rat in the garden

[prendi]

I have noticed that a large rat has started to visit our back garden,we do feed the birds but have done so for the past 38 years and not seen a rat ever.How do you get rid of them humanely? i hate the thought of it getting trapped by the neck !!

[boxtops]

You need to get the rat man in. He will put poison down by the runs. Rats are wily - ask my cats.

[B00]

There is obviously a food source nearby. Eliminate that and they'll leave. Think the council will do it for you, however it's hardly humane- think they poison them.

[bobjugs12]

Feed it and then adopt it. Have you not seen Flushed Away? According to the woman in Pets At Home they make great pets and are very smart.

[boxtops]

yeah Bobs, but They Have Friends.

[AlBags]

Look good in a nice shirt and tie, too.
.. and they can be trained to speak.

[prendi]

i dont fancy training it,it takes me all my time to look at it lol !!

[AlBags]

very good at cooking "Ratatouille" too ; )

[boxtops]

Wait til a nice cat brings it to you dead as a plank, and laid it beside my bed, like No 1 Son did a couple of years ago.....

[AlBags]

Play it that song by UB40 ...

Rat In Mi Kitchen ... la la di daa la la

[paddywak]

find somebody with a jack russell that wants a couple of days holiday

[boxtops]

Has there been building work nearby, prendi? We noticed more - er - activity when they disturbed the field at the back of us for building works. The rat may have come to seek pastures new. I would definitely try to get rid of rat 1 before he tells his mates that there is bird food about.

[Eve]

Rats do make fantastic pets, domestic bred ones though lol :)

I would leave him if he isn't causing any harm though I am soft like that.

I was clearing my garden out with a friend a few weeks ago and we found a dead one in the garden, potentially cat related! They had something outside the other night too which I initially thought was a large mouse but have a feeling it might have been a small rat.

I get the even more personal treatment boxtops, have woken up twice now to find two very smug cats sitting on me with dead bird of the moment sitting in my lap!

[237SJ]

Speak to your local council. One of my neighbours had a rat infestation a few months ago and the council came along and baited them. Every council would differ but ours does one free baiting and a follow up then it`s up to the individual pay for it. My dad was a farmer and he said if you have a bird feeder (or you leave food out for foxes like my silly neighbours) you will get rats. He was right. The neighbour`s rats came into my garden and ate the seeds on the ground from my bird feeder. Think they`re gone now though as I haven`t seen any for ages (but bought some rat poison just in case)!

[AlBags]

Copy this on Ply ...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk...V&hash=item4cef10ac2e

[bobjugs12]

Catch it, then put it's little rat-head on a pole as a warning to all the other rats that you're a pyscho rodent killer, then sit on your patio at night sharpening a machette.
They'll be to scared to come back after that

[boxtops]

Oh Jenna I know the feeling..... it is like mouse alley in here in the mornings. Their greatest triumph was bringing a magpie through the catflap while I was at work, I came down to find the damned thing sitting in a light fitting looking evilly at me. The cats were whistling and looking at their nails, and going "moi?"!

[4getmenot]

we have 2 that run along our fence into next doors to get to bird feeder. We are also on a building site.

[Eve]

Little beggars aren't they! My Heathcliffe I had before these two managed to wrestle a live pidgeon through his cat flap once!

Managed to rescue it eventually, let it rest overnight then let it go, poor thing.

[AlBags]

... which is why it's difficult to enjoy that BiB at yours most mornings
: )

[AlBags]

^ 4get