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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:

JumpingThroughHoops · 06/08/2012 10:14

It must have been a very old house not to have a trap in the pipe work connecting to the sewers - ask your plumber, he'll confirm - its to prevent back flush of excrement etc, especially in weather like this where the drains can easily flood

happy2bhomely · 06/08/2012 10:46

Me again (lady with rat in toilet) I don't know how to explain it. It is a first floor warner style flat. All I know is that I am 100% sure that it was not there when I sat down, and because I obviously was not expecting it, I kind of paused and looked at the water moving before realising what it was. It was squirrel sized and dark, and I saw it's feet.

It scared me, but not because it was a rat, just because I was shocked! We have since, kept pet rats. They are lovely pets, but I did not want one near my bare arse!

I didn't mean to worry anyone with my post. The guy who came out didn't mention anything about a trap and just said it must have been a random one who took a wrong turn. Of course, it might have crawled into the toilet bowl from the bathroom I suppose, but I'm sure it wasn't there when I sat down.

Original poster

Sastra · 06/08/2012 10:53

Well even though the private man is meant to be coming this morning (dear god, please hurry up!), I'm not cancelling the council for tomorrow. I'm thinking that two opinions can't hurt, and if there needs to be a second visit, I can get the council to do it for free.

OP posts:

starlingsintheslipstream · 06/08/2012 11:04

We had one come up through the toilet. It's an old house but a newish toilet - I don't think these trap things are installed as standard.

I never saw ( though dh did) it but noticed one day that the connector at the back had a huge hole in so when you flushed water was sloshing out everywhere. Did a quick repair job with duct tape but the next day the hole was back. My first thought was rats so I called the council who were fab. The guy laid poison which was taken and we've had no trouble since. I was pretty stressed out at the time though.

GobblersKnob · 06/08/2012 11:05

Rats have perfectly good bladder control (imagines little ratty Tenna pads ). Does just wee when they need a wee, Bucks scent mark in tiny droplets if they need an area to smell more 'ratty'.

They are actually exceptionally clean and tidy animals. Wild ones do carry disease though and you don't want them in your house, unless you had a nest under your house or something (very unlikely) it is usually very easy to catch them in humane traps and release them far away.

Baby rats are not grey, they are pink until their fur comes in at about five days, then they are perfect little agouti replicas of an adult rat.

CaroleService · 06/08/2012 11:13

I really want to know what your ds did with his dad's toothbrush afterwards, Hellhas.

It is haunting me.

JennerOSity · 06/08/2012 11:13

I know two people who have pet rats who wee as they go, but obviously as domestic rats they aren't harbouring disease.

I have also just completed a university degree in environmental health which included characteristics etc of common pests and was taught that rats empty their bladders on a continuous basis (assuming urine is in the bladder, so not when empty but as it is produced certainly)

Whilst I keep an open mind to fresh evidence. I see no reason to disbelieve the highly regarded university on this matter personally. So stand by the statement that a rat does not fill their bladder and then go at intervals as other mammals do. In fact it is one the ways they find their way around so well, so I was taught.

Passmethecrisps · 06/08/2012 11:14

Nasty for you. We had rats when we lived in a tenement flat a few years ago. Bizarrely they were caused by lots of rain flooding their dens (do they live in dens?) and made them move up the way - next place uphill was our block.

They would run up the walls calling to each other - it was awful to listen to. We had none in our flat itself as we have a cat (she is very small and, to be honest I wouldn't like her chances against an adult rat) and the smell alone put them off when they had 5 other flats to pick from including one who was feeding them as they were 'cute'.

The council sent out a rat inspector who was brilliant. He came with a dog who sniffed out the entry areas and worked out where their routes were. This meant he could decide on the best course if action. You don't really want poison if you can at all help it - a dead rat smells a lot.

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 06/08/2012 11:16

I really want to know what your ds did with his dad's toothbrush afterwards, Hellhas.

We binned it, honest. I might have my moments with the miserable old goat other half but I would never do that to him...much.

Original poster

Sastra · 06/08/2012 11:39

So M&S are delivering our new sofas at the same time as the rat man is coming.

Awkward.

OP posts:

GobblersKnob · 06/08/2012 18:03

JennerOSity you are welcome at any time to come and watch the look of relief on my boy rats faces as they do a massive wee in their litter tray after a long snooze in a hammock

I (like most rat keepers) have a 'rat jumper' which smells sufficiently ratty to them so they do not pee on me, if I handle them in other clothes they will mark me, as do new rats. They are only exercised in one room so they don't mark that much anymore and will tend to go in their litter tray.

I just have years of experience keeping them though, none of your fancy book learning

Piggychunk · 06/08/2012 18:15

I can confirm rats do come up toilets .. I had one about 3 weeks ago.. I heard banging as the loo seat was down like something was trying to get out.. I had a look and it was a fecking RAT!!.. Drains needed clearing and hopefully its gone have also bought special things to stop rats coming through again..

Felt awful as night before DS said he saw one in the loo but we didn't believe him as he didn't have his glasses on

I still can't go the toilet in peace and keep seeing things in corner of my eye .. Traumatised I think!!

griphook · 06/08/2012 18:57

piggychunk what did you buy that stopped the rats I'm the toilet

Original poster

Sastra · 06/08/2012 19:36

I think we all need to know what the toilet rat device is!!

OP posts:

DuckingHell · 06/08/2012 20:02

What dd rat man say/do?

Piggychunk · 06/08/2012 20:19

It was this,, hth
snakeratverminbarrier.com

Original poster

Sastra · 06/08/2012 20:49

He was really good. He found that it was coming up from the flat down stairs via a service pipe. He's blocked it off.

Fingers crossed that's it.

OP posts:

Lovelynewboots · 06/08/2012 20:58

We had rats come in our tent when we were camping last year. There was a storm in the night, none of us really slept and I could just hear lots of rustling. Next morning there were two rats outside the sleeping compartment. We packed up and shipped out. They had destroyed lots of our clothes, ate through part of the tent but didn't really touch our food. Maybe because it was all in a bag. I was bloody livid but the camp site owner was not exactly apologetic and blamed it on a neighbouring farm, which was about half a mile away

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