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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To kill the rat?

46 replies

LolaTheShowgirl · 16/02/2008 17:40

Please tell me i'm not being cruel. I really love animals but we have this rat in the house. Been here since October and it lives in the loft/the wall cavities. I can hear it all night running around and so far humane things to catch it and release it in a forest have failed. It has recently been coming into the kitchen which I really find disgusting and nicking my dogs biscuits and even fruit from the fruit bowl I have really had enough now and so I have got a big rat trap. Laid it on the rats usual route to the dog biscuits so waiting for a loud snapping noise...am I being cruel?

OP posts:
Wisteria · 16/02/2008 17:42

Only possibly to the dog if it gets it's foot stuck!

YANBU - it's a rat encroaching on your territory.

Wisteria · 16/02/2008 17:43

OMG apostrophe error!

Original poster
LolaTheShowgirl · 16/02/2008 17:46

Thanks for the reply! I've put a baby gate near the where the trap is so the dogs can't hurt themselves. They'd have their noses chopped off otherwise !!!

OP posts:
bossybritches · 16/02/2008 17:46

Wisteria!!!!

Lola YANBU or cruel -since OCTOBER??????

You are a saint.......if the trap doesn't work get the council in they are great & don't charge for domestic advice/treatment (we ours don't)

chocfest · 16/02/2008 18:00

put a piece of chocolate on the rat trap, they cannot resist that over any other food, and it will be a flat rat by morning!

wannaBe · 16/02/2008 18:04

noooo yanbu. since october? you do realize at what rate rats can breed don't you?

Bouncingturtle · 16/02/2008 18:06

Yes but if there is only one rat then surely breeding is not a problem, unless rats breed by asexual means

Wisteria · 16/02/2008 20:20

pmsl at flat rat......

frisbyrat · 16/02/2008 20:23
amytheearwaxbanisher · 16/02/2008 20:27

oh kill it!id get humane traps for a mouse but a rat!!!id move

Original poster
LolaTheShowgirl · 16/02/2008 20:39

Thanks for all of your replies! Whoo, I don't feel bad but it is not tempted up to now so may try an after eight chocolate on it. We sit with the lights dimmed and watch it sometimes. The dogs really don't take much notice as they're always asleep. I think I may call the councils rat catchers behind my mums back (she is dead against them coming...will have to schedule while she is at work one day!) If it bites into electricals in the loft and causes a fire we'll all be the dead ones instead of the rat

OP posts:
jeremyspants · 16/02/2008 20:40

Unless you have named it Bob and bought it a bandana, don't feel the least bit guilty about offing the little bugger.

Original poster
LolaTheShowgirl · 16/02/2008 20:41

Forgot to say that Ratatouille (as it's been called) is quite comical with the dog biscuits. It comes for one at a time and must take it somewhere to store it. It comes back and forth til all the dog biscuits are gone from the bowl (around 30 times!!!)

OP posts:
Kimi · 16/02/2008 20:41

You do know that Rats Pee constantly don't you, and you will get viles [sp] disease.

I have a mouse (well I had a mouse) it is now looking at the inside of the dustbin with its cold dead eyes.

Nasty dirty things, lovely in the wild NOT in your home, Kill it.

Blandmum · 16/02/2008 20:41

Kill the little fecker, they carry all manner of illnesses that can spread to humans!

Original poster
LolaTheShowgirl · 16/02/2008 20:45

A bandana jeremy?!?!?! Asda do little dog things like hats and bandanas...it's a great big thing, would probably fit them! Thing is I originally thought it was a squirrel the past 4 months since we saw it happily taking the poor dogs food who got into trouble for eating so much and costing me a fortune in food! I grew really fond of the squirrel til I found squirrel was just a member of the garden gang and never entered my house in its life!

OP posts:
amytheearwaxbanisher · 16/02/2008 20:46

very true lola we had a horrific house fire when i was living with my parents years ago it was caused by an electrical fault posibly from chewed wires

expatinscotland · 16/02/2008 20:47

Kill the fucker.

It's a rat. The species is hardly going to go extinct.

Kimi · 16/02/2008 20:47

small hijack.... Hello MB i owe you an apology I signed up and paid for the race for life and was going to put Mr MB as one of the people I was running for but now I may not be running as I need to have an op and it "might" be when I am meant to be running according to the Dr [angey) I am sorry, However I will be continuing to raise money for pancreatic cancer even if I don't get to run XX

Original poster
LolaTheShowgirl · 16/02/2008 20:47

I know martianbishop, that is what i'm most scared of as it probably has been all over my kitchen including on worktops which is very scary. Having to be meticulously (sp) clean right now with regards to cleaning the kitchen. It's proving impossible to catch or kill though. It is like it knows what I am up to.

OP posts:
BigBadMouse · 16/02/2008 20:47

Nah, it's mice that pee constantly not rats.

You have to get rid of it really as it is not the ideal kitchen companion.

Are you sure it is a rat though and not a mouse? Even the tiniest mouse can sound like a rat when it is running around your loft in the middle of the night

btw - peanut butter on a rat trap will get mice and rats no problem (it stays on easier than chookie - which I think should be kept for the purposes of calming your nerves when disposing of said flat rat)

Original poster
LolaTheShowgirl · 16/02/2008 20:49

OMG amy, that is so terrible I really hope we catch it now. Off to find batteries for the smoke alarm

OP posts:
Kimi · 16/02/2008 20:50

HOBNOB you need to bate it with HOBNOBS

Original poster
LolaTheShowgirl · 16/02/2008 20:50

Sorry did the worst thing for you people who hate "OMG"!!! Sorry...won't 'say' it again!!!

OP posts:
BigBadMouse · 16/02/2008 20:50

Should have said, it it is a rat you usually need to leave the trap in place and alone for a few days. They are usually very timid and will avoid anything new to them. Good that you have put it on it's usual run though.

We were lucky and caught our first ratty on the first night we put the trap down but it scared the rest off, they were still about but avoided the trap for two weeks so we ended up having to poison them which is a much less humane death IMO