There's a rat in the kitchen

[RatintheCat]

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.

Don't overreact @PickAChew, it's not a spider

This happened to my sister. We assume the cat was the one that introduced the rat to her house but the first she knew of it was when she heard it scuttling about. Long story short she got a pest control guy in because they tried everything to catch it. The final straw was when she opened a cupboard and found it in there but was so shocked it got away 😂

I can just imagine that @lunalucie! I only had a cardboard box to bat at it with so it escaped me too! It's definitely the cat bringing them in. I've watched him fetch 2 in through the cat flap this week. I also have a sneaking suspicion where they are coming from as I had to retrieve him from a hole in the run down house up the road yesterday

My sister lives near a river so her cat has an excellent supply of rats. She's had to lock him inside in the night because that seems to be his preferred hunting time. I hope you manage to get it with the trap, there's nothing worse than knowing it's there hiding somewhere.

When I was a kid, our garden backed onto a small holding, so cats and rats were a regular occurrence. One day my sister and I were sat in the front room. All of a sudden, she shrieks and puts her feet on the chair. In the middle of the room was a baby rat. So I, being the brave soul I am, managed to grab the rat, by its tail and take it to the bottom of the garden.
2 hours later, the cat bought it back, dead.
I've only had to deal with birds, mice and frogs as an adult.

@RatintheCat

Homebase have humane traps if you don't want to wait, I caught dozens in my house, only 2 years later doing building work did we find a missing half brick behind the washing machine - they were simply walking in!

Another one with a UB40 ear worm (not helpful sorry)

[quote moochingtothepub]@RatintheCat

Homebase have humane traps if you don't want to wait, I caught dozens in my house, only 2 years later doing building work did we find a missing half brick behind the washing machine - they were simply walking in![/quote]
Having been in Homebase today and seen the queues, OP's plan of having the traps delivered might be quicker...

OP, lock the cat flap so the cat can only go out. It will knock or shout when it wants to come in. If it can't multi-task, it will drop the rat or whatever when to do this. If it doesn’t, then don't let it in.

Cats know where their dinner, bed and cuddles come from. It will either work out what it has to do (put the creature down) to be allowed in or decide that you no longer deserve a gift anyway.

Gotta love cats. Yours had the audacity to bring it in and then lost interest in it leaving you to fend for yourself!

My bastard dickhead cat brought in a live, squeaking rat while I was in the middle of a really important Zoom call this week. I had to turn my camera off and try and usher him out without him dropping his precious rat, and without losing my shit and burning the house down (as PP suggested). Ghastly. He tried to bring another in the next day too.
OP, you have my sympathies. Is it rat season? Is that a thing?

This is a good idea @snowdaySewday. Cat most indignant at being locked in all night but it wouldn't hurt to monitor her coming in now it's warmer.

Glad it's not only my dickhead cat @RatRatWhine! Mine destroyed a bird during one of my Zooms recently! It must be rat season, I didn't know there was such a thing?! Great username btw.

The thing has disappeared overnight. I expected to come in and clean up rat bits but the cat is showing no signs of being helpful so I'm sat waiting for it to reveal itself. Have finally let the cat out, he is not happy at having been kept in for 12 hours.

I am officially promoting myself to chief ratcatcher and the cat is demoted to ratbag. Pulled my vacuum out and it was sat on there so met a hasty end which was a surprise to us all. Cat was disinterested.