Rat with broken leg in my garden

[HgnncaNameMy]

There's a grassy area behind my house full of rats and mice. I moved here in February and the neighbours said theres a massive rat problem

I have 4 cats so don't have many issues

Theres currently a rat hiding under the kids garden toy and its leg is definetly broken, 3 of its legs seem fine but it's dragging one behind it

Who can i ring about this? Will someone come out and take it?

I know people class them as vermin but it's still a living creature that must be in absolute agony right now

@Chesneyhawkes1 I have a little westie and it’s her favourite past time 😂 well once!! There was a mouse In our shed (eating the stored bird food!!) and she sniffed that thing out and rag dolled it about like no tomorrow. I was traumatised but my kids found it very interesting.

Op, I would either leave it to go, leave it for your cats (I’m sure they will see and smell it when they come home!) or whack it on the head with a shovel.

Do not touch it. Do not try and wring it’s neck. Do not try and catch it. They are full of diseases and will bite you.

I have seen a rat in our garden eating the bird food. I would not dream of trying to kill it

Prepare to be overrun.

I can understand you being squeamish about killing it, but for goodness' sake, don't keep feeding it. Take up all bird food until it has stopped visiting - you really will end up with a street full of disease-carrying vermin if you don't - and warn your neighbours, too!

This was not the thread to read over my relaxing lunch....

Sorry but another hit it with a shovel advocate here, sooner rather than later and just put it out if it’s misery advocate. I’ve taken other wild animals to the vet or called the RSPCA but i can’t see a vet doing anything other than euthanising it and it’s more humane to put it out of its misery sooner rather than later.

Some definite future serial killer candidates on here!

I'm not bloodthirsty at all but have dispatched severely wounded wildlife before - a bird which had had one wing ripped off, a rat screaming in a trap, that kind of thing. We're a long way from a vet.
I used a big hammer, and I hated every second of it but it only took one blow.

@lynsey91

I would not be able to kill it. Some bloodthirsty posters on here.

I could not kill a living creature. Even rats have the right to live. I would ring round vets and/or wildlife rescues.

I have seen a rat in our garden eating the bird food. I would not dream of trying to kill it

Isn't there a saying like "If you see one rat, you have hundreds of rats"?

The likelihood is you have an infestation if you're seeing them in your garden like that.

@PhoneLock

Some definite future serial killer candidates on here!

Why?

It's more human to kill it with a brick (or similar) then to let it limp around with a broken leg! Small animals like rats and mice with broken legs die. Much nicer to get it over and done with. The rat won't be aware of what's happening - they're not humans and have no concept of mortality.

OP, ring around a few vets and see what they say, they’ll probably be happy to help. That’s what I’ve done on several occasions over the years with severely injured pigeons

Now I've heard it all.

My friend has come round and collected the rat. Her DP is going to release it in the fields.

Killing it quickly would have been much more humane.

The Queef and Krong - what horrible people you are! - I am aghast at your brutality towards a living creature!

I don't know why posters think because I own cats Im not allowed to be concerned over a rat in distress

Would people be saying the same if there was an injured bird in my garden?

I'm not saying i wanted to go out and stoke the rat, but it wasn't pleasent watching it drag itself across the floor.

My cats have bells on their collars as they brought 2 dead mice as gifts since we moved here and i didnt want anymore gifts

My old house had a massive garden leading onto a field, we lived there for 2 years and never once did they bring anything home

I will get DP to speak to the neighbours again and see if we can all complain together or somthing and see if it makes a difference

I assume it is council owned as the neighbours didnt mention an owner and were focused on the council not doing anything about it

I would not be able to kill it. Some bloodthirsty posters on here

Don't be daft.

The people suggesting to kill the rat are offering a humane solution. Do you really thinking their thought process is "crikey an animal in distress, that'll be a fun acitvity"?

I finished off a badly injured rabbit. It was horrid but it was the kindest thing to do.

@Devlesko

My God the rats would have been gone as soon as i knew, dirty things. how can you have so much vermin around you, yuk.

Isn’t there a saying that you’re always a certain distance from a rat? Might not be strictly true but it wouldn’t surprise me, rodents are good at hiding ;)

My friend has come round and collected the rat. Her DP is going to release it in the fields. Her DP said vets wouldnt take it and he's never known a rescue to take a rat but he has known rats to adapt to a broken leg.

This is probably much more cruel than just killing it quickly. The rat is now going to suffer a long, slow death in the wild.

The people suggesting to kill the rat are offering a humane solution.

For reference, the Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 lists only following methods as considered humane:
• Destruction of the brain by a strong and accurate blow to the head with a suitable implement
• Lethal overdose of appropriate gaseous or injectable anaesthetic (this technology is not available for general use)
• Destruction of the brain by shooting

i.e No drowning, laser beams or being thrown to cats/dogs etc.

I don't think you can just complain about a rat problem. I think you need to pay to get it fixed.

@Heismyopendoor Children do find it strangely interesting 😂 my DSS is desperate for the dogs to catch a squirrel! 😬

Our local council will come out to deal with rats. Problem in our area too.
They lay poison traps.

Poetry it all depends on the policy of your local council. Mine will sort out some pests for free others not. Rats are free to be dealt with, probably because they see that the potential public health hazard as part of their duty to try to prevent. Quite rightly.

My friend has come round and collected the rat. Her DP is going to release it in the fields.

Fuck me.

So rather than taking the option of putting it out of its misery by dispatching it quickly with a shovel or something, you have stressed a dying creature by moving it and are now putting in in the "wild" to die a slow and painful death, being picked at by predators.

Slow handclap.

Bet you'd say you were an animal lover too.

Why would you hoof the wretched thing around like that? What's the bloody point?

I don't feel comfortable killing somthing whether it's vermin or not

Neither would I. And I’m a country girl. It’s not clever or practical to merrily beat an animal to death. Some rodents can live with dodgy legs. Rats might be ‘vermin’ but they’re as intelligent as dogs.

Humane killing should be a last resort IMO. I’m glad you’ve avoided that, OP.

Glad you got it sorted OP i would have felt exactly the same as you!