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  • Rats and Cats

    My latest invasion scenario: Brown Rats.

    I've lived in my home over 20 years. Occasionally we would see a rat killed by one of the cats, but not often. We never felt the need to put out traps, and wouldn't put out poison because of the cats. We have always composted our kitchen garbage.

    Early last year, we heard scurryings in the attic, so I got a havahart trap, caught a rat and released it far from civilization. Reset the trap and had no further problems - for a while.

    Next time I noticed our stored dry cat food bag had been breached, and rat droppings were in the back storeroom. Trap, catch & release again. No problems. I also sealed up any likely entry points around the house.

    Then I noticed tunnels in our compost pile. I've been setting and trapping rats out there this year - 3 so far, the trap is still up and we still have tunnels.

    2 weeks ago my son woke me at 3am saying there was a rat in his bedroom closet. I got a trap, and as I was going to place it in the closet the rat ran into the room. I closed the closet, set the trap in the room and heard it spring at 5am (I sleep lightly). The rat had been trying to chew 9its way through the ceiling to get out of the closet and into the attic!

    I've heard about Chinatown's rat invasion, but I don't understand this. I have been releasing them miles away from my home, in fact, miles away from anyone's home.

    Years ago a neighbor's cat took a liking to our cats and used to hang out here, on the other side of the stream from them. They moved from Kahalu`u to Kailua, and 2 weeks later the cat was back on our back porch. They came and took it home to Kailua, and 2 weeks later it was back with us. At that point they said, "Keep her." Better that than she get run over next trip.

    Now I'm starting to wonder if the rats I released are 'coming home,' or if we're just having an epidemic.

    Anyone else having rat problems?
    Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
    ~ ~
    Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
    Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
    Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

  • #2
    Re: Rats and Cats

    Originally posted by Kaonohi View Post
    Anyone else having rat problems?
    No, not since I divorced her.

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    That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Rats and Cats

      How is it that some animals can do the impossible and show up at their destination from many miles away? I had a little momma cat do this and with 3 of her litter no less! She . was . pissed! And no, I wasn't the dirty bugger that moved them.
      https://www.facebook.com/Bobby-Ingan...5875444640256/

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      • #4
        Re: Rats and Cats

        It's avocado season and they munch away on the fallen ones if we don't get to them first and chuck em down the hill. They are becoming bold and leaving their nocturnal state and coming out in later afternoon when it's light. The other MORNING for heaven's sake I saw a brown rat usually they are gray.
        I now have 8 rat abatement traps around the yard and hope that helps. I had 4 and 3 were always devoured but what a surprise the one set behind the fence (they all are) near the avocado tree had not bites whatsoever. And in late Feb early March the other side avocado tree attracts pigs to the yard........

        To pull this together, yes now I saw a brown rat in addition to gray which I've only seen here before dead or alive.

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        • #5
          Re: Rats and Cats

          Originally posted by leashlaws View Post
          To pull this together, yes now I saw a brown rat in addition to gray which I've only seen here before dead or alive.
          If I recall correctly, the ones my cats caught were gray....

          Time for google: http://pesticides.hawaii.edu/studypackets/rodents.html
          Ah, the large brown rat is the Norway rat, the gray one is the roof rat.
          Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
          ~ ~
          Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
          Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
          Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Rats and Cats

            Originally posted by Kaonohi View Post
            If I recall correctly, the ones my cats caught were gray....
            Only their hairdressers know.

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            • #7
              Re: Rats and Cats

              Yep, I've had them for a while, but the house I am in (my grandparents house) has had the problem for years, it's nothing new.

              I am not so kind in the trapping. I use the large size snap traps, most times that means instant kill. I certainly don't wish to make any creature suffer.

              I had an instance where one was caught in a room and was trying to eat through the floor board. These guys are crazy. Although I hate them, I have to say that they are one of the more impressive creatures I've seen. Scurrying across telephone wires, under doors and little cracks you thought were too small, gnawing through thick wood and plastic, and they are fast!

              Man.. they are persistent buggers!

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              • #8
                Re: Rats and Cats

                I've found that one of the most effective ways to keep rats away.. is to own them. I'm serious. If a wild rat smells an established rat in your home, they'll usually stay away. They're territorial that way. I remember one of my previous apartment complexes had a rat problem because people were leaving their garbage uncovered, but I never saw any wild rats in my apartment, even though I lived right next to the trash area. I'm betting it's because I own rats.

                I know most people don't feel the same way about rats as I do, especially wild rats. I understand why people would want to get rid of them. I just want to make one point: please, please don't ever use rat poison. I lost a beloved dog to rat poison a few years ago and I'll never forget it. Here is a very informative website on how to identify and trap wild rats and keep them from coming back: http://www.rathelp.org/WildRats.html
                Four Thousand Miles (blog) | MacRatLove (comic)
                Better Holes and Garbage (rats) | Perfectly Inadequate (music)

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Rats and Cats

                  Originally posted by sophielynette View Post
                  I've found that one of the most effective ways to keep rats away.. is to own them. I'm serious. If a wild rat smells an established rat in your home, they'll usually stay away. They're territorial that way. I remember one of my previous apartment complexes had a rat problem because people were leaving their garbage uncovered, but I never saw any wild rats in my apartment, even though I lived right next to the trash area. I'm betting it's because I own rats.

                  I know most people don't feel the same way about rats as I do, especially wild rats. I understand why people would want to get rid of them. I just want to make one point: please, please don't ever use rat poison. I lost a beloved dog to rat poison a few years ago and I'll never forget it. Here is a very informative website on how to identify and trap wild rats and keep them from coming back: http://www.rathelp.org/WildRats.html
                  I would definitely like to find out more about your theory and if it has any truth to it. I do not know if I could keep a rat as a pet.. but shoot, if it will keep others away, I might consider it. If anyone finds more into on it, please, please share!

                  Thank you for that very informative link!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Rats and Cats

                    Originally posted by sophielynette View Post
                    I've found that one of the most effective ways to keep rats away.. is to own them. I'm serious. If a wild rat smells an established rat in your home, they'll usually stay away. They're territorial that way.
                    I propose a new name for you:
                    sophielynettyeratmistress
                    Yeah?
                    Well, I didn't think so, so OK, never mind....

                    Yet your intelligence is received.
                    I don't want to keep rats, but perhaps I can work this another way ((thinking deep))
                    Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
                    ~ ~
                    Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
                    Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
                    Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Rats and Cats

                      Female cats are your typical ratter. They go hunt them down. Male cats aren't as efficient.
                      Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Rats and Cats

                        Bought a Christmas tree at Home Depot which we periodically do, left it in the garage a few days, then brought it into the house. Had a weird dream that a rat was in the house, in the living room, but a dream is a dream, right?

                        My oldest son wakes up early in the morning and says a rat is under the Christmas tree, I hear this and come out to the living room, not knowing if it was dead or alive. I look under the tree and it looked like it was sleeping so I poke it with a broom handle and discover it is dead, but it looked as if it died quite recently. How did it get in the house, did I carry a dead rat in the house via the Christmas tree? You would think it would have fallen off when I lifted the tree up many stairs and into the house.

                        I see dead rats and mice on occassion usually in the garage or back steps.

                        Most rats I have ever seen in one place is by the Cinerama Jack in the Box going thru the drive thru and driving over them!!

                        Also near some bakeries I've seen them too.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Rats and Cats

                          Originally posted by niimo View Post
                          I would definitely like to find out more about your theory and if it has any truth to it. I do not know if I could keep a rat as a pet.. but shoot, if it will keep others away, I might consider it. If anyone finds more into on it, please, please share!

                          Thank you for that very informative link!
                          You could always try an experiment that might trick the wild rats into thinking there's a new rat in town.

                          Go to a pet store that raises rats and get some of the used litter from the cages. Put the litter in a paper bag or used plastic dishes with lids and have holes punched in the lids so the scent gets out.

                          Try to see if you can find the wild rats trail in the house and place the containers of litter near it.

                          See if the rats leave or at least stop visiting as much. If it works either get a pet rat or visit the pet store on a weekly to monthly basis to refill on scent.

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