In one corner... a dirty, cunning little rat.

In the other... a frustrated pet owner.

Now I find it hard to harm any animal, yep, even a dirty little rat.

For months I've turned a blind eye to its fleeting appearances, scurrying for cover as soon as the shed door opens most nights.

The cats don't give a rats about it, why should I, right?

But my tolerance of this little blighter's existence ended this week when he or she stepped over the line.

The dry cat food has been stored in a watertight plastic container in the shed without incident for ages.

So imagine my surprise on Monday to find that dirty little rat had climbed up on the bench and chewed around the flap on the container until he (or she) was able to flip back the lid and help itself to a good-sized portion of the Friskies inside.

That's just not on. Well, actually, come to think of it, some pretty good thinking by that dirty little rat to pull off such a heist.

Rat 1. Rod 0.

Can't have such antics in my shed.

So, I countered that dirty little rat by closing the lid and placing a large box of tinned cat food on top of the container so that it couldn't flip that lid again.

Rat 1. Rod 1.

It seems I may have underestimated the tenacity and smarts of that dirty little rat.

The next night when I ventured into the shed all seemed in order.

There on the bench sat the container of cat food with the box of tins still sitting nicely on top.

Feeling a little chuffed with my results, I ventured over to the container.

The first inkling things weren't quite right appeared in the large scattering of clear plastic fragments spread across the bench behind the container.

On closer inspection I found a large hole gnawed in the side and the level of Friskies significantly reduced... again.

You could sense that dirty little rat reclining from the safety of a beam somewhere nearby, content with a fully belly and chuckling away at the scene below.

Rat 2. Rod 1.

The cats cared little for any of this, running back and forwards from their bowls to the container concerned only by this seemingly unwarranted delay in transferring Friskies from one to the other.

They should be disgusted with themselves. A dirty little rat has been happily raiding food from under their noses and they've done nothing about it. It's their job to protect such assets!

I wasn't having such behaviour, so I got a new container and stored that cat food inside the house.

Rat 2. Rod 2.

Mmmmm.. wonder if my wife will be as nonchalant about that dirty little rat as those cats should it discover the new whereabouts of the container.