Do all wild rats carry Weill's disease?

[WendyS]

I ask because we live in a fairly rural area and the rat who regularly comes to visit and nibble around our bird table looks immaculately clean and has very silky fur.. He sat two yards away from us today grooming himself for ten minutes (even cleaning behind his ears) and sniffing wistfully while my husband cooked lamb chops! He must have a good sense of smell - he appeared as soon as the cooking started !

[gessoo]

Sorry to say Wendy, but a lot of wild rats very definitely do. They are not ill with it so don't lose condition but are carriers and it is carried by rat urine. Its not that uncommon either and is particularly prevalent in rural areas with farm workers who dig ditches, etc (the water is infected by weills) .............

[gessoo]

........I live in Norfolk and we have quite a high amount of Weills disease. Unfortunately, we do have to shoot the rats in our garden because they get into the loft. We live with ditches around us in a very rural area................

[gessoo]

...............It's a sad fact of life. Like you, I think they are very sweet and it's horrible to have to get rid of them. So, quite seriously, I think you should stop encouraging him. They do attack and eat young birds and raid birds' nests. All very natural, but if you feed the birds in the garden it is probably better that he doesn't turn up too often. xx

[gessoo]

I had to post this in three sections, due to the AB problems at the moment!!!

[Lonnie]

Hi Wendy, this site is worth a look. www.ratbehavior,org/WildRatDisease.htm

[Lonnie]

Sorry, the links not working, but if you put that web address in, you'd be amazed ar just what, and how many diseases wild Rats carry.

[WendyS]

Thanks for your comments folks, which I've taken very seriously. Ratty, I'm afraid, cute though he seemed, has just signed his death warrant. Yesterday afternoon he killed a newly hatched blue tit which landed briefly on the lawn near the bird table. And later in the day, he tried to attack and narrowly missed catching one of our regular blackbirds who is still feeding a family. As we don't have a gun, the rat poison is going down with a heavy heart.

[gessoo]

I always feel sad too Wendy for every rat we shoot, but you are doing the best thing. Make sure the rat poison is laid in a pipe or somewhere similar that the birds cannot get too. Poor ratty!