It is the live pressies which concern me. I can happily cope with dead rats and rabbits but the live ones are more difficult. I once had one that one of the cats got bored with, sitting on the mantelpiece over the fire in direct line with my eyes when I was sat watching TV. I tried all ways of getting each cat to deal with it with no luck. It seemed happy to just sit there, hiding behind a jug and I really did not want to have to handle it. I came inside after it had lodged with us for 2 days and could really smell it. It was at that point I knew I had to remove it. 2 Pairs of thick gardening gloves on, I moved the jug and it shot down and across the floor, past all 3 bemused cats, straight up a curtain. I managed to get it's claws out of the voile and throw it outside. It was around 13cms from head to end of tail. Incredibly pretty, nothing like the UK sewer rats, with a pale fawn tummy and slightly darker back.
I now know where the saying 'smell a rat' comes from. They do!