Yesterday, I was bitten by a rat…. 🐀

Cossy

MT62

Ooh you are brave 🤣I don’t like rats.
Funnily enough I watched a YouTube last night, clip of a woman who keeps them as pets… so clever, doing tricks & all sorts.
I think it’s the teeth & tail that puts me off.

To be fair (though I don’t like rats at all) pet rats are totally different to “wild rats” and very bright and learn quickly. Not for me I’m afraid, though one of my cousins had two, always loose, sitting on her shoulder - ugh shudder!

I’ve had 2 as pets. Of course they are entirely different to wild ones. Lovely gentle things.

all rats are really clever

I wouldn't get anywhere near a wild one though

Get pest control in ,you say you think they're under your hut, so they can get into your house,they carry disease especially in their urine, some of my neighbours and myself had rats in our houses, we contacted the pest control who came out and put poison down,then came back the following 2 weeks, to make sure they had been at the poison.and I'd let your neighbours know to be on the lookout.

pably15

Get pest control in ,you say you think they're under your hut, so they can get into your house,they carry disease especially in their urine, some of my neighbours and myself had rats in our houses, we contacted the pest control who came out and put poison down,then came back the following 2 weeks, to make sure they had been at the poison.and I'd let your neighbours know to be on the lookout.

Some animal lovers abhor the use of poisons.

In this day and age surely someone, somewhere, must have come up with something better?

What about traps which catch and automatically electrocute? Is there such a thing?

The better thing theyve come up with is patterdale terriers.

He's lovely merlotgran. We have one that visits us but he's a poor looking thing these days. Two lovely deer have taken to visiting us too. All welcome (except rats!)

If you can’t face hitting it with a hammer could you drown it? There will always be rats around especially if you have a bird feeder. When I go away I sometimes put my plants in plastic containers with water in; when I do this you can guarantee it will rain for two weeks and I once found a poor dead rat that had drowned. I usually put sticks in any containers that might fill up with water so mice can get out. I think that tetanus jabs do last longer than the ten years they say they will but, even so I think you should have been given one to be safe. Facebook spotted might give an address of a local wildlife rescue that could help perhaps? I don’t like the idea of rats being poisoned because other wildlife will then eat them and die too.

We have a friend who encourages and feeds the many rats who live on his porch. Fortunately he lives abroad so we won’t be going anywhere near them.

As far as I am concerned the only good rat is a dead one, apart from the white ones kept as pets which I still shudder at. Nonetheless an injured animal rat or otherwise should be despatched as humanely and as quickly as possible. Drowning is not nice but neither is leaving the poor thing to die slowly from its injuries. It’s a good idea to ring the RSPCA for advice on the best course of action.

To keep rats away I never leave anything they might like to eat in the garden and indoors I have an ultra sonic pest repellent to keep rats and mice out. Hopefully it works for squirrels too who can cause more damage.

The kindest, quickest dispatch method would be to let Duke do the job.
Over in a couple of minutes, instead of however many hours this has taken until now.

I hope your vet will be able to put it out of its misery Shinamae or as 25Avalon has suggested, you could contact the RSPCA.

I hate rats but couldn't walk away knowing my dog was killing it and doubt I'd have had the courage to pick it up either. I think you're both brave and compassionate.

You were kind to help the rat to escape from the dog, but now you have to be equally kind and put him out of his misery.
And keep an eye on your bite and how you feel in yourself. 🤞

It's what Patterdales were bred for. The pup would have acted on instinct and would have put the rat out of its misery without any interference. No bite, no hand-wringing...

I've watched on youtube, farms that are overrun with rats, and men with teams of patterdales that are called in to deal with the problem.
The dogs love it - the rats, not so much.
The dog just shake the rat, and its over in seconds.

Often ferrets are used to clear farms overrun with rats.

25Avalon can you tell me where you bought your ultra sonic pest repellent from? I had one for years but it stopped working and I know they do not all work, so if you’re happy to recommend I’d be grateful.

ViceVersa

Should have just let the dog deal with the rat. That's what I would have done.

What you would left another animal to be terrified out of its wits to be tortured by a dog would you?
Well, I wouldn’t

Shinamae

ViceVersa

Should have just let the dog deal with the rat. That's what I would have done.

What you would left another animal to be terrified out of its wits to be tortured by a dog would you?
Well, I wouldn’t

It wasn't meant to sound harsh. It would have been the easiest way to deal with the situation and you would have avoided getting bitten and all the potential consequences from that. When it comes down to it, if it's a choice between leaving the dog to deal with the rat (as it was bred to do) or letting a human get bitten by the rat, it's no contest really. That's the brutal reality of it.
I've lost count of the amount of 'casualties' I've had to deal with from our dogs (and cats) over the years. 'Nature, red in tooth and claw'.

Esmay

I would kill the rat .
It's suffering .
If there's one rat -there are more and your dog will seek them out .
It's his natural instinct.
I hope that the bite will not cause you any problems.
Please wear gloves next time if you must touch them.
I would not allow rats to breed under my shed -they are a health risk.
I know that you are tender hearted and kind !

I know some people who look like they could be a house risk and I certainly wouldn’t let them live under my Shed! 😱
As the rats don’t pay rent they shouldn’t be living there 😁but I don’t mind, as I have two cats and now a Patterdale I really think the head of the family should be saying “ We really ought to move now because she’s got two cats and that damn dog”
I know the cat has got a couple in the past and I’m sure when Duke is old enough he probably will as well and that will be nature far as I’m concerned,I will not put poison under the Shed to give those poor animals a disgraceful very painful death I would not do that. They can take their chances with the cats and dog.
About the glove thing yes it probably was an unwise thing to do but I was in the moment if I had gone to get gloves which hadn’t entered my head that poor little rat would’ve been even more terrified..

Luckygirl3

Surprised you were not given tetanus.

Let the wee rat die. Or it will grow into a big rat that will reproduce at an alarming rate and infest your garden. Goodbye wee rat! Time to be recycled!

I checked on it earlier and it has died. I did have a booster tetanus.

pably15

Get pest control in ,you say you think they're under your hut, so they can get into your house,they carry disease especially in their urine, some of my neighbours and myself had rats in our houses, we contacted the pest control who came out and put poison down,then came back the following 2 weeks, to make sure they had been at the poison.and I'd let your neighbours know to be on the lookout.

I will not be doing that!!

MissAdventure

The kindest, quickest dispatch method would be to let Duke do the job.
Over in a couple of minutes, instead of however many hours this has taken until now.

The thing is, Duke was not doing “his job” He was doing what he does with the cat pouring at it and trying to play with it anyway, as I’ve said the poor thing died during the night…😢
I know there’s a lot of Christians on this site. I am not a Christian. I’m an agnostic but still, I will not see anything suffer if I can see a way to help it.

I’m a humanist and I’m not sure that this is a religious issue Shinamae 🤔. I just think you seem a very kind and caring person.

Ah, I missed the part about ratty dying in the night.
Apologies, I thought he was still alive and suffering, with no chance of fending for himself.

MissAdventure

Ah, I missed the part about ratty dying in the night.
Apologies, I thought he was still alive and suffering, with no chance of fending for himself.

I went to see him 6:30 am he was barely alive. I went down again at 9:30 and he had gone. I’ve got to dig in a little grave….. can’t bear to put him in the rubbish or in the compost ..😢