# Holy Cow a WILD rat!



## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

I came home today. Started to walk into my ratroom and noticed a creature on my bird feeder going to town on the seed. On closer inspection I exclaim to my boyfriend "Its a RAT!!!" There was a male rat eating from my bird feeder. I can not believe I was looking at a wild rat just outside my ratroom/sunroom window on my bird feeder?! My girls could see him from their cage if they were really looking.... My boyfriend tapped on the window and he jumped down and ran under our deck. We have not even been in this house a year and were planning on tearing it up, it takes up a lot of the yard and its just ugly! So I guess we have a reason to tear it down faster!
I am feeling a few different things, many are what society has programed us to think about rats even though I am a major rat lover. I am grossed out, even though I love and kiss all over my babies. I am thinking we are infested in the house and they will come into our house, even though we have a slab foundation (one upside to owning a home with slab) I know its unlikely. My dogs will get sick, even though I know rats themselves don't carry diseases. I am also thinking about how to get ride of them. I know if there is one there are probably more. Has anyone ever had anything like this happened before? Mouse in the house kind of problem? What did you do? I do not want wild rats living in my house, but I am also not wanting to hurt/ kill them.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I have an apparent wild rat problem right now and I feel just as conflicted--I love my babies to death but the idea of a wild rat in my house freaks me out. Mostly because it's eating my food and might pose danger to my darling ratties, but still... it's weird.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

We've never had rodent issues, it's always been ants or Crickets.

It's naturally programmed into humans to be scared of wild rats. with wild rats you don't know if they have fleas that can carry diseases like the Plague (though now a days most people are actually immune to the Plague due to the black plague). It's basically the same thing as loving your dog and being scared of a wolf, or scared of a feral dog or coyote.


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

We had a wild mouse living in our garage. We set up a "live trap" and caught him. We took a drive out to the country and set him free.


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## ratatattat (Aug 31, 2012)

Yeah just get a live trap

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## Jokerfest (Sep 25, 2012)

Naaaw what a cutey. I've never see a wild rat here before but have had mice in my room.
I just clean up EVERYTHING and put all the food in hard plastic containers mice cant get in and they left.


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## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

maybe the rat is just there for the easy access bird food? If you got rid of it or moved it some place harder to get maybe they wouldn't come so close to your house. I like rats, even wild rats, but i wouldn't want them in my house either.


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## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

Thanks for making me feel better guys! I don't feel so bad now. I'm defiantly going to set a live trap and relocate him and just hope he was the only one. I've never seen one around here before either. Here I was worried about the squirrels eating the bird seed! I will let you know how it goes!


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## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

Funny enough, I also have a wild rat problem at the moment. They were at our bird feeders too, so we took them away until we've dealt with the rats. 

Sometimes they'll go easily, you remove their food source and they just sort of disappear. But if you want to set a live trap, I bought myself this one (it just arrived two days ago :3) http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Big-Che...SCH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362693447&sr=8-1 

It's pretty cheap and it's really good. We haven't put it outside yet because the trigger that shuts the door is sensitive and it's been really stormy and rainy the last week, but as soon as the wind dies down a bit I'm putting it out and going to try and get the little nuisances. 

Those are really cute pictures though, I wish I could catch ours during the day to get a good pic!


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## Ratfinx (Feb 19, 2013)

Although I've never had a rat problem as such I used to live in the country side with my parents we lived near a huge pond and wild rats used to be around that area pretty often however only really saw them at night but they were huge compared to the guy you've just seen! Although I probably wouldn't like it living under my house ect, we have mice in our garage now and I can help but let them have some of our chicken feed! They might have some sort of germs etc because they are wild but they are so god **** cute! So I don't blame you for not wanting to harm him  I'd say get some rat traps that don't harm the rats and take them away from your house once they're caught, you might end up doing it for a while though because of how fast they breed, 


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## TachisMom (Oct 17, 2012)

We are currently dealing with rats in the walls (sorry, as a Lovecraft fan it amuses me a bit lol). They got into the pantry a few times, but ever since we left the pantry door open and our cat got interested they have stayed in the basement (which is funny since our cat prefers to cuddle with rats....but oh well lol). We are setting live traps down there.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Well, I always try to deter them first. Menthol/Peppermint oils are supposed to deter them, soak cotton balls and such in it. But go around the entire house ground level to roof and make sure there are no cracks or holes, that there are no trees or latticework or anything they can climb to the roof on, and etcetera. I they are not getting it, or can't get in, I wouldn't worry too much. I have outdoor wild rats. Heck, I had one I called Jack who would steal a pepper and tomato every day and eat it at my pondside. As long as they stay OUT, they're fine. 

If they are getting in, and won't get out, I try the live traps first, and the killing traps second. I use one called Tomcat that is like a beartrap, and use very sticky bait so they can't grab it and run, thus catching a leg. I hate it, but I definitely care for my pet rats and their health, and not having a house fire more. I've also never had a rat get a leg/tail or anything but their neck caught in the Tomcat, unlike those old rectangle wooden ones I grew up around. My nephew let two of the wild babies I was fostering loose in my house, they were causing havoc and would not go into the live trap. They destroyed hundreds of dollars work of appliances and attacked my pet rats.. I sued the tomcat and it killed both of them cleanly.


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## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

Just want to clarify because I've seen several people say this. Menthol itself would do nothing to deter a rat. Rats like peppermint. It's spearmint you want to get, not just "menthe" or other derivatives. Just wouldn't want you to waste money on something that doesn't work - because mint itself wouldn't deter them. 

Otherwise spot on  


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Hmm.. Maybe it worked for me, because I used so much it was unpleasant on the eyes and lungs? I used it under the house so much that you could smell it outside!


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## nopaul20 (Feb 26, 2013)

My parents home got infested with rats and that is what reminded me of how much I used to want pet rats. I am so glad that I now have my two rat girls, but it was so sad seeing a dead wild rat caught in a trap.


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## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

We have seen no sign of him or any others since. Our deck is the perfect place for a home, however there is a lot of foot traffic on it... so maybe they are living in our shed?

I live in a little city and have heard small wild rats are pretty common here. I still need to get a trap! Boyfriend said he didnt see any at Lowes??? Really? Never send a man to do a women's work. ;D


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## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

I am digging up this thread for an update.
I never ended up doing anything about this little guy. I was having mixed feelings about the whole thing. I never saw him again and kinda just hoped he moved on once it started getting warm. 
Yesterday while watering my herb garden I noticed my dog sniffing the ground very intently. I walked over and noticed a dead rat. It had been run down by a cat or something and looked pretty nasty. I chucked it in the trash and again hoped that was the last of it.
Today while going out to water the herb garden I hear a little scurry and see something run under our shed. I look more and then see 3 babies run in after the other under the shed. Little tiny cute wild babies about 3 weeks old! I wanted to die. So back to square one... not sure if momma was the dead rat or not and thats why the babies were venturing out. However I know the colony is living under the shed. **SIGH**


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Its kinda crazy how we can have pet rats and then the first sight of a wild rat and we are on our stools with a broom. 
Myself personally if I saw a wild rat I'd probably chase the thing. I had never seen a wild rat before but I always picture giant greasy bony things. The pictures you took they look pretty cute apparently. I guess I thought they'd be a little filthier.
I hope you can livetrap the babies and relocate them


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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

wild rats will become brazen after some time. I had my own experiences w/a female, who stole all my hibiscus blossoms, all my mint from one side of the garden(contained peppermint spearmint&catmint...sorry none deter, my pets fancy mint as well)then that fall took fabric from my Halloween décor&in fact pulled down my (very loose on me)skirt while I was hanging ghosts. in wild ratties defense I do stand relatively still&hang around 40-50 at a time but still...good luck w/your wild ones, I had the same fears&filled in all the holes, put steelwool in the dryer vent etc. she stayed outside but robbed my garden blatantly.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I had my part wild rat go native for five months outdoors, she patrolled my back yard and was spotted several blocks away and we recovered her from the second floor of my neighbor's house when it got cold outside. Over all she hung out in our back yard a lot apparently keeping the wild cats away. She did no harm to anyone and pretty much blended in with the opossum that lives under my old car and the groundhog under the mulberry tree in the yard. 

As long as your rats are outdoors and aren't munching on your garden they are no problem. They will keep well away from you. At three weeks old the babies might just be young enough to make for pets but you are cutting it very close. 

Wild rats will bond to you just like domestic rats if you get them young enough and you can teach even the outdoor variety to take food from you like a squirrel..... I've even let my daughter play with a pack of wild rats, it was fun to watch them try to immerse her. BUT if you corner wild rats or grab them they will tear you up. Rats will never attack you unprovoked, but if you freak them out wild rats become very nasty very quickly, they are great jumpers and bite fast and hard and repetitively. If you aren't trying to domesticate the babies and they aren't coming inside or doing any damage, you're best off leaving them alone. And by the way, wild rats forage over acres of land, just because you see one in your yard doesn't mean it lives there. They are however creatures of habit and you will most likely see them the same time every day so you might think that they do. 

Wild rats have various hidey holes throughout their territories, under your shed might be one of them, or it might have been the nest where the babies were actually born. Humaine traps don't usually work too well with rats, they are actually very smart and once you catch one, you usually don't get another. Poison is the method of choice by professionals. Still if you catch one live, handle it with extreme care, they can do things that your domestic rats have never even dreamed of.

Despite all of the hazards associated with wild rats, having had one wild type that was truly amazing and lovable despite her vicious nature regarding strangers... I know I would be so tempted to try to domesticate those babies under your shed... I'm pretty sure even the wife would approve of me keeping my rats in the yard instead of in the house.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

As RatDaddy says, it is possible to tame them - even adults, if you have the patience, however the chances of success are a lot lower.

Back in London, we used to get rats fairly regularly, (Every other winter or so) and used the humane traps to catch them. We had a few hamster cages lying around, and the younger ones would sit in my dad's office for a while  

Luckily, just a few doors up the road, there was a girl who made it her mission to tame and occasionally breed wild rats. With the younger ones she was very successful, but the older ones were very hit and miss. Most of them were released into fields a few miles away if they didn't respond to interaction. 

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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Those babies might be out wandering because momma is indeed dead. I'd catch them anyway, if you were able to see them they're fair game to anything and really it's odd that they're out. 

Even an adult mouse I had came around to me after a little while and wasn't fearful. The baby wild rats I captures who were probably 5 weeks old would sniff my hand, and didn't bite if I picked them up yet.


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## mink (Jun 24, 2007)

Poor thing, I would be the crazy person out there feeding them like squirrels lol. Maybe you could start a feral rat trap & release spay/neuter program? ^_^ Not likely but that would be cool!
If they messed with my house, I would just have to keep on my toes trying to deter them. 

But I DO have 3 cats. They leave my rats cage alone, but I wouldn't go putting my rats down on the floor with a cat in the room either!
My one cat has hung out on my bed while I sat on the end giving Al eye drops. She couldn't care less, she actually wants all other animals to leave her alone most of the time lol. 

We did have mice in our basement one fall & winter after they did some developing and tore down a big chunk of woods behind my back yard.
I couldn't blame the mice.
The mice began to venture into the kitchen (the basement door is in the kitchen) and we set up have-a-heart traps that worked pretty well, we had a mouse a day for a bit and released them at a state park down the road. But at the same time, our big tomcat Jinx was catching them often - oh he got so possessive, my mom would always take them away from him after quite a stand-off. She even grabbed him and held him over the garbage until he dropped the mouse in lol. My dumb brother thought it'd be smart to set up some glue traps in the basement - I spent a day trying to find and remove them all and was sitting at the table with olive oil and gloves, freeing a few that were caught - into a bin that we took to release them after they seemed less oily a couple days later. I had fun giving them food & water while they recovered. 

Don't ask me why, but they just kinda stopped coming around. Either we caught all the females or they found someplace less hostile to live. I like to think there may be some decedents hanging around that state park. ^_^


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Oh man that reminds me. All my life I've had a soft spot for mice and rats. Was more mice than rats when I was little because I didn't always know how amazing they are. When I was like twelve my family lived in the apartment projects. We always had some kind of roach infestation or something or the other. And one day we got mice. My mom 's boyfriend set out glue traps and those mouse traps we all know. They caught all the mice pretty quickly. I was absolutely mortified when he picked up a mouse trap with a still alive mouse crushed under the metal piece. I begged him to at least put the poor thing out of his misery so he wouldn't suffer any more. There was no way he would have survived had he been released. He just threw the mouse still in the trap in the garbage..... And he left another one stuck on a glue trap to die. I tried to feed the mouse but unfortunately he would not eat.....I still to this day hate that man. Glad he is no longer around.

My boyfriend 's mom bought a cabin up North from us and there were quite a few mouse traps that I casually "accidentally " set off. Those things fly into the air pretty high when set off. This was before I had rats when they would have had to have been removed anyway....


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I really, REALLY, don't think a TNR program would be okay for rats.. They're wild animals. They usually keep their population in check via nature, the trauma to the rat would be beyond measure, not vet would do it - it might not even be legal to do to a wild animal. ???
Might as well start catching the doves and doing it to them. lol


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

The entire rat fancy began with wild rats. Our first rat was a part wild that had been handled from birth, she had a lot of virtues. She was loving and smart and more obedient than any other rat I've ever trained. And she had skills and abilities pet rats only dream about. But she was also a stone cold killer of small animals and vicious towards strangers and larger animals. And when she bit she tore out flesh and bit repetitively. And if someone dropped a dish half a block away she'd hit the ceiling. And if she wanted to she could disappear into thin air, stay invisible as long as she wanted to and pop up out of nowhere... She also liked to leer down on people from impossible to get to high places which could be a little freaky.

In any event, wild rat pups might make great pets but they will be very challenging and an insurance liability. But handling adult wild rats that weren't socialized at a very young age is best left for people way crazier than you are.


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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

I did find a great appreciation for my garden rat when I moved my compost pile & scrap pile far from the house hoping she'd move closer to the food&leave my veggies alone. in the end I just hung my best up in hanging planters & planted things I cared less about for the wildlife. there is a less than polite term for the tomatoes that grew from the excrement seeds(used rat bedding gets a turn in the compost pile) near the compost pile we still refer to lovingly when watching the wildlife devour our "eat this&not that garden." it cut down on neighbors thieving as well(when had they asked I had plenty to share)this topic made me dig out the pictures of "hibiscus pants wild rat" now I wish I had a way to share them  perhaps in time i'll figure it out.


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## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

The babies are just so cute! I have only seen 3, however I know there has to be more. I dont know how I would catch them and dont really want to bring them in just incase they make my rats sick. I know wild rats carry something that can kill pet rats (starts with an "L" cant remember whats its called!!)

I dont want them in my backyard. If my dog comes in contact with them he might bring something in to my pet rats. I also dont want them to venture into my house. My girls are NOT having babies! They dont seem to be messing with my herb garden however my vegetable garden is looking great and I would hate for them to start stealing my crop I worked so hard to get. 

If I use poison how long does it take for them to pass? Will they pass in their nest? I also do not want my dog to find a dead one and eat it with the poison in it! 

I have 4 humane traps set out. 2 large ones and 2 small ones. So far nothing. Not even a nibble! 

Here is a photo of a little baby!


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

For the most part wild rats aren't sick, in fact the one's I've seen are surprisingly healthy given where they live and what they eat. And there very much might only be three, as the remains of rest of the litter might have been what these three have been feeding on to get to the stage they are at now. Or they just might not have made it.

Putting poison outdoors poses risks to other animals and is often not recommended. As to how long it takes and where the rats will die depends on too many factors to really answer with any degree of certainty.

Lastly, there's no way of telling where these little guys will build their own nests. There's no reason to believe that they will stay under your shed or move into your house. 

Lastly there's a good chance your yard in within the territory of a rat pack depending on where you live. The pack might have been patrolling through your yard every night for years and may continue to cruise through for years to come without your ever being aware of them. 

Do the humane traps try to relocate the babies several miles from you home and don't get too stressed. Years ago I engaged in a battle with groundhogs in my yard they undermined my lawn and I fell into the holes. Well after trying everything including gas bombs I told my wife if they would only stop tearing up my lawn, I would have no problem with them... So in any event I have two groundhog burrows on my property now, both are under trees and neither tear up my lawn... They have been there for well over a decade and my 7 year old daughter has been watching them since she was a toddler. Now that the orchard is gone next door the groundhogs might eventually move on and I might even miss them. 

I grew up in the mountains and for the most part I leave wildlife alone and it leaves me alone. Once you start stressing out over what it might do rather than what it's actually doing you will drive yourself to distraction. And to be entirely honest, that little baby looks awfully cute. You might want to just cement up the space under your shed after you know the babies have moved out so no more rats move in.


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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

if your near an herbalist or have experience as I do there are safe herbs that slow reproduction rates of wildlife. I battled house mice until I learned it was pointless&just sought to keep others from getting in&slowly lowering the reproductive population. (there are natural safe herbs no toxins, I come from a native American background on one side&farmers on the other &herbalists on both sides)its kinder&safer if you feel you must act. I like to get on well w/my wildlife. they can predict a lot of weather & storms.


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

We have HUGE rats down home (NC) and as where my dad would always kill them, breaks my heart but his house his rules. I used to steal the wifi from the neighbors so I'd have to sit outside on the porch to get a good connection and I'd play WoW all night, from about 10 pm to 9 am (had nothing better to do as a teenager) even in the winter. The first couple of months I'd hear the rats, then I started feeding them >͵> they'd run up on the porch and ask for food, i was in love lol. But I was the only human they'd show themselves to. And man they're smart! So they were kinda my outdoor rats. I'd even let them out of the traps my dad would catch them in, the punishment for that was 6months of grounding but it was WORTH it!


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