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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

There's a rat in my bedroom, what am I going to do?

46 replies

baskingseals · 30/11/2009 21:35

DH reckons it's a bird that's fallen down the chimney, yep a really large bird with a long tail that GNAWS and scrabbles and scratches so loudly that I think it's eaten through the floorboards and it's coming to get me. Actually had to resort to calling his name very loudly (despite sleeping children) to come and rescue me and stab the rat or something. Needless to say he didn't hear me and I had to do a flying leap out of the bed to the door, while holding the now awake baby.

I'm not sleeping in that room tonight, even with rat poison sprinkled liberally. DH and DD think I'm pathetic, scared of a little,wittle rat.

AIBU?

OP posts:
purpleduck · 30/11/2009 21:41

YA SOOOO NBU

Monty100 · 30/11/2009 21:42

YANBU

Do you think it could be a squirrel?

RipMacWinkle · 30/11/2009 21:43

A rat? A real one? Proper rodent??!!

YA Defin-tootly NBU!

Nothing else for it. You'll have to move out. That room is now tainted.

Monty100 · 30/11/2009 21:44

YANBU

Do you think it could be a squirrel?

Ring environmental people see what they say. fast

bellavita · 30/11/2009 21:45

Isn't there a song about a rat...

There's a rat in the kitchen what am I - oops wrong room, sorry that doesn't help does it

You wouldn't get me going within a mile of it.

Ixia · 30/11/2009 21:46

YANBU - But are you sure it's a rat? Mice make an unbelievable amount of noise. We have rats and mice, you'd think the rats would eat the mice, but no such luck. We're poisoning the mice (having given up on the humane traps). The rats are outside, we've stopped them getting in the house, but unfortunatley they are v. common here and come over from the fields.

Original poster
baskingseals · 30/11/2009 21:46

I honestly don't know, it's more comforting to to think it may be a squirrel. Thanks for the YANBU, I don't feel quite such a wimp.

OP posts:
PotPourri · 30/11/2009 21:47

YANBU. They are vicious and their wee is poisonous. You need it sorted. Not had rats, but do not talk to me about mice........grrrrrrrr.

MrsKitty · 30/11/2009 21:49

YA so NBU - I don't think I'd be able to sleep in the house - nevermind the bedroom!

Monty100 · 30/11/2009 21:54

Have you found out what it is?

ABetaDad · 30/11/2009 21:57

baskingseals - did you actually see the rat? As oters say it could be a bird, squirrel, mouse.

IF it is a rat you should not be living in a house with a baby that has rats anywhere though. Call environmental health and go and stay with your parents or friends now.

If it really is in the bedroom get one of [http://www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk/acatalog/Little_Nipper__Break_Back__RAT_Trap_.html these]] and put it in the bedroom with chocolate spread as bait. It will smash the rats head in.

Then find out how and where it came from as there will be others.

Original poster
baskingseals · 30/11/2009 21:59

Monty, you could not pay me fifty million quid to go up there with my little piggy eco torch and start ripping up floorboards.

We'll find out when there's a corpse. Oh God.
There's always something isn't there?

I can live without furry doom in my bedroom.

OP posts:
ABetaDad · 30/11/2009 22:01

By the way, I hate rats and would react the same way.

That link again here

mazzystartled · 30/11/2009 22:02

yanbu

  1. ring the council - they will come and check your house out for whatever it is. and then nuke it
  2. sleep elsewhere - spare room/yer mums/hotel
Monty100 · 30/11/2009 22:04

If it is a rat get out of there!

Does environmental health work 24 hours anyone?

Ixia · 30/11/2009 22:07

ABetaDad - you'd like to think it would smash the rats head in, but in reality it will probably injure it and you'll have a trapped, injured and vicious rat on your hands. We've been down that route, I'm a farmer's daughter and fairly robust, but I couldn't do it again.

If it is in the bedroom then shut the door, make sure the gap underneath is wedged and call someone out tomorrow. It's not coming to attack you, rats don't go out of their way to attack people.

But my bet is that it's a mouse not a rat, wouldn't know about squirrrels as we don't have them here.

Original poster
baskingseals · 30/11/2009 22:08

Thanks guys, and don't worry I will, or DH will get it sorted, I and the baby will not be sleeping in there until the coast is clear.

It might not be a rat, but it does sound rattish.

OP posts:
RumourOfAHurricane · 30/11/2009 22:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

brimfull · 30/11/2009 22:13

god i would not be in the same house as a rat let alone same room

Original poster
baskingseals · 30/11/2009 22:19

DH did shoot one the other day.

Maybe it's been sent on a revenge mission.

OP posts:
RipMacWinkle · 30/11/2009 22:22

Oh do you think there's a price on your DH's head.

It's a hitrat.

FuriousGeorge · 30/11/2009 22:25

YANBU.We've had mice in the bedroom and they made a hell of a noise.We have currently got rats in the outbuildings and I saw 3 happily scurrying around this afternoon.I had hardly shut the door behind me after filling up the bait trays before they were gobbling down the poisoned bait.DH has tried to shoot them but failed.

Do you know anyone with a terrier?That is the quickest way to get the little sods.

shockers · 30/11/2009 22:27

If it's being heard in the bedroom, I bet it's not a rat. Is there a chimney breast in your bedroom? It will be a bird, either in the chimney or in the roof space. We get them periodically and the scratching does sound ratty.
Rats are pretty clued up... it would be raiding the fridge by now

Original poster
baskingseals · 30/11/2009 22:30

Yeah dh, they know where we live.

Know what you mean about terriers. I did actually call my dog up first, before dh, but he's a black lab, and didn't do anything except lick me and make me lose my place in my historical novel, fat lot of good he was.

I need something with a killer instinct.

OP posts:
madamearcati · 30/11/2009 22:31

How has it got into your house ? I think its much more likely to be mice