..there's an old adage about how to kill a rat:

1) Trap the rat.
2) Put rat in sack.
3) Beat sack with axe.
4) Pour gasoline on beaten sack and set on fire.
5) Mix ashes of rat and sack with concrete.
6) Drop hardened concrete in deep part of ocean.

Meanwhile, whilst you're doing this to Daddy Rat, Momma Rat just had a large litter of baby rats to replace the one you finally managed to kill. They're persistent little buggers... almost as good at survival as humans...

I hope the steel wool skirt works for ya, Weez... and you can find stainless-steel wool if you look fer it!

[tip o' the hat to RAH--hope I remembered his rat-elimination method rightly!]