catching and exterminating rats at Paddy’s Pub. Literature Rat-catchers appear in George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss (1860). British author Roald Dahl's short story, "The Ratcatcher", was collected in Someone Like You (1953). Serafina, the Chief Rat Catcher of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. Serafina is a fictional character created by author Robert Beatty and was first introduced in Serafina and the Black Cloak, a spooky, historical fiction novel. Serafina's mysterious adventures grew into a trilogy (Book 2: Serafina and the Twisted Staff, Book 3: Serafina and the Splintered Heart) and the fourth book in the series is due for release in summer 2019. Music The humorous ballad "The Famous Rat-Catcher" (c. 1615)--sometimes referenced by the first line, "There was a rare rat-catcher"—evokes both the material culture of contemporary ratting and the verminous conduct of a particular practitioner. A fellow rat-catcher also carries treatments for venereal disease; it is not clear from either the song or the editor's commentary whether this was a common part of the rat-catching trade. See also List of books and articles about rats Rat-baiting Rat trap Ratcatcher's Day The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents Trench rats References External links —1898 account of the tricks of the trade, by a British rat-catcher Cleaning and maintenance occupations Hunters by game Pest trapping Rat-baiting Rats