especially the large hissing variety), they have some ability to learn, and a longer lifespan than most insects - females living to 30 or 40 years (males serve as meals at conception - quite the twist on “going out to dinner”).
Tarantulas are popular as movie props because they are large and scary looking, without posing any actual danger to the actors. I’ve seen pet tarantulas, but from Wikipedia I learned that some species have tiny irritating hairs that they can shed as a defense against predators. These can cause a poison ivy like rash.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula
seabase1 over 14 years ago
way to go garfield, there is one hygienic,spoiled urban pet cat
Yakety Sax over 14 years ago
we were given 2 kittens. male was killed by a car. female had a litter 2 years ago Jan. only the female lived. both just had litters about 3 weeks apart. lost 1 male. don’t have ANY mice or rats. just a VERY few gophers.
LadybugMacon over 14 years ago
I do remember Garfield saying “show me a good mouser and I’ll show you a cat with BAD breath “,
mrslukeskywalker over 14 years ago
Well said Stuart. Yes Jascat, she WAS awesome, She died in August, at about 25 years of age. I had her for 22 years, almost to the day.
They don’t make noise, you never handle them except twice a year when you take them out to clean the dead cricket parts out of the gravel. They don’t poop, they drink off of a natural sponge on a shell, and once every week or two, when they eat all their crickets, you throw another dozen in. They are extremely delicate creatures, so I must have done a good job. I was never bitten either. She was my second one. The first lived 5 years. Nobody else I knew had one.
I had no idea if it was a male or female, until she outlived the male lifespan, and kept on going.
Here she is: Nicademus
I changed the “o” to an “a” after I realized she was a female. This was taken in 2008, after what would be her final molt. You can see her old skin next to her.
1148559 over 14 years ago
For good lumps you need to use real potatoes in the mashed potatoes.
COWBOY7 over 14 years ago
Smooth comeback, Garfield!
perritos over 14 years ago
that is 1 of the million things you don’t have to say to a girl
purplesting over 14 years ago
Only Garfield.
AKHenderson Premium Member over 14 years ago
What kind of wine goes with rat?
Tsali-Queyi over 14 years ago
I see that most of you are city guys. Being raised in the country, My daughters used to catch trantulas or even snakes every year. and make pets of them til they were bored and set them free. I’ve seen rats so big that they would fight my dogs. They are sometimes as big as a large cat. We live so far out in the country that we didn’t have electricity until a few years ago, after they finally put in a pipeline to bring us sunlight. They say that if we ever get Hoover out of the White House, things may get better.
mjtempke over 14 years ago
I DON’T like Brussels Sprouts, soggy or otherwise!!! YUUUCCCKKK!!!!!!!!!
Aranyaghose over 14 years ago
real good
Pets of the comics almost 4 years ago
rude
hockey man over 3 years ago
just a rat?