Rat In House - What To Do?

[Mossway 15]

It’s only a month or two ago we had a ‘Rat in the garden’ thread and the forum seemed to throw up a large number of rat lovers. 

Where’ve they all gone ?

[Mr Bloke 1,445]

7 minutes ago, Mossway said:

It’s only a month or two ago we had a ‘Rat in the garden’ thread and the forum seemed to throw up a large number of rat lovers. 

Where’ve they all gone ?

Hmmm...

... maybe the forum has had them humanely disposed of?

[julado 10]

I've kept rats as pets in the past and one of the thing they love most is peanut butter (I kid you not).....bait with peanut butter on bread - I used to make mine tiny sandwiches (about an inch square). Pretty sure a trap baited with them will get you the result you need. :)

[*_ash_* 88]

9 hours ago, Padders said:

I had the same problem, so stopped up one night to watch..

2 rats came, one held the trap down, while the other pinched the cheese, crafty blighters.

Cheese is easy to knock off, or eat/take it off without sufficient de-pressing to spring the mechanism. As I said in early post, peanut butter works. Doesn't really 'go off' either. To eat this, they will trigger the mechanism. Well I had 2 catches in 2 days after trying this. (probably would have been 2 catches in one night, but I only left 1 trap at a time)

 

 

 

 

 

--

eeek, quoted you and saw this. (sorry!)

8 minutes ago, julado said:

I've kept rats as pets in the past and one of the thing they love most is peanut butter (I kid you not).....bait with peanut butter on bread - I used to make mine tiny sandwiches (about an inch square). Pretty sure a trap baited with them will get you the result you need.

My old neighbour kept rats, and I was fine with them. I handled them no problem at all. I liked them to be honest!

 

However, rats in me house when I don't have control over this, then then have to go. As I wrote though in earlier post, I tried humane catchers first, but they too smart for those.

Edited July 24, 2019 by *_ash_*

[Dales 10]

21 hours ago, makapaka said:

If your dogs going around killing kittens you ought to put a muzzle on it.

 

 

I agree.  No responsible dog owner would let their dog kill a kitten.  I am a dog owner.

[Mossway 15]

Don’t use poison.

Just think, if you were a rat, and had eaten some rat poison, and were feeling poorly, it’s likely you’d go somewhere warm and comfortable to spend your last hours/days.

The rat dies, the carcase gets fly blown, smells and is often difficult to locate.

My advice is to kill them with a Fenn Trap, Cage Trap or a conventional spring trap.

Be wary of advice from vermin controller companies who have a financial interest in using stuff such as rat poison.

[Guest makapaka]

38 minutes ago, Dales said:

I agree.  No responsible dog owner would let their dog kill a kitten.  I am a dog owner.

Exactly - im not anti dog - but just saying “oh the dog kills kittens if he comes across them” isn’t right at all. 

[L00b 441]

13 hours ago, makapaka said:

Exactly - im not anti dog - but just saying “oh the dog kills kittens if he comes across them” isn’t right at all. 

Except for the bit where I said 'before I could intervene'.

 

For the rest of it, see also the bit where I said 'on our property', which is fully fenced and secured so the dog cannot escape.

 

Any wildlife coming onto it uninvited, is an intruder and the dog is only following its instinct.

 

You're not anti-dog. But you're pro-cat, so I understand your reaction perfectly well, it is exactly how I predicted it on page 1: kill rat = good, kill kitten or bunny = bad. The animal world doesn't run on such anthropomorphic principles I'm afraid.

Edited July 25, 2019 by L00b

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

12 hours ago, Dales said:

I agree.  No responsible dog owner would let their dog kill a kitten.  I am a dog owner.

It's not really " letting the dog kill a kitten" I am sure non of us would allow it. But if it's a Terrier as I have said with a retained desire from its ancestors to kill small animals, rats and rabbits fox and badger then if it comes across a furry kitten, it may be fair game to them, even tho we know it's wrong. My two terriers, a border and a patterdale have NEVER been allowed off lead to run free, both are from working stock and are keen as mustard, so it's a case of better safe than sorry. I worked on a farm for many years who had a wonderful JR terrier house dog, if he could get his jaws round most animals he would kill it, but was brought up with cats, and kittens in the house, never saw him touch any of them, other to give them a lick. So it is possible to have your cake and eat it, so to say.

 

Angel1.

[Guest makapaka]

3 hours ago, L00b said:

Except for the bit where I said 'before I could intervene'.

 

For the rest of it, see also the bit where I said 'on our property', which is fully fenced and secured so the dog cannot escape.

 

Any wildlife coming onto it uninvited, is an intruder and the dog is only following its instinct.

 

You're not anti-dog. But you're pro-cat, so I understand your reaction perfectly well, it is exactly how I predicted it on page 1: kill rat = good, kill kitten or bunny = bad. The animal world doesn't run on such anthropomorphic principles I'm afraid.

Ha - not anti-dog so I’m pro-cat.

 

a fine example of modern day binary thinking.

 

[L00b 441]

21 minutes ago, makapaka said:

Ha - not anti-dog so I’m pro-cat.

 

a fine example of modern day binary thinking.

 

Not really. Just recalling that you've posted about cats a fair few times over the years. Example:

On 12 September 2017 at 13:47, makapaka said:

 

You'll not change a cat unfortunately.

 

You can try but they are a law unto themselves really.

 

We've had loads of cats over the years - all with different personalities and can't think of any who's behaviour we have been able to alter - save for perhaps eating times etc.

"Pro-cat" wasn't meant as an insult, you know. Just an observation, for contrasting your earlier claim that you're 'not anti dog'. More context is always useful in discussion, don't you think?

 

But well, take it as you want, tbh.

Edited July 25, 2019 by L00b