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Original poster

There's a rat in the kitchen

38 replies

RatintheCat · 27/03/2021 19:11

that's it really! blooming cat has now brought two rat babies in during the last week. Sadly this one was alive and escaped under my cooker! I've pulled the cooker out, opened up the units and we can't find it anywhere. No doubt it has moved into my cooker somewhere ARGH.
Any advice, any kind words? Had to come to MN for a moan as cat is now asleep in the bed and has lost all interest in my convo.

OP posts:
LivinLaVidaLoki · 27/03/2021 19:14

Don't have any advice, but now I can't get that song out of my head.

Are you gonna fix that rat when you find it?

Sorry I know that's not helpful. Have some wine.

Original poster
RatintheCat · 27/03/2021 19:18

Actually wine is a good suggestion. I have no faith in cat to "fix" the thing if it does ever come out, she was most unenthusiastically chasing it around the kitchen.

OP posts:
Rollergirl1980 · 27/03/2021 19:22

LivinLaVidaLoki you missed a trick in your comment.
If we're going with 'Rat in Mi Kitchen' then you should have told the OP to have some 'Red Red Wine' 🤣
I'll see myself out.

Springsnake · 27/03/2021 19:24

My commiserations op ..I had one in my garden,and that was bad enough

GalesThisMorning · 27/03/2021 19:26

We had that. If was awful. It will come out of its hidey hole for food and water so you need to either put down traps, poison, or get a better cat!

captainprincess · 27/03/2021 19:26

Oh what a nightmare! My cats have brought many a poor rodent in over the years. The best thing I bought was a humane mouse/rat catcher, set it up put some food in, peanut butter works best and leave in the room with the door closed.
Works every time!

Lambside · 27/03/2021 19:27

I second the humane trap

Original poster
RatintheCat · 27/03/2021 19:29

@Rollergirl1980

LivinLaVidaLoki you missed a trick in your comment. If we're going with 'Rat in Mi Kitchen' then you should have told the OP to have some 'Red Red Wine' 🤣 I'll see myself out.
This made me laugh so much Grin
OP posts:
Original poster
RatintheCat · 27/03/2021 19:32

I see the humane trap is popular - off to Amazon I go!

I am locking the cat in there with said rat tonight whether he likes it or not. Usually we only get dead things, we have quite the hunter. I dread to think what a mess it will make of the kitchen overnight though. Is it likely to chew my oven cable (electric oven) does anyone know?

OP posts:
MrsJBaptiste · 27/03/2021 19:34

@Rollergirl1980

LivinLaVidaLoki you missed a trick in your comment. If we're going with 'Rat in Mi Kitchen' then you should have told the OP to have some 'Red Red Wine' 🤣 I'll see myself out.
😁 I was just about to say put some UB40 on !
LunaNorth · 27/03/2021 19:35

What are you gonna do?

Hollywhiskey · 27/03/2021 19:57

Oh god don't put down poison. If your cat gets the poison (one of my pets got it because the rats carried it from the locked box in the shed to their nest) then it could kill your cat. If you get in professional exterminators they don't tell you this, they swore blind to me that it would be perfectly safe to use poison around my pets and little kids as it was in a locked box with a rat size entrance.
When I took my pet to the vet for euthanasia as she was dying (sorry, it was really traumatic to witness), the vet explained to me about how the rats carry the poison with them.
Similarly if you are going to use snap traps- make sure they are in a locked box only accessible to the rat because they could break your cat's leg.
I have so much sympathy for your predicament. My cat goes through phases of bringing live rats in and my husband catches them and kills them. If your cat is a good, established hunter I would probably shut it in the room with the rat and let it find it. Be careful though, if your cat's punching above its weight it could get bitten. And obviously make sure flea and worming treatments are up to date.

Iusedtoliveinsanfrancisco · 27/03/2021 20:02

Sieve some flour on the floor. Put the trap where you see its tracks.

Suzi888 · 27/03/2021 20:07

Humane trap.

Original poster
RatintheCat · 27/03/2021 20:10

@Hollywhiskey

Oh god don't put down poison. If your cat gets the poison (one of my pets got it because the rats carried it from the locked box in the shed to their nest) then it could kill your cat. If you get in professional exterminators they don't tell you this, they swore blind to me that it would be perfectly safe to use poison around my pets and little kids as it was in a locked box with a rat size entrance. When I took my pet to the vet for euthanasia as she was dying (sorry, it was really traumatic to witness), the vet explained to me about how the rats carry the poison with them. Similarly if you are going to use snap traps- make sure they are in a locked box only accessible to the rat because they could break your cat's leg. I have so much sympathy for your predicament. My cat goes through phases of bringing live rats in and my husband catches them and kills them. If your cat is a good, established hunter I would probably shut it in the room with the rat and let it find it. Be careful though, if your cat's punching above its weight it could get bitten. And obviously make sure flea and worming treatments are up to date.
Ah no that's so sad @Hollywhiskey :( your poor kitty. I have always worried about our cat ending up being poisoned if someone else has put poison out (he travels pretty far to hunt) so will definitely not be using it. I have ordered a trap to come tomorrow and will be putting them under the cabinets on either side of the cooker so our cat will be safe.

It's funny you should say that about the cat punching above it's weight as I have only seek small prey before and this isn't big so I think it will be ok but I did worry what happens if he ends up meeting a mumma rat at some point! Fully flea and worm treated so keep your fingers crossed for me as the only option tonight is to lock them both in here and hope for the best.

OP posts:
Original poster
RatintheCat · 27/03/2021 20:11

@Iusedtoliveinsanfrancisco

Sieve some flour on the floor. Put the trap where you see its tracks.
Will the rat not just eat the flour? I'm currently trying to clear out anything edible and have mopped the floor to try and help!
OP posts:
Skyliner001 · 27/03/2021 20:13

Humane trap

purrswhileheeats · 27/03/2021 20:28

Oh god, last year I found an inside-out rat on my patio. It looked like it had been dropped from a plane 🤮🤮🤮 I tried to clean it up but when I got close to it I started heaving. I had to ask my elderly Greek neighbour to help clear it up, even he was making boaking noises Grin

Original poster
RatintheCat · 27/03/2021 20:47

@purrswhileheeats

Oh god, last year I found an inside-out rat on my patio. It looked like it had been dropped from a plane 🤮🤮🤮 I tried to clean it up but when I got close to it I started heaving. I had to ask my elderly Greek neighbour to help clear it up, even he was making boaking noises Grin
BOAK @purrswhileheeats eek (literally) that sounds gross. I haven't had that, my cat seems to deliver the gifts in almost pristine condition when it's vermin. Birds on the other hand not so much, poor birdies Wine.
OP posts:
Original poster
RatintheCat · 27/03/2021 22:23

Update. Cat caught rat and cornered it.then let it go. I managed to corner it but cat ran away scared. Anyway it's under my food unit now and not in the cooker.

OP posts:
FizzyPink · 27/03/2021 22:26

Hats off to you for your bravery OP. I’d be in a hotel right now in your shoes

BitOfFun · 27/03/2021 22:28

Are you going to go head to head?

PickAChew · 27/03/2021 22:32

Might do it.

There's a rat in the kitchen
captainprincess · 27/03/2021 22:35

Can you keep the cat away from the poor thing? Leave some food out for it and it's unlikely to chew anything then get a trap tomorrow if possible.

Original poster
RatintheCat · 27/03/2021 22:41

@captainprincess it's under a cabinet so will have to stay there for tonight. The cat is locked in there with it but now I'm not sure she's that interested! There's some cat food out so it won't starve but it's all I can do. Traps arrive tomorrow thanks to Amazon! I'm relieved it is out from the cooker but fingers crossed it doesn't go back in there Confused

OP posts: