Rat on the Patio

T'other Half found this (deceased) Rat lying on the Patio yesterday ...





Poor litter critter.

 

Looks like a youngster - its ears seem large compared to its body. We had a neighbour's cat dive into our border in daylight and brought out a rat. It lie on the lawn twitching for a while then the cat left it. But we don't realise they are there until I put my trail camera in the shrubbery. Best not to know!

 

That's the very reason I haven't bought a trail cam!

 

But as well as the rats you get to see voles, wood mice and shrews. All living together in the same area. The voles come out in the daytime too.

 

Actually, I don't see any of those here, but saw a lot in the UK,

 

What is a trail camera?

 

It's a camera with a motion sensor and the ability to take photos in the dark, which you can set up and leave. One of my colleagues at work bought one and set it up to send alerts to his phone when it detected anything. We were in a meeting and his phone kept pinging; it was autumn and he'd set it up under an apple tree, and the apples were falling ...

 

It would be difficult for all these critters to find me ... ...


If we go further away, there's just more orange trees.

 

That baby one you found probably has many siblings. Maybe you should get a trail camera! And you could see what the cats are up to too.

 

It was about 18-20cms long. Our cats don't seem interested in them for food. One or two other cats sleep in the shed so they can have them. It came out of the shed where T'other Half puts rat poison so cats can't get at it. Ours are not allowed out at night and don't seem interested to go in there in the daytime.

Here is a previously caught dead one.

 

I'm wary of putting poison out for rodents as you don't know what other kind of animal might pick up the dead or dying ones.
A few weeks ago Ben jumped out the back of the car in the park and immediately caught rat.
It was pretty much dead by the time I stopped him.
When I looked there were lots of them running around.

 

Indeed: Barn Owl Hazards: Rat poison

 

As far as using it here, T'other Half puts the sachets (a couple of inches square) in a box with a hole in the shed so the vermin can enter but not a cat. I am not concerned regarding other people's animals eating he carcases as I don't expect to see them on my property. In 25 years living here we have never lost a cat to poison. I am an animal lover ... but we have no desire to be invaded by rats. I love mice.

By the way, the two pictured above are the only two.