Rat trouble!

LittleTinker

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I believe mice are incontinent, but not rats - and wild rats and domesticated rats are infact the same species and type - fancy rats just have more variety in colour, but are still common rats.

They are intelligent and resourceful creatures, and as treliac says they all have to find a way to eat - however the ultrasonic repellants are far more humanethan glue boards (a slow death) or traps (a swift death so long as they are in the right place) or poison (a slow death and also puts predators who may eat the rat at risk)!

Rats are not as incontinent as mice are.....(they are total) .....but they do have some incontinence especially when they are stressed, which can be very often.

Wild rats and domesticated rats are the same but so different. A brown rat and a black rat is so much bigger than a pet rat. And they wont come to you either!

You wont see anyone keeping a sewer rat at home.

suki1964

LittleTinker wrote: »

You wont see anyone keeping a sewer rat at home.

It was sewer rats that we had crossing our property. OMG:eek::eek::eek: At first we thought we had cats on the lawn - HUGE. The rats my mum nesting under her shed were cute and cuddly in comparison

foreign_correspondent

sewer rat, brown rat, or fancy (pet) rat, they are all the same - Brown Rat, or Rattus norvegicus. You could domesticate a young wild rat vry easily, the only good reason not to is that they may well carry disease. Pet rats and lab rats are bred and reared in conditions which make this unlikely - but they are the same species.

I do not believe that rats are incontinent at all (unless ill or impaired), but they do like to scent mark

Barneysmom

You need a ratter like a Jack Russell, or a poisoned trap, or a big gun.

foreign_correspondent

Barneysmom wrote: »

You need a ratter like a Jack Russell, or a poisoned trap, or a big gun.

I believe the OP has solved their rat problem, without any of the above, though they would work!

If you want to kill a rat swiftly and humanely then an electrocuting trap is instantaneous.

Barneysmom

Aha good one, never thought of that. :beer:

treliac

Barneysmom wrote: »

You need a ratter like a Jack Russell, or a poisoned trap, or a big gun.

Wasn't what I had in mind. The rat was rather cute as it happens.

moggylover

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

sewer rat, brown rat, or fancy (pet) rat, they are all the same - Brown Rat, or Rattus norvegicus. You could domesticate a young wild rat vry easily, the only good reason not to is that they may well carry disease. Pet rats and lab rats are bred and reared in conditions which make this unlikely - but they are the same species.

I do not believe that rats are incontinent at all (unless ill or impaired), but they do like to scent mark

This makes pretty interesting reading regarding the varieties of rats:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat

and I would agree that they are not incontinent at all. Both my previous rats were litter trained, and so are the two lads I have now: totally. Even when picked up and carried around they do not p on us, nor do they p when out of the cage - they will go up the ladder and in to their litter tray and then trundle back out.

Very clever at learning how to open cages the little blighters are though:D

Barneysmom

treliac wrote: »

Wasn't what I had in mind. The rat was rather cute as it happens.

No offence but 'cute and 'rat' doesn't mix.
Pet rats are ok, they are kept clean, but street rats - they are your average hoody. Councils spend thousands trying to wipe them out, we can't be encouraging them.
Imagine if your airbrick on your house broke and a 'gang of four' decided to move in under your floorboards - grim or what?
My neighbour had mice living in her studwork wall. She phoned EH but they never believed it till I phoned them for her. You could hear them scratching away in their little nest i her kitchen wall. OMG gross, still makes me itch when I think about it.

DING_DONG_4

Well just thought i'd add my recent experiences!

We live in an ex council property, our next door neighbours also own their ex council property.
Neighbours have been hoarding stuff in an attempt to sell it on. What I mean is, house clearences, rubbish removers etc... They are not disposing or cleaning any of this stuff correctly.
Many complaints have been made, by lots of people, but they seem to be untouchable.

Five months ago my husband saw a large rat come into our conservatory whilst we were haveing our dinner. Our Labrador just wanted to play with it. But our wheaten x terrier wasn't so keen thankfully.:eek:

A man from pest control came, inspected our home including the loft said there was no evidence of any living anywhere and that it was just a one off. This was dispite seeing next door with 10+ well used kitchen appliances in their front garden.

I hate sewer rats and this put my mind at rest a little.

However less than 2 months later,and getting to the coldest months. I had just put my shopping away and my terrier was acting strange. I opened a kitchen cupboard door, which I had only put some fresh veg in there 20 minutes earlier, and saw a rat exiting though a water pipe gap. :eek:

Any way to cut a long story short, pest control man was back the very next day. He had been here about 7 weeks before,it was the same chap. He inspected the whole house again. There was evidence of several rats having been in my loft and with our permission he baited it.

He said that Rats are very incontinent and basically are constantly urinating whilst on the move. That they have many litters a year. They are becoming increasingly more difficult to irradicate humainly. Mainly due to people 'feeding birds'. Though this was not so in our case.

Though we called him and he new they were coming from next door (FACT) he could do absolutely nothing unless THEY called him out. As that is where they were nesting!:mad: :mad: :mad:

He said they were probably coming through the cavity walls and into the loft looking for food. As they wern't finding any they (thankfully) went back to their nests next door.

But basically he also reported this to the environmetal health & council but the situation continues!

On going to bed last night there were 20 fridge freezers and 10 other well used kitchen appliances in the front garden!:eek:
There house is litterally stacked as high as they can reach with useless tat. They are trying to sell it on, but I don't know anyone in there right mind who would buy any of it.

Though all has been quiet for the past couple of weeks on the rat front, last night I could hear the tell tale grinding noise that we have had to learn to recognise.

It upsets and annoys me but I am unable to do anything about it it seems. To go off topic a little I know they have knocked down most of the internal walls to make room for their 5 dogs as their house is that full of...Crap All has been reported but still nothing. I have even had people stop me in the street whilst out and comment on the state of it.

Sorry for the rant. Just wanted to tell you all my extreme story, and have a moan. If anyone has any advice please feel free to let me know.

Thanks Adele