There's a XXX in my garden! Warning.

[DottyBlue2]

It has a tail. Don't read any further if you don't like this sort of thing.

Definitely Queen Rat Yambabe - rats have ENormoUS test-icicles that would show on a photo.

Also - are you married to Jimmy Saville's twin brother? (Obviously JS was the Evil Twin, so you struck lucky)

I thought in London you were never more than 6ft away from a rat?

No Quinto - you're never more than 6 ft away from a Merchant Banker. But you can see how people make the mistake.

I had a panicked phone call from my middle child, to say there was a dead rat outside the kitchen window as he and his friend didn't know what to do. They were dry heaving at the sight of it. I told them to get a bin bag, put their hand in it and use it to pick up the rat and pull bag over, said rat. They could then tie the top and chuck it in the bin. They were dry heaving at the thought of this and saying they couldn't.

I pointed out to them, that they would have a rotting carcass, with flies and maggots, so to pull themselves together, as I couldn't help.

They were in a different country from me and were 22yrs of age! 😆
We really don't stand a chance if zombies attack! 😂

I always love the people on here keen to kill rats. Compassion doesn't extend to them and other 'vermin'.

Don't get a patterdale. Very cute looking but total buggers to train

They are an' all crunchy!

Absolute sods - no recall, a prey drive that would shame a great white shark, no fear whatsoever, an insistence on fighting with any dog within 50 yards and a determination to have their own way at all costs. (I wouldn't have even a patterdale x myself, to be honest). But my word - they are Killers Extraordinaire!

Just be glad you haven't got my sisters cat. It brought a headless rat into her kitchen last week with a look that said 'look Mummy I've brought you a nice present.'

I rather like domestic rats 8Derxa8, and wouldn't object to wild ones if they

a) would definitely stay outside the house

b) weren't germ-carrying plague beasts whose urine can cause Weil's disease, and there even if they're outside, you can't be sure that haven't pittled on anything - children's toys can't be left out overnight in the garden etc

However, I'm pretty sure they eat cockroaches, so they will keep them down. If I had to share the house with one or the other, I'd prefer to live with the rats.

Rats are indeed everywhere. I live in the country and EH would laugh in my face if I said there was a rat in the garden

Anyway - I do not understand how everyone has missed the point that OP ended up with feathers in her garden !!!!

Seriously OP, I wouldn't like it if a property adjoined to me became a restaurant and I do feel for you. I hope you get to move soon before the cockroach infestation takes hold

Get a plug in thingybob and they won’t come into the house

Pheasant you say? What do they do with that? Gourmet pheasant burgers?

Ok, I'm back.

The pheasants were prepared about 3 weeks ago and feature on the Christmas menu. I would hope that the meat has been frozen.

I would LOVE a Jack Russell and have been pestering DH for one for over a year. A dog is now a necessity.

OMG I couldn't open up the photo. I had to say It's a CAT it's a CAT fml.

I'm keeping a diary. The cafe hasn't been inspected yet. If only I could find out the date for their inspection and I'll book in Rentakill for the same day!

Thank you for your support. TBH I've known there should be rats round here, but I've never seen one in daylight and so close before.

schaden never had him compared to JS before, most people think I am married to the guy from Time Team!

I would hope that the meat has been frozen. Don't you hang pheasant?

Dottyblue you should speak to your local council as they are responsible for both pest control and food hygiene/ restaurant licence.
Hopefully they will treat it as a serious public health issue and charge the restaurant for professional pest control, rather than charging you.

Could be worse - I found this ex-rat in my store a few weeks ago. I keep putting off dealing with it...

Aaaah! I don't watch Time Team Yambabe, because I can't stand Tony Robinson when he is being Tony Robinson.

I had to look the team up -and yes, I can see the resemblance, but I'm afraid that on that particular photo your DH looks like JS's doppelgänger to me.

Get yourself a terrier. Will sort out the rats (and, if your garden isn't totally secure, the restaurant will also learn to close their door or lose most of tomorrow night's dinners - terriers can jump really high

My lakeland was killing 2-3 rats a week at one time, and leaving the corpses on the lawn for us. We haven't had a dead rat for ages now, so she's either killed them all or she can't be arsed any more.

And not only can they jump, the little fuckers can open doors too, and climb. My previous lakie used to climb up the front of a rolltop desk to "answer" the phone when it rang. And then fuck off out of the dog flap with it in his mouth and stand in the garden looking gormless while the poor sod on the other end was going "Hello? Hello?".

I sincerely hope that the pheasant isn't hung after it's been chopped into pieces but I get your point.

I suppose they do actually have planning permission for change of use? There are usually notices up beforehand.

Inadequate ventilation might be something to look into as well. Check what happens to the food waste and if it is properly stored for disposal.

When we had minor problems compared to yours we knew we were moving into a house behind shops, we heard some noises from the kitchen as it was next to us but mostly at night when they were clearing up and had the music on which they turned down when asked. No issues with smells as it had to be vented upwards and away from our roof.

Perhaps there is another way they can extract the pong.

had a big rat splashing about in our downstairs toilet bowl. I thought it was an urban myth that they can navigate a u-bend, but sadly it wasn't. I thought I'd be heroic, but disappointingly I shat myself

I'd rather shit myself than sit on a bog that a rat was using as a swimming pool!

As for the live and live approach to rats, I don't mind them, or mice (I like mice) as long as they stay outdoors. Unfortunately they will go inside if they get the chance of food so leaving the door open for air may not be a wise move for your neighbours.

Are you detached from them? Either way I would suggest checking your house for any ratty access points and blocking them, just keep them out.

Have a look on your Council website for requirements for a restaurant, also look on the planning section and see if there has been change of use granted. Find out about the fire regs. as there is now a risk of fire.

My next door neighbours (I live in a mid terrace) has had rats twice in the last few years. They have a downstairs bathroom and they were coming up through the drains I assume. I spent ages being terrified they would move into my house next but thank god I've never had any inside.

I did find a couple of dead ones in my back yard though - that was after next door has put poison down. They'd clearly staggered out of the drain in the back alley and made it as far as my back gate before croaking it a few days before I spotted them. That was fun to clear up on a baking hot day! The smell was incredible so I really feel for anyone who has them die in lofts/under floorboards.

My only pest control issue at the moment (touch wood) is slugs. I found one inside my kitchen cupboard the other day and had to scrub everything in there with bleach. I'm so phobic of slugs I almost passed out in horror!

It's just a rat, calm down they're everywhere. There's a decapitated one in my garden care of next door's cat that I need to dispose of when I get chance.

The dead rat, not the cat.

My previous lakie used to climb up the front of a rolltop desk to "answer" the phone when it rang. And then fuck off out of the dog flap with it in his mouth and stand in the garden looking gormless while the poor sod on the other end was going "Hello? Hello?".