No sign of the rat getting into the aviary when I looked this morning. Havent checked the traps yet, as I have to meet a work deadline this morning and go fit windows.

Edited April 22, 200817 yr by KAZ

Fingers crossed Kaz, that it is the last that you see of that UGLY HORRIBLE,EKKKKK thing ..... *i hate rats

He's not in the traps either. I kind of wish he was so I would know for sure we got him.

Bummer!!! Did the pesty thing eat the meat ?

Bummer!!! Did the pesty thing eat the meat ?

No...the meat is still in the traps.

While I don't like rats and mice in my house and around my birds (currently have mice around my cage and have trapped and killed one) as they prey on your pets and can spread disease (any wild animal can spread disease though). You have to remember that they are wild animals that are trying to survive, just like a fox praying on chickens or lions on sheep, so they are just as murderous as we are.

I personally love pet rats (used to have a couple) and found they were very smart and very clean and they definitely kept the mice away (they eat mice and mice are naturally scared of the smell). However in this circumstance you have to choose between your pets and the rat and it is better to kill 1 rat than let it kill several pets. When I see a wild rat I get a fright and don't like to go near them (as you would with many wild animals). They are very good predators and I have lost some baby bunnies and pet mice to wild rats in the past, but I respect them and acknowledge that we are also living in their homes as I'm sure many people here do.

My daughters had pet rats and I am comfortable with ALL kinds of pets...rats, mice, snakes etc ( i used to own a carpet python myself as a child ). BUT there is a distinction of course for the wild rats and mice. When they cross boundaries like in this instance they must be removed. Although I have said traps with meat as bait ...in my post...these traps catch them alive. My husband likes to take them for a drive a set them free.....so this is in all likelihood what will happen if one is caught. I dont set snapping traps as we have cats and dogs. Even my mousetraps are the kind that catch them alive. AND we dont use poisons in case the dogs or cat get a rodent that has eaten poison. Used to use poison but I dont now. Ken will use poison in his aviary in special boxes for the mice, but our dogs and cats dont get the mice that die from that.

Edited April 22, 200817 yr by KAZ

Wow you are good setting them free (I know your a huge animal lover). I was just getting a little upset at people calling them horrible and nasty and murderous.

I use humane snap traps and still get a pang of guilt in my tummy when I catch them, but I think, "them or my birds" and I chose my birds.

My daughters had pet rats and I am comfortable with ALL kinds of pets...rats, mice, snakes etc ( i used to own a carpet python myself as a child ). BUT there is a distinction of course for the wild rats and mice. When they cross boundaries like in this instance they must be removed. Although I have said traps with meat as bait ...in my post...these traps catch them alive. My husband likes to take them for a drive and set them free.....so this is in all likelihood what will happen if one is caught.....besides I couldnt bear to look at Kens sad face if I drowned the beasties as I would prefer. I dont set snapping traps as we have cats and dogs. Even my mousetraps are the kind that catch them alive. AND we dont use poisons in case the dogs or cat get a rodent that has eaten poison. Used to use poison but I dont now. Ken will use poison in his aviary in special boxes for the mice, but our dogs and cats dont get the mice that die from that.

Edited April 22, 200817 yr by KAZ

Happy to report, we caught the rat...alive. It has gone to live somewhere else.

Glad to hear he has gone and hope no more decide to visit you.

Glad to hear he has gone and hope no more decide to visit you.

Yes...my husband insists there was ONLY ONE....but I think there is never just one. There may be more. Will keep the traps set.

I agree with you Kaz, there is never one…I wouldn’t let them go to in flick others but…I even feel guilty when I catch Brushtailed Possums & let them go somewhere else, as they can be as big a pest as rats…only just a bit bigger.

YEAH!!!!

 

Well done! So pleased you caught it!!!!

 

:hap:

That's great news!

ewwwwwww gross!!! I'm glad it's gone and hope it's 'family' isn't around!!!

ewwwwwww gross!!! I'm glad it's gone and hope it's 'family' isn't around!!!

I am assuming there IS family and the hunt is on for the next rat.

oh good!!!! [ that the first rat is gone]I hate rats (wild ones) but would absolutly love a pet one!I know rats can cuase alot of damage because my bestfreinds budgie's cage was left open by an IDIOT : that lives with them and rat came in and tore her leg off and opened her stomach so sad.ewww once we had a rat in our house and we had rat sack outside the poor thing drowned in a concealed half emppty fish tank outside my room....stank after awhile.....stank for weeks after!I really don't like to kill animals but I would rather have my birds then RATShahahahahahha on the set of ad's if you click the next button there is actually 2 add's for getting rid of rodents

Edited April 29, 200817 yr by Indz♥

yeah, glad to hear you caught that vermin

 

Love your rat Birluv, it mustn’t be the one Kaz caught, as it was well fed on plump canaries.

There will always be family. I just caught a second mouse. So look out for more!

There will always be family. I just caught a second mouse. So look out for more!

I agree....there would have to be more. The one we caught was a heavy female too. Traps set havent caught anything else...YET.

Yes, we have had rats at the Wildlife Shelter upon occasion and where there is one..................?anymore KAZ?

:dbb1: Yes, we have had rats at the Wildlife Shelter upon occasion and where there is one..................?anymore KAZ?

it is to bad that it is true, l know mice are smaller but when we caught one there always seemed to be one more, just like those darn rats.

 

 

I just remembered a short story about a fat pregnant mouse.

Last winter we had trouble with mice in the house. One morning my sister woke up and while she sat up and started to walk towards the bathroom, she stepped on something furry and squishy. When she looked down, she screamed. I come running from my room and saw my sister and she was pointing towards the ground. As l followed her finger, to my horror l saw a dead fat pregnant mouse. I swear it was the size of a rat :budgiedance:

It turns out my cat killed this mouse during the night and left it for my sister. My sister did mentioned that she heard my cat going crazy during that night.