# Question about RATS!!!! eeeeewwwwww



## that's*satyrical (Nov 1, 2012)

So I am pretty sure we have a rat or 3 living in the basement. So sure I even saw one of the nasty things. It was either a small rat or a very large brown mouse. Lately my male unneutered cat has been trying to get down there. I try to keep him out because every time he goes down there he sprays & then the basement reeks. Anyways, after his last joust in the basement I have not noticed any rodent activity. Does cat spray scare them off or are they just keeping it on the down low for now??? I tried a bucket trap rigged with peanut butter but it's been down there over a week with no results  Poison is next but I really don't want to go that route if I can avoid it. Thanks!!!!


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## Southern by choice (Nov 1, 2012)

Apperently they did this in LA some time ago. They let cats go loose all over the city of LA to try to reduce the rat infestation. The cats urine did drive them out.... to Beverly Hills    
Now they have an overpopulation of cats in LA!     How stupid is that!!!!
Yeah, they didn't want to poison them. :/

Cat urine will make mice "move" I'm not convinced that it does with rats, except for in LA.  Not sure what's worse cat urine or rats.  to both!


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## that's*satyrical (Nov 1, 2012)

I know I really need to get him neutered he stinks!!! I just feel bad doing it & hate going to the vets. One of my favorite perks of goats is the vet comes to me lol. Yes, I guess I am that lazy about leaving the house. Bad I know....


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## Queen Mum (Nov 1, 2012)

Trust me, you will not regret neutering the boy.   It really makes a difference in their behavior.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Nov 1, 2012)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> I know I really need to get him neutered he stinks!!! I just feel bad doing it & hate going to the vets. One of my favorite perks of goats is the vet comes to me lol. Yes, I guess I am that lazy about leaving the house. Bad I know....


Getting him neutered wont necessarily get him to stop sparaying though. It could, but isn't guarenteed. I have a neutered male that sprays. He was about 8 months old when we neutered him and he started spraying at like 2 years old. He doesnt do it always but mainly when there are other toms in the neighborhood, but he definately protects and marks his territory still. I have all spayed female cats(7 of them) and the girls still bring in the toms so I think he feels obligated to protect them and keep the other boys out.


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## secuono (Nov 1, 2012)

You can buy those big reusable rat traps...Just bait and set. Just do not get your fingers snapped....the small mice traps only sting, but those rat traps...oh no...

Also, you need to find how they are getting in, otherwise, it doesn't matter how many you kill, more will always find the way in...




Oh gawd do male cats stink!!! We had a male cat come in to be neutered, he sprayed after the surgery and oh my bananas! It smelled so gross....


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## bonbean01 (Nov 1, 2012)

Sometimes that helps stop the spraying, but sometimes not...I worked with a woman who had her cat fixed to stop the spraying, but didn't help.  Anything new brought into the house...like a bag of groceries put down on the floor got sprayed...new furniture, my shoes and purse....but worst was when they had their first baby and brought him home from the hospital in the carry seat and poor newborn baby was sprayed in the face.  He was rehomed shortly after that.


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## Alice Acres (Nov 1, 2012)

bonbean01 said:
			
		

> Sometimes that helps stop the spraying, but sometimes not...I worked with a woman who had her cat fixed to stop the spraying, but didn't help.  Anything new brought into the house...like a bag of groceries put down on the floor got sprayed...new furniture, my shoes and purse....but worst was when they had their first baby and brought him home from the hospital in the carry seat and poor newborn baby was sprayed in the face.  He was rehomed shortly after that.


Should have got rid of the cat, not the baby!


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## bonbean01 (Nov 1, 2012)

oops...cat was rehomed...


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## SkyWarrior (Nov 1, 2012)

Cats will spray on anything new or disturbing.  Intact males will spray more often.  Neutering won't necessarily cure spraying but you can reduce it with Feliway.  (Cats won't spray where Feliway is -- it's a comfort pheromone --and no, you can't smell it.)

That being said, neuter your cat!  You don't need to add to the feral cat populations.

Oh, and as for the rat, .22 works well.


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## that's*satyrical (Nov 1, 2012)

He won't be adding to any feral cat pops, he lives indoors only   sneaks down to the basement from upstairs in the house, not from outside. He is a love bug too so it doesn't really need to be done to fix anything in his personality it is more of a smell thing... lol


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## Southern by choice (Nov 2, 2012)

I thought this might be helpful. A vet friend told us a long time ago that you would have mice or rats but not both at the same time, he mentioned to us rats must have a water source! Mice can get their water from their food. Living in the country....there are always mice!
 If you have rats you must get rid of their water source, and salt the area. For us we have changed all of our food storage bins (for the farm animals) to metal cans. The mice would chew through anything else. We also throw a black snake under the crawl space of the house to keep down the mice pop. down. I do not want mice in my house!! Our outdoor cats only seem to like to play and torment the mice, but they don't kill them. 

The article below is very informative, there is a section that also explains a little about baiting and why sometimes that's not always successful. The biggest thing is water, RATS MUST HAVE WATER. Eliminate their water source and you'll get rid of the rats.

I had to "click and copy/search " over the whole thing to get it to come up. I'm not real computer savvy,as you can tell, so if anyone wants to fix it to make it easier that would be great. 


[PDF] 
Facts about Rats and Mice - Purdue e-Pubs - Purdue University
docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&context.


OK- not pullin up- I'll see if my DH will fix it for me.....


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## that's*satyrical (Nov 2, 2012)

I wonder if rats would go for antifreeze. You hear about dogs/cats drinking it accidentally & dieing because it is sweet. I wonder if a little dish of it would get rid of the pests? Just would have to be extra careful to keep the kittays from sneaking down.


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## Alice Acres (Nov 2, 2012)

The water and rats comment just reminded me of a gross thing...

When we had the rat invasion, I used to find them dead floating in the stock tanks and 5 gallon water pails....that is just the nastiest 
The only slightly good thing was it meant another one was DEAD.


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## SkyWarrior (Nov 2, 2012)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> I wonder if rats would go for antifreeze. You hear about dogs/cats drinking it accidentally & dieing because it is sweet. I wonder if a little dish of it would get rid of the pests? Just would have to be extra careful to keep the kittays from sneaking down.


Less humane than rat poison.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Nov 2, 2012)

SkyWarrior said:
			
		

> that's*satyrical said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thats what I was thinking.. If you're going to put something out that_ might_ harm the cat you should just put rait bait out. Just a brick or two and then make sure you get everything picked up when you let the cat back down there.


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## greybeard (Nov 4, 2012)

.22 ratshot is foolproof and instant.

And while you're all debating the merits of the most humane way to deal with the hairy little flea infested, hanta virus carryin', bubonic plague middle man of a grain eatin little varmint.........Mr. Rat... I have a writ here says you're to stop forthwith. Now it's a rat writ, writ for a rat, and this is lawful service of the same.
POW!


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## Hillsvale (Nov 4, 2012)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> I thought this might be helpful. A vet friend told us a long time ago that you would have mice or rats but not both at the same time, he mentioned to us rats must have a water source! Mice can get their water from their food. Living in the country....there are always mice!
> If you have rats you must get rid of their water source, and salt the area. For us we have changed all of our food storage bins (for the farm animals) to metal cans. The mice would chew through anything else. We also throw a black snake under the crawl space of the house to keep down the mice pop. down. I do not want mice in my house!! Our outdoor cats only seem to like to play and torment the mice, but they don't kill them.
> 
> The article below is very informative, there is a section that also explains a little about baiting and why sometimes that's not always successful. The biggest thing is water, RATS MUST HAVE WATER. Eliminate their water source and you'll get rid of the rats.
> ...


http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&context=agext


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## Southern by choice (Nov 4, 2012)

Thanks Hillsvale!


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