There's a rat in mi kitchen...

[B00]

No really there is, and I'm totally freaked out.

We have an old fire, never used in there, and I'd noticed the dog snuffling round it extremely interested and jokingly said to Mr Boo "Bet there's a rat behind there". Well it bloody backfired on me, as apparently there is, Mr Boo saw it scuttle back in there when he did a late night forage for food (hubby I mean, not the rat, though no doubt that's what it was doing as well!) I know (well now I do) that it was eating the dog's left over food, so that will be picked up before i go to bed each night, there's nothing else (food wise) it can get to.

Would a humane trap work? About a tenner on Ebay. Reluctant to put poison down as a) im a softy, don't want to actually kill it, and b) scared the dog will eat the poison instead. What do I put in there? The trap I mean? Chocolate?

Mr Boo says that once it's gone, he'll rip the fire out and board up the hole.

Please help me, I shudder each time I think about it :-(

[B00]

Can't what? Help?

[B00]

oh, i dunno, sorry, didn't realise- cooked rat....yummy!

[B00]

guess it sorta belongs in here? the things in mi kitchen? I'm asking what food stuff to put in the trap?

Yes I know, i boobed, lol- sorry.

[ummmm]

We had rats coming in here from next door. It's horrible having a rat run across your feet in the middle of the night.

Din't go own the humane route...just put poison down. They are vermin BOO so don't feel guilty.

Or get Naz to do it...he hits them with things...

Not sure if the poison worked or it was down to the fact that the alkies next door got chucked out.

[B00]

But my dog, which is as dumb as soup will probably eat the poison ummmm.

[wolf63]

Set your dog on it - some dogs were bred for hunting and killing rats.

[fliptheswitch]

I'm with Ummmm. Kill it! What if it meets another little ratty and they decide to have babies... all in the time you are waiting for your humane trap to arrive off ebay! :D

[Jan1957]

Don't know what sort of dog you've got Boo but if he's not a Jack Russell borrow one. It'll soon have it.

[B00]

But if its hiding behind the fireplace, which it obviously is, she can't get to it. I'm aint ripping the fire out with that thing still in there, God knows where in the house ti'll run off to from there!

But yes, she's a JRT, given a chance im sure she'd have a go.

[B00]

kill it how? Don't fancy the poison route due to the above reason.

[RATTER15]

Boo, I would be tempted to use poison, they dont actually suffer, they just fall asleep, just contain it so the dog cant get to it. Dogs wont normally eat the poison as it contains taste deterrents these days but but be careful. Try and get "Neosorexa" from a garden centre or farm shop. Do not try being economical with it, rats will eat a lot of it and will kill them quickly, however they may not take the bait for a few days.

Good luck. :)

[B00]

Do they naturally gravitate towards the poison then ratter? I mean, I can't exactly put the poison close to it, as ive said, it's behind the fireplace? And if i say put it on the floor near the fireplace- the dog won't eat it instead?

[fliptheswitch]

Chuck some food into the hole (not sure what rats eat?) and lace it with the poison.

[RATTER15]

Poison is your best option, I never poisoned a dog in 13 years of poisoning rats every single day.

[B00]

I honestly feel like packing a bag and bogging off to the nearest Travel Lodge, stomachs heaving thinking about this.

dammit, why me??

[B00]

Ratter, come do it for me, rofl.

[fliptheswitch]

I wouldn't be able to even go in the room!