Wild Rats - a warning. *warning: graphic description*

[Jenson]

I just had a horrible, horrible experiance that I want to share as a warning to you all.

I'd left the door of Cherry's hutch off, because it's pretty crowded in there with her 9 babies (just over 4 weeks old) and it was hot. They all came out and were enjoying having the run of the shed, so I left them to it and went to make tea. When I put them back I noticed one was missing, the only place it could be was under the hutch, so I got my torch and spotted a bit of blue fur. I took off the wood under the hutch so I could reach the baby, and was met with a disgusting sight.

He was dead, and his whole head was missing. The ears were still there, but the whole skull was gone. He also had a gaping hole in his belly and his intestines were missing. I had had rabbits bitten by a rat in the past (we recently destroyed it's nest and chased it off...assumed it wouldn't be back) so I knew what had done it.

The only place it could have been if it was still in the shed was under Mulch's hutch, so I lifted it up and sure enough, there it was! I grabbed bathroom cleaner and sprayed it in the rats face hoping to blind it long enough to hit it with something, but it ran out of the shed.

I am totally disgusted, I've never seen anything so horrible. I didn't think the rat would ever come back, I feel so guilty for letting the babies out. :tears2:

I wanted to tell you all so no one has to see this happen to their babies. Please be careful leaving your rabbits anywhere where vermin might be around.

Also, any advice on ways to kill/catch it that would be safe to use around the rabbits would be greatly appreciated. I had a cage trap, but the rat never went anywhere near it.


RIP little blue baby. :rip:

 

[Butterfinger]

Oh, poor baby! :shock:

Rats can be dangerous, indeed. We've had them invade the house one time, and we used rat traps (The spring-loaded ones that go snap with the metal bar) , but I wouldn't use rat traps if rabbits are around :?
Would you happen to have a large-ish cat?
I wonder if you could catch them by putting an extra sticky sheet of fly paper and taping it to the floor, then putting some piece of food in the middle of it? (Cheese? Ham? Something like that? ) You'd have to keep it away from rabbit's reach, though.

Good luck with the rat problem, and RIP poor little one

~Diana and Butter

 

[polly]

Oh no Jenson i am so sorry i thought the blighter ( i know but can't swear!!) had gone shame the council guys never managed to knock it when they were there. Its not your fault though, you thought it had gone. Horrible things hopefully it won't be so cocky now!!

 

[Jenson]

I'm allergic to cats unfortunatly. The fly paper is a good idea though, I'll definitly try that, thanks!

I hope it's running for the hills, while it still can.:grumpy:

 

[Penna]

Poor Baby!

That must have been an awful sight. We're lucky here in Ohio, at least the part where I live, there's not to many rats.

 

[NZminilops]

That's terrible! You poor thing having to see the dead baby looking like that , and poor wee baby rabbit.

I really like domestic rats a lot, but I'm so sorry to hear you have a mean wild one around. I hope he stays away!

 

[Jenson]

Yeah, it was really awful. I've seen a lot of rabbits die, but that was just the worst thing to have found. I keep thinking what if he didn't die straight away and the rat started eating him alive, I can't help crying.

They're getting to be a real problem in this part of the UK, it was on the news a while back that there are more around now than ever. It really is a nasty thing too, it wasn't even frightened of me, it only ran off when I sprayed it with the bathroom cleaner!

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

:bigtears: oh god how horrible, i am ssssoooo sorry

 

[cheryl]

Aww that is just awful,i'm sorry about the little baby

cheryl

 

[Jenson]

Thanks for the support guys, I just hope no one has to see anything like this ever again!

 

[gentle giants]

I'm really sorry about your baby bunny. I don't know what your bunny housing is like, but I will warn you: rats can get into about anything. And if this one decides to come back for another easy meal, you will have a hard time keeping it out. I would really suggest locking your bunnies away for a day or two and getting some big snap traps. Rats usuallly don't fall for the live traps, unfortunately. And if you saw one rat, count on the fact there are more.

 

[Bunnicula]

Oh, Jenson, what a terrible thing to have to deal with. Thankfully only one of the babies was lost. I never realized that rats would attack rabbits. Though I never leave my bunnies outside, I live in an area where agriculture is big...and I've seen some HUGE rats in cornfields!

It's not your fault. You couldn't have known. I don't have any words of advice or wisdom to add...but please know how my heart aches with you!

-Mary Ellen

 

[Sealy]

Wow. Gah Jenson, I am so very sorry! I'm just a bit speecheles ( hard to believe, I know) but ..wow.

HUGE hugs

 

[Bunny Mum]

That is just awful you poor thing. Hope that rats gone for ever and thanks for making us more aware i would have been devasted if a rat had got any of my babiesray:

 

[Jenson]

gentle giants, the buns are safe in their hutches I'm think, the mesh is too small for it to get though, it chewed through an old hutch once but none of the others have been damaged at all, even when there were kits. They actually found it's nest when they had the other shed cleared out, so we're pretty sure it's just the one (for now!) but I definitly want to kill it before it decides to start a family. I have a rat snap trap, but I've been too scared to use it, I'm sure it could take my fingers off, I'll just have to risk it if that's the only thing that will get the beast!


Does anyone know if anti freeze would work? I've heard how dangerous it is to pets as it tastes good, so surely this could work for the rat? I'm thinking of dipping a bit of bacon or something in it and leaving it just outside the bunny shed.


And thanks Bunnicula, I appreciate your kind words.

 

[Jenson]

Thanks for the support, it's very much appreciated! :hug2:
:bigtears:

 

[Michaela]

Oh Jenson, I am so sorry, that is terrible :tears2:. Thank goodness there are so many cats were I live, helps keep the stupid things away.

I looked at the picture and just cried, the poor little thing, that must have been so awful for the little mite. Binky free baby bun. :rainbow:

Please don't blame yourself, there is no way you could have foreseen thing, terrible accidents happen sometimes, there is nothing we can do. :hug2:

 

[undergunfire]

I am really sorry to hear about the baby.



Keep in mind that this was a WILD rat (I think you have Norway Rats in the UK?). A wild rat can and will eat any thing they can get their paws on. For the future....make sure your hutches and bunny areas are rat-proof.

Pleasedon't killthe rats. Rat poisons, ect can make a rat suffer for hours, even days. It is really inhumane....even if the rat is wild...it still feels pain and suffering. The rat was only doing what ithad to do for itself. He didn't know that the bunny was your pet.





I have two domesticated rats as pets. They are the smartest little creatures alive. I love my rat boys, just as much as I love my rabbits. My boys have wondered from me before...and went into Marlin's cage...where I found Marlin grooming my ratties! The ratties LOVE it when Marlin grooms them, and my rats will return the favor. I don't ever for a second fear my rats killing Marlin. I worry more about Marlin stepping on the rattie boys and hurting/killing them.



I just want to say....if this makes anyone hate rats as pets, then please reconsider. Rats are not gross, dirty, filthy, vicious...in the least bit. Rats are a very popular pet and show so much love to their owners. For all those who find rats tails "discusting"...they now come in Manx (tailess)!

I have been around pet rats for almost 2 years. I have met tons of different rats...and not ONCE have I ever been bit my a domesticated rat. Have I been bit by....dogs, cats, ferrets, bunnies, hamsters, gerbils, mice, ect?.....YES, I have! Not once has a rat even offered to bite me.....even rats they have had NO human socialization at all!

 

[NZminilops]

Oh gosh yes, I agree with you there Amy. I adore pet rats! They are such wonderful critters.

You can no more hate the wild rat for doing what he needed to do, than to hate the wild lion for hunting on the plains. It's just nature, it's sad and not nice to see or experience, but to hate the rat or hurt it wont fix the baby bunny.

 

[Bunnicula]

undergunfire wrote:

Pleasedon't killthe rats. Rat poisons, ect can make a rat suffer for hours, even days. It is really inhumane....even if the rat is wild...it still feels pain and suffering. The rat was only doing what ithad to do for itself. He didn't know that the bunny was your pet.

I agree that rat poison is a bad way to dispose of the rat. Not only is it cruel, but if your bunnies or any other animal would ingest it that would be horrible. Also, I believe that if the rat (or another animal) eats the poison and then a cat eats the rat the cat will also be ingesting the poison. That is one (of many) reasons that I would not think of using rat poison.

However, I do understand Jenson's urgent desire to get rid of the rat. It is NOT a domestic rat, it is a wild rat (as Amy pointed out). And, unfortunately, wild rats are often harbingers of disease such as rabies and hantavirus. There are other animals (skunks and possums here) that are also rabies vectors. I know that if a professional animal/pest control person traps one in the state of PAthat they must, under law, euthanize it...they CANNOT simply release it.

No, it is not the rats' faults that they were created asthey are...but I also don't think it's wrong to want to be rid of it. I know I would do what I had to in order to protect my bunnies, cats, self, etc.

I have a friend who has "live trapped" rats on her own (they were eating stored animal food in a shed) and released them away from the site. And I've done the same thing with mice...so there must be rat-size "live traps" available. You may not wish to deal so closely with the rat, Jenson...but it's something you could investigate.

I love domestic ratties, too, and hate to see any animal harmed...this is never an easy decision. However, only you can know what way is the right one for you to solve your problem.

Keep us posted! I'll be thinking of you!

-Mary Ellen