I've just seen a rat in my garage...

[CanadianJohn]

... I'm terrified of rats. I mean, terrified. I'm scared of all rat-like things, even fur gloves. I'm talking heart-attack terrified, it was half an hour ago, and I'm still shaking.

Would it be unreasonable to burn down the garage, or shall I sell the house? Or both?

Quick book a flight to some hot lovely place and call in rentakil when you get there!! How horrible!!

You do need to get exterminators in asap. Call the council.

definitely burn down the garage. Then sell your house. When you get some poison be VERY careful. We had some left by the previous owners and it looked like those Millionz sweets, little packets of pink balls.

Our council have an "arrangement" with a firm of exterminators, they done for free (good thing too as the nearby stables seem to keep sending the buggers our way - fortunately under the shed not indoors)

Get a cat or get 15 cats and be glad you don't live in Chicago
www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-must-have-yard-accessory-a-feral-cat-1477508397

Oh no bless you it's awful isn't it?

I have a total phobia too and had to deal at our last home with a few furry visitors.

As pp said call the Council they will do a pest control service for a small or no fee. But a few things I learnt -

rats need food, water and a dry warm place to live. If there is anything in your garage that is providing food and water remove it!!

Make sure you have no spaces for them get inside your house from the garage - they only need a small hole. Fill any gaps with wire wool.

Tell your neighbours - don't be embarrassed. You need to work together on this one. If they are feeding birds, have water ButtS or dog food bowls etc outside then they need to remove them.

Have them check under their decking and sheds etc for any signs and block and possible entry points as your new friends will evacuate near by when they realise you are onto them.

If all else fails I agree...burn down the house!

Run away and never return!

I also can not bear them.

However, I would suggest calling the Council. When we had mice they came out and they were really helpful, it cost £70 but well worth it. They may do rats for free.

There's a Jack Russell for that.

Out of interest, are you scared of hamsters and squirrels etc?

Oh thought this was a euphemism.

Yup, hamsters, squirrels (tree-rats), you name it. If it's smaller than a cat, and has 4 legs and fur, then I'm scared of it. We have an indoor cat, I woke it up, but the cat wouldn't know what do do with a wild animal, even if the rodent had a heart attack in the cat's food bowl.

We had a very mild winter, and the city is over-run with rats. Commercial rat poisons are too weak to be useful. The council rat service used to be free, but they've started charging, because they have so many calls.

I'll call the council in the morning... for now, I just gotta survive the night. I can see the garage thru the kitchen window... I know the rat is out there somewhere. Rats are nocturnal, right? Maybe I'll get a hotel...