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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Oh Holy Crap! Cat has just brought in LIVE MUTANT RAT!

85 replies

SarahLundKicksAss · 25/02/2013 19:23

... and has cornered it behind the wardrobe in the spare bedroom. I have locked offending cat in the room, but beyond that WTF can I do?

(I'm not 100% sure whether the rat is a mutant, but it's flippin' big!)

OP posts:
Original poster
SarahLundKicksAss · 26/02/2013 17:28

Rat man has just been - searched the room from top to bottom, and guess what? NO RAT! There's no evidence of any carpet chewing, and I made him go through every draw and shake the quilt on the bed, so hopefully it's legged it out of the window.

Can't be 100% about this - there's a small gap under the bedroom door. I shoved a towel up against it last night. The towel was moved away from a bit of it this morning, but DD had got up first and the cats were upstairs, so I can only hope that one of the cats pulled the towel away. It's either that or....

THERE'S A BLOODY GREAT RAT SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE HOUSE!

I feel like special ops now, listening out for evidence.

Cat is rubbing against my legs. Grr!

OP posts:
zzzzz · 26/02/2013 17:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Trazzletoes · 26/02/2013 17:40

Sorry to burst your bubble OP, but they can squeeze through extremely small spaces.

TheSilveryPussycat · 26/02/2013 18:19

AIUI rats have a non-fatal terminal velocity, and as a poster above says, would survive a fall from the first floor.

But no, this one got out the gap in the door.

Fluffycloudland77 · 26/02/2013 18:20

Nooo! Not sticky pads. Very cruel. Poison or air rifle but please not sticky pads.

It'll try and chew its little feet off

zzzzz · 26/02/2013 18:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
SarahLundKicksAss · 26/02/2013 18:48

Now stop it everyone. I have convinced myself it jumped out of the window, so stop putting other ideas in my head!

zzzzz pregnant.... noooooooo!

Rat man said sticky pads were frowned upon now, but DS would be shocked if he came back from uni and someone had let rip with an air rifle in his bedroom!

Am about to venture upstairs again. I may be gone sometime.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 26/02/2013 19:06

It's a one shot gun, it wouldn't be messy.

Blackden · 26/02/2013 19:11

I've marked this thread to act as a deterrent when I start getting thoughts about how nice it would be to have a cat.

I hope you get some resolution to this OP, ie firm evidence to know that the rat is done for.

flamingtoaster · 26/02/2013 20:27

Do you play the recorder or flute? To put your mind at rest you could try playing a suitable song (Rat Trap by the Boomtown Rats or maybe I Think I Smell a Rat by The White Stripes) and wander through the house getting in touch with your inner Pied Paper of Hamelin.Smile

Original poster
SarahLundKicksAss · 26/02/2013 20:55

The Boomtown Rats were my favourite band when I were a lass..

No rustling or squeaking yet - have been in every room banging loudly.

Have resorted to wine to ensure some sleep tonight - this has made me realise that I could never be a contestant on I'm a Celebrity!

OP posts:
Adversecamber · 26/02/2013 21:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MissBeehivingUnderTheMistletoe · 26/02/2013 21:11

I can offer my gorgeous border terrier who is a cracking ratter

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2013 21:24

oh....i like rats. i had them as pets. i cant kill em - not even the manky ones.

really - the sticky pads sound horrific and cruel to me.
im sure its gone out - i have picked up and put back out mice, voles, shrews, birds and rats before now.

it would have been terrified and anxious to get out knowing the cat was waiting....it will have gone im sure. rats are very intelligent. if its not there try not to worry about it.

if you are near me i will happily come and turf it out for you....and talk to it

ZebraOwl · 26/02/2013 21:33

See it's things like this that make me quite glad the Zebra Kittens are still flatly refusing (aged almost 11 months) to venture outside. S'fine by me if they vote with their paws for the Indoor Cat Life!

juule · 26/02/2013 21:33

Mutant rat?
Master Shredder? Look out for ninja turtles. Grin

Sorry not helpful.

thecatneuterer · 26/02/2013 21:37

At last VicarInaTutu. Someone who understands me. I was beginning to think I was the only rat lover in the world. I have picked up and rescued a rat that was being terrorised by cats in my garden. I put it somewhere safe. It stayed perfectly still for about 15 seconds, then ran off.

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2013 21:52

i would love to link you to the photos on my FB today.....absolutely the cutest rats ever.

seriously cute....

maxybrown · 26/02/2013 21:55

This would involve me moving out - I kid ye not, I would have to de camp somewhere................wahhhh!

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2013 22:14

pulease click my cute link.....

really. you will see rats in a very different light.....

TheSilveryPussycat · 26/02/2013 22:18

Hey catneuterer, that's vicar, you and me in the rat fan club.

Those pix are sweet but also odd vicar. Perhaps it's cos my first rat had just the sweetest little babies of her own :)

Fluffycloudland77 · 26/02/2013 22:19

They do look cute with a teddy.

My parents have a rat in the garden, it eats bird seed.

thecatneuterer · 26/02/2013 22:20

I think those are the cutest photos I've ever seen!

Hassled · 26/02/2013 22:27

I was hoping to MN tonight to the news that the King Rat had gone to a better place, a place far far away - and most importantly that you knew he had.

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2013 22:33

yay SPC kindred spirits in more ways than one!

i do love rats. they are so clever, and so sweet, and they are great mums. I really do struggle with whats so scary about them - especially given those photos! they were on my vets FB page.....

rats make wonderful pets.

ive taken wild rats off my moggies before now though....same as ive taken birds and pigeons off em too...