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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Rat with broken leg in my garden

260 replies

HgnncaNameMy · 16/06/2020 11:46

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

OP posts:
Thisismytimetoshine · 16/06/2020 16:50

[quote Chesneyhawkes1]**@lynsey91* and @Thisismytimetoshine* no i'm not concerned at all.

He knows the dogs are fed raw and if they hunt something and are clever enough to catch it, they eat it.

He also knows that animals are killed so we can eat them. Frankly I'm pleased he's not a snowflake.

But you are right - I'll sleep with one eye open. It's a toss up between him and the dogs who will get me first 😱[/quote]
You said he's "desperate" to see the dogs catch a squirrel.
Why try to turn it back on people who pointed out that's not exactly normal? Because it isn't.
If you imagine this is an example of "not being a snowflake", God love you all.

Nottherealslimshady · 16/06/2020 16:51

Aw poor thing. Even if a wildlife charity dont say they're for rats they'll probably put it to sleep for you. I couldn't just leave it.
I'd probably catch it, put it in a box and take it to the vets as a pet and get it treated but I'm a nutter 🤷‍♀️

sammylady37 · 16/06/2020 16:52

You have an infestation of rats and mice in your garden where your kids play and your big concern is the rat with the broken leg??

AdobeWanKenobi · 16/06/2020 16:52

@BananaChocolateLump

Smash its head in with a brick, you'll be doing it a favour. It would be euthanized any way.
Again, how do you propose OP track down the rat to do this @BananaChocolateLump? Given she's posted above that it's been released in a field.....
ScarfLadysBag · 16/06/2020 17:01

Here we have to call a number if we see a grey squirrel and they'll come and presumably kill them as we are in a red squirrel area! I've never seen one thankfully, but do see some red ones on our walks, which is always lovely!

Original poster
HgnncaNameMy · 16/06/2020 17:57

Well an update

Both the rats back legs were broken. They think it was run over ( I live on a main road and there's new buildings being built out front ) So friends DP gave it Iburofen until it fell asleep properly. It hasn't woken up

I feel awful for leaving it but i couldn't bring myself to kill.

I love how my post stating theres a rat issue behind multiple gardens has turned into an infestation in my garden 🤦‍♀️

I did what I could with limited options at the time

OP posts:
GreyGardens88 · 16/06/2020 17:59

How do you give a rat iburofen?

Original poster
HgnncaNameMy · 16/06/2020 18:00

With a syringe 🙈

You can see its back legs arnt right

I definetly think an overdose of Iburofen was better than a shovel to the head

OP posts:
EverdeRose · 16/06/2020 18:22

A shovel to the head would still have been nicer, and certainly quicker for the rat than being carted about from one place to another then poisoned.
I'm glad it's dead now instead of spending days of suffering.

ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal · 16/06/2020 19:03

If you're going to keep cats you should be prepared to deal with injured wildlife. A swift shovel would have been a lot kinder to it than messing about with it and handling it.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 16/06/2020 19:08

I'd probably catch it, put it in a box and take it to the vets as a pet and get it treated but I'm a nutter

You'd be a nutter covered in infected rat bites if you tried anything like this.

It's a WILD animal.

It will BITE.

Rats can chew through concrete - just imagine what they can do to your flesh.

They carry diseases.

Unless this rat was so ill it was on the point of death, it would be in pain, terrified, and would bite like hell.

A pet animal in pain will often give a warning nip - a feral animal has no inhibitions and will just go for it.

NameChangeAgain111 · 16/06/2020 19:31

@HgnncaNameMy I've kept pet rats for years and it don't think the rats legs are broken. It's likely an older rat with paralysis in it's back legs, a common problem (esp in males). I think it's lovely you helped it. But then I currently have a field mouse recuperating in a tank in my shed Confused

isadoradancing123 · 16/06/2020 19:48

Just kill the horrible thing

chubbyhotchoc · 16/06/2020 20:00

Crikey how did you get it to take the ibuprofen??

sekactao · 16/06/2020 20:32

Crikey how did you get it to take the ibuprofen??

He put a gun to its head.

borntohula · 16/06/2020 20:40

I don't want to ever be close to a rat but it's not their fault they're vermin. Poor rat. Sad

HalfTermHalfTerm · 16/06/2020 20:42

Just kill the horrible thing

Well aren’t you charming.

Well done for helping OP.

Legoandloldolls · 16/06/2020 20:58

It's quite common to live near rats. We live opposite a wood and the wood is full of them.

I used to live near a major A&E and one came in during building works extending the hospital grounds.

JackiFazaki · 16/06/2020 21:07

I used to live near a major A&E and one came in during building works extending the hospital grounds.

Did it have a broken leg and go by the name Roland.?

Was the wait very long in A&E?

Frouby · 16/06/2020 21:14

I would have scooped it up in a bag and run over it. Despite being a horse and allotment owner and having no qualms about wanting them dead I don't think I could twat it with a shovel. Car seems much more removed.

I certainly wouldn't have fucked about with ibuprofen or similar. Dirty, filthy things rats and you need to bin anything that has been in contact with it and the area you found it needs thoroughly disinfecting.

CarrieMoonbeams · 17/06/2020 00:14

Poor little thing Sad. Well done OP for trying to help it, I couldn't have left it either.

BestDaysAheadOfMe · 17/06/2020 00:19

I have just cleared up our rat infested shed today... honestly, i was prepared to hammer any fuckers that come out.
Get the spade, aim well and end it quickly. Shower afterwards...

Cherrysoup · 17/06/2020 00:24

This is such a bizarre thread. Did the neighbour bring it back? A sharp shovel to the neck would have been far kinder. It was never going to end well. Yes, it’s hard to kill an animal, but it’s the kind thing to do. Any human interaction would be incredibly stressful for it. If you can’t face killing it, leave it, a fox or something would have snaffled it.

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 17/06/2020 00:28

Fucking hell there are some evil bitches on this thread.
Well done, OP for at least trying to help the poor thing.

Hollyhobbi · 17/06/2020 01:18

If you want to get rid of grey squirrels get some pine martens. Apparently the grey squirrels don't view them as a predator! Very interesting All Ireland studies done last year about red and grey squirrels and pine martens and now the red squirrel has gone from 'near threatened' to 'least concern' on the mammal list in Ireland. Weils disease is very serious. There's a fella in my work who contracted it from dirty canal water that he was swimming in as a youngster and he had to have his leg amputated due to it.