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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to feel annoyed by my neighbour's complaints about rats?

136 replies

Becnextdoor · 19/05/2026 22:50

Do not have many neighbours, only 4 on our street. I live next to this lady, detached houses but our garden is seperated with a hedge if that makes sense. She has lived in that house for 4 years and we used to get along in a good neighbour way - as she lived alone I would often do garden work for her and she came round for a family barbecue once a year, normal neighbour stuff.
We (me and my wife) have had pet chickens for about 7 years now, they are located near the connecting hedge, out of her sight, and she’s never had a problem with them, however the chickens have randomly just now started getting rats, and as a result some of them have gone in her garden, she has messaged to complain, and came round twice to complain, all in the same week, after the first complaint we told her we were dealing with it - as we were, however rat traps take time and don’t work instantly, however, she kept coming round and telling us it was our problem and we need to sort it, and getting progressively annoyed, even though we were managing with it. We payed for pest control to come today, and they even went and spoke to her about how it was getting sorted - as we were tired of her continuous complaints, I didn’t even get a ‘thank you’ or anything, and even after the pest control she is still complaining. She is about 40 years old and a lot of her money is “mummy’s money”, private school and parents brought her a nice house in a nice area, so especially with knowing that, we really think she’s just acting abit entitled now. We are probably going to fall out with our neighbour over this, are we in the wrong for being annoyed? edit: The rats only started coming the same week she got a new cat and dog, she’s also recently had an oil spill - which apparently can attract rats, I don’t know if that’s relevant but.

OP posts:
Neveragainplease · 21/05/2026 19:27

It you use something like a grandpa feeder and make sure there is no feed left out you're unlikely to have more rats than a chickenless garden. Also make sure that they can't dig under or squeeze through any bars round the chicken run, you may need to add some more wire round the run and examine it every days for attempts, to get in
Food includes food that people put out for the wild birds too, not just chickens. Feeding the wild birds in itself attracts rats and other neighbours probably do that
Where i live we get rats come.in from the surrounding countryside, there is a stream nearby and that is ideal.territory for rats..I won't feed the wild birds up near the house so that the rats that are about aren't tempted to come up.
Even in built up areas there are rats, my son's garden is bird food free but he gets them, same as my parents, house surrounded by lots of other houses. No bird feeding either. I cured that by putting a stone in front of the hole in the wall from which the rats came from next door.
We do have deer that sometimes come into gardens down our road and badgers...it happens when we encroach on their homes

JMSA · 22/05/2026 20:12

Why would she thank you? 😂 The rats are only there because of your chickens in the first place!

lightreceiver · Yesterday 00:45

JuliettaCaeser · 21/05/2026 12:14

Our little cat died in agony last year. She was perfectly healthy. Can only conclude she ate a rat or mouse that had been poisoned. Extremely distressing.

I’m so sorryFlowers

Firefly1987 · Yesterday 04:14

I can see both sides as I had this problem when we had chickens and honestly I wish I had never thought about keeping them in the first place it was a total nightmare. They're really hard to get rid of.

You can get metal pedal bins that the chickens learn how to use but the rats can't get in. That should help a bit.

Why doesn't the neighbour try and get rid of any in her garden if she thinks it's so easy?! Get rid of them twice as fast that way and it'd keep them from doing any damage in her garden whilst you sort it your end.

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · Yesterday 04:37

Tableforjoan · 19/05/2026 22:57

Yabu.

There are rats because of your chickens. Why would she thank you for getting pest control out 🤣🤣

Exactly this. Why would she thank you for dealing with the problem you created?

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · Yesterday 04:58

She is about 40 years old and a lot of her money is “mummy’s money”, private school and parents brought her a nice house in a nice area, so especially with knowing that, we really think she’s just acting abit entitled now.

This attempt to cast her as a pathetic snob or spoilt rich twit that the rest of mumsnet will naturally view as disdainfully as you do has backfired somewhat.

You’ve judged her whole character based off her family background, which she has no control over, which makes you a horrible inverted snob yourself.

Ironically you’ve come across as judging her for going to private school and having wealthy parents while being offended by her audacity to move to a ‘nice house in a nice area’ which presumably you yourself live in! So you’re elitist as well. Yeesh.

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · Yesterday 05:05

The rats only started coming the same week she got a new cat and dog,

what’s the connection?

WhatTheHellsGoingOn · Yesterday 05:21

Originally we got the food that makes the rats infertile, so they can finish living their life happily,

But you didn’t care that your neighbour would be living hers unhappily for years. Rats live for years. So you didn’t think she’d be getting more and more upset and pissed off at having to share her garden with vermin for that length of time? And that she might possibly complain more and take it further, like reporting you to the council? And you’d have been perfectly happy to share your garden with them for the same period?

Don’t believe this

HarshbutTrue2 · Yesterday 08:28

Firefly1987 · Yesterday 04:14

I can see both sides as I had this problem when we had chickens and honestly I wish I had never thought about keeping them in the first place it was a total nightmare. They're really hard to get rid of.

You can get metal pedal bins that the chickens learn how to use but the rats can't get in. That should help a bit.

Why doesn't the neighbour try and get rid of any in her garden if she thinks it's so easy?! Get rid of them twice as fast that way and it'd keep them from doing any damage in her garden whilst you sort it your end.

Rats aren't particularly difficult to get rid of. One or two rats should be gone within 10 days of ingesting poison. However, a large infestation, with lots of children and friends will take longer. If the food source continues to exist, new rats will move in.
For the poster whose cat died - modern poisons are supposed to be formulated in order to not harm a secondary consumer. It is equally likely that your cat could have been poisoned by anti-freeze. Cats are attracted to it, they drink it, it is fatal to cats. The cat could have found anti-freeze anywhere, possibly at a neighbour's.
The neighbour should also be helping to deal with the rat problem. The rats do not personally belong to OP. They are wild animals which are trespassing on the neighbour's property. If she chooses to live in a rural location she needs to deal with the pleasures of rural life, including rats.
If I, or one of my neighbours sees a rat, we inform the other neighbours. Then we all set out to deal with the problem. Except the one who likes to sunbathe with the rats, which annoys me. I think we should all pull our weight.
However, OP should be pulling out all of the stops to deal with the issue. If you are a true country dweller you will know about farm shops, which have loads of stuff for rats. I have got about 6 rat boxes all just waiting for some furry visitors.

Firefly1987 · Yesterday 19:47

@HarshbutTrue2 yeah but like you say it takes time and I get the feeling the neighbour expects them gone in like a day lol. Which is not realistic.

ToKittyornottoKitty · Yesterday 20:18

Firefly1987 · Yesterday 19:47

@HarshbutTrue2 yeah but like you say it takes time and I get the feeling the neighbour expects them gone in like a day lol. Which is not realistic.

Did you miss the part where OPs original plan was to let them live out their natural lives there though? That’s not realistic for the neighbour

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