Smell a Rat

One time, back when I was a CIA spy, I was on a mission when one of my fellow spies confided in me that he thought he smelled a rat.  I got rather upset with him, because there really wasn't anything I could do as far as bathing Peter, my pet rat, when we were on assignment like this, and I certainly couldn't leave him at home, where the cat would undoubtedly finally succeed at reconfiguring him into digestive waste.  Some people just have no respect for other people's pets.