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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be freaking out about a RAT

68 replies

Sastra · 06/08/2012 08:40

Yesterday I heard a rustling in my kitchen and when I went to investigate I saw a rat slink off down the side of my washing machine.

This is in my new purchased flat, first floor flat. I've called the council but they can't come until 10am tomorrow. I spoke to the neighbours and they reckon its wandered up the stairs from the allotments out the back (front door's been open a lot).

I'm stuck in the flat until 3pm as I'm waiting for our sofas to be delivered.

I'm absolutely freaking out. I'm terrified at the best of times. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and I'm sure this isn't good. Not too weeks ago our office at work was discovered to have an infestation. Its like some cruel cruel joke.

I don't know what to do. DH has gone to work. I can't even get a drink from the kitchen

OP posts:

squeakytoy · 06/08/2012 08:49

It honestly will be more scared of you than you are of it. It is not going to come back out while it hears you moving around.

BeeBawBabbity · 06/08/2012 08:53

Hmm, I freaked out when I saw one in my garden. Council man was brilliant, he'll sort you out. He explained the rat was probably a lone female past breeding age who'd been thrown out the gang. Then I sort of felt sorry for her....

Now have mice in the compost heap. Sigh.

PetiteRaleuse · 06/08/2012 08:56

It won't hurt you, poor thing. They aren't like in horror films, and I doubt you risk anything more from it's presence than if you bad a dog or a cat.

Original poster

Sastra · 06/08/2012 08:58

I ventured into the kitchen to have a look at where it had been - we've got pasta, rice and noodles on quite a low shelf in there. I knew it had taken some spaghetti and noodles, as I could see a trail, but its taken loads. This is making me think there's no way there can be just one?!?!?!

OP posts:

GobblersKnob · 06/08/2012 09:05

It will be more scared of you than the other way around. They are nothing to be frightened of.

I have four boys they are beautiful and very cuddly

squeakytoy · 06/08/2012 09:05

We have got two in our garden. Not a lot we can do about it as they come from under next doors decking and putting poison down is not an option because of the dogs.

PetiteRaleuse · 06/08/2012 09:09

Squeaky we had some that wandered over to our garden from under next door's decking. Neighbours put poison under the decking as we both have dogs.

Original poster

Sastra · 06/08/2012 09:13

But these are in my kitchen! What about all the diseases they apparently carry?

OP posts:

happy2bhomely · 06/08/2012 09:14

I was sitting on my mil's loo......half way through a wee and looked down the toilet, there was a rat scrabbling to get out of the toilet bowl. I jumped off that toilet and ran down the hall crying with pee running down my legs!

By the time mil went in to check there was no sign of it. I'm sure she still doesn't believe it really happened.

Svrider · 06/08/2012 09:16

Yanbu
You need to remove and throw all the food on the low shelves
Clean shelves and rest of kitchen with a bleach based cleaner
Only put things in tins on low shelves
Don't keep any open food around at all
Good luck

laudinum · 06/08/2012 09:17

Buy a snap type rat trap from a hardware store. They are easy to set, just bait it with a little peanut butter.
Once it is caught, put on rubber gloves and shovel rat and trap into a binbag.

lljkk · 06/08/2012 09:18

Just woman up to it, OP, get a trap in or phone your council for advice.
It takes fairly close contact to catch any of their diseases.
It is more of a physical damage risk than a disease one.

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 06/08/2012 09:19

We've had the rat in the toilet thing too! It was about 6am, I went for an early morning wee but didn't bother switching the light on, sat down, did my wee, stood up, turned round, flushed and there it was, swimming against the tide! DS rescued me with a plastic cup and his dad's toothbrush. He did ask if he could warm it up before he released it outside. I told him to bugger off.

curiousgeorgie · 06/08/2012 09:21

Happy2bhomely - that is the worst story I have ever heard.

I'd probably never sit on a toilet again after that!!!

Megatron · 06/08/2012 09:25

My sister had one in her house and she was like a raving loony over the whole thing. The pest guy came and was great, he also mentioned about the lone female thing. They are very intelligent creatures and won't be waiting for you behind the door or anything. The pest man told my sister to put bacon on the traps for her. I called round one morning to find her in the kitchen cooking the bacon for the rat.

squeakytoy · 06/08/2012 09:28

Hellhas, that must have been a small rat to fit in a plastic cup!

I actually thought the one in the garden was a squirrel with a bald tail until I looked a bit more closely!

I have tried to get the dog to earn his keep by catching it, but he sits on the steps looking gormless while the rat potters around having breakfast by the bird feeder.

squeakytoy · 06/08/2012 09:29

"The pest man told my sister to put bacon on the traps for her. I called round one morning to find her in the kitchen cooking the bacon for the rat"

that is the sort of thing I would do!!!

Original poster

Sastra · 06/08/2012 09:32

I've caved and called a private company in who can come at some point this morning. I just hope it doesn't end up costing a fortune.

Jesus fucking Christ at the toilet thing. I thought that was an urban legends.

I'm wondering whether I should put Radio 4 on, do you think that will keep it (them??) hidden away til the Pest Controllers come?

I'm shocked at the amount of food that's gone - does this mean its likely to be more than one?

OP posts:

Megatron · 06/08/2012 09:33

I was gutted squeaky cos I thought I was about to get a bacon sarnie. She felt quite sorry for the old girl in the end and really didn't want to kill it but all the humane traps they tried didn't work. I was actually rather impressed with the rats ability to eat a whole box of french fancies one night.

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 06/08/2012 09:33

It was, we think it was a young rat that had been dropped on the porch roof. The porch is directly underneath the bathroom window and the window is always on the latch so the theory was that it came in through the window and fell into the toilet which is underneath the window.

Megatron · 06/08/2012 09:34

Not necessarily Sastra they can eat a lot. Don't panic!

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 06/08/2012 09:35

And it was a plastic toothbrush style of cup rather than a paper cup.

valiumredhead · 06/08/2012 09:35

It honestly will be more scared of you than you are of it. It is not going to come back out while it hears you moving around

Glad you have called a private company as ime that ^^ is not true! Also there is never just one lonely rat

CatholicDad · 06/08/2012 09:35

You are sure it was a rat and not a mouse?

Fuchzia · 06/08/2012 09:36

Lol! megatron I was feeding DS a few weeks ago ago looked through into the kitchen and saw a rat stroll in the back door and hide under the dresser. I was freaking out put DS screaming in his cot upstairs and armed myself with a mop and brush ready for battle. It clearly heard the commotion and dashed past me back out into the garden and through a hole in the fence. Haven't seen hide nor hair of one since. I do think you can get lone chances and if you've scared it of you probably won't see it again.

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