AIBU to not know what to do with the rat?!

[TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge]

And to name it Campbell, after UB40?! (May have changed the lyrics and sang 'There's a rat in the garden...'

Currently there is a large rat in a trap in my garden. A humane trap.

I noticed something had been trying to dig in to my quail house, near their feeding area, so had a trap delivered on Saturday and caught the thing last night. Who knew rats scream? Yep, noisy blighter kept me awake. Horrible sound.

Anyway, I've been out to see it this morning, slowly peering round the corner of the quail house, thinking it would be a hideous scream inducing sight. Actually, it looks completely harmless and has a fluffy white belly!

So what do I do with it? I didn't think of that bit. I know I need to get rid but how do I do that
A. Nicely for Campbell
B. Nicely for me and
C. How in hells name am I meant to grab the trap handle when it folds down flat when not being held and therefore,when lifting it, puts your fingers right in biting distance?!?!

Help!!?

gamerchick I did A level biology our lab fridge usually housed one or two whilst they thawed along with the teachers sandwich grin I never asked how they where actually killed, did they freeze them live? It's a bit sad really and I've said earlier I'm no rat fan. My heart stops for a second when I see the cat has left one for me

Well I've had a good look at them many a time and there's not a mark on them. Their necks aren't snapped, their faces aren't damaged, few have blood on them. Frozen in perfect shape. I want to know myself the other way of killing them for food if not put in the freezer at various stages of development.

(I frequently shoot rats and pigeons - so have no problem with doing what has to be done)

Really? You would never had guessed

Thanks for getting back to me gamer. I did give it some thought yesterday and you are correct any injuries would have been highlighted in dissection. There was never any cranial region trauma so I assume they where frozen whilst alive. Sad life of a lab rat.

Super the ground rats, as you call them, ARE sewer rats!

I believe lab rats are dealt with by c02 chamber, similar to rodents bred for snake food.

Rats are rats. Vermin and real need to risk catching anything by 'humane' killing. No need to be too cruel but need to be stopped breeding and nest exterminated. Warfarin is fine. Haemorrhage isn't a particularly painful or unpleasant way to die. We're not talking cuddly little whispered playthings. They can grow to a significant size and kill the birds and injure dogs and cats - and children for that matter. Not a risk I'd be prepared to take.

Trip according to pest control man who saw my mum the rats in gardens etc aren't sewer rats, or not harmless! I don't want to google to test this theory in case it brings up photos which I don't like (?!) of rats!

A source I've found says rat bites are relatively rare even in areas where rats are common...

Crumbs not sure about birds but rats rarely attack cats unless corned, my childhood cat was only bitten by one once in his years of catching many rats - it was the only time he visited the vet!

www.ratbehavior.org

Japanese or Chinese painted quail or have you got some rare breeds?

Black rat 26-24cm length but yes some are size of cats...

Rivers they're Japanese

Super there are two types of rats in the UK.

Black rats: the smallest. Great climbers. Also known as roof rats, house rats and ship rats. Once carried the plague. Mainly attracted to fruit. Carry various diseases.

Brown rats: the biggest. Also known as sewer rats, common rats and various other names but still all the same thing! Mainly attracted to cereals and grains. Carry various diseases.

Rats don't need to bite you to be dangerous. They transmit disease through their urine, which they apparently dribble quite a lot!

Trip thanks for clarifying... I sort of knew that but forgot!

Yes I know re urine Weils disease etc. Mice are similar re urine habits apparently...

It's the brown ones, aka sewer rats, that you find in gardens and was having a snack in mine ;)

Crumbs1
haemorrhage isn't a particularly painful or unpleasant way to die

You know this how exactly?

And not just through their urine..
www.rentokil.com/rodents/rodent-borne-diseases

Humans are the predators of rats. If you keep poultry, there will be rats about. If you don't predate them, the numbers will rise. They may find a way into the loft or cavity walls of your house. They can run up a vertical brick wall.They will gnaw through anything not metal.

I kind of admire them. They're good at what they do.

Because I want to limit numbers, I get rid of some of them. Without predation, they increase really fast.
I shoot them because it's quick and humane and doesn't accidentally feed poison to another species.
I put gloves on before picking up a body.

Killer traps can be OK, but no guarantee they won't get something else.

Don't freeze or drown its cruel and disrespectful.

Sadly, I've seen several people bleed to death. Undoubtedly frightening if the bleeding comes from the upper GI tract (burst varices) but otherwise blood pressure falls and unconsciousness results before death. Not generally the haemorrhage that is painful.
Personally, I can live with a rat haemorrhaging.
Large rats will injure cats if cat gets too close. Plenty of farm ferals around here with half a nose.

Two things about poison.Very difficult to ensure, even with a bait box, that only rats get poisoned.And once they're dead, they themselves can get eaten. Along with the poison.

A poisoned rat might just decay somewhere. That somewhere could be in your cavity walls, or somewhere deep under the insulation in your loft. Ever smelt a really decaying rodent?

Poison is used because its cheap, and so is used on an industrial scale, in industrial situations.

You can behave more responsibly and effectively in a garden or small holding with an air gun.And not release poison to harm eg your dogs, or get passed up a food chain.