RATS!!!
I was downstairs today and I saw a rat. It looked to be about the size of tardarían and it ran away after I flipped out. Is it of danger to them? I just left for university, but I stuck a blanket under the door to the room they are in and locked it.
Any way of getting rid of this annoyance? Are they of danger to my pigs?
Any way of getting rid of this annoyance? Are they of danger to my pigs?
- Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
If your cage does not have a secure top and you think they would eat the food, perhaps they may be a problem.
You may need at least a temporary layer of hardware cloth, wired to the more open grids, if this is what you are using for a cage.
Other people may have other opinions or advice.
You may need at least a temporary layer of hardware cloth, wired to the more open grids, if this is what you are using for a cage.
Other people may have other opinions or advice.
What could they do to them? I’m going to put something over the top of the cage and secure it but can they hurt my pigs?
I’m planning on getting a rat trap once I get home, but do you think that the barricade I made will work until then? I saw it downstairs and my bedroom (the one my little ones are In) is across the house from then stairs. I also meant to say Targarian, in the main post, but it autocorrected. I seriously hope they will be okay till then.
I’ll update once I get home and place some traps. I really want this vermin gone especially since he’s going to try to screw with my piggies.
You need them gone, not just for the piggies safety but for yours as well. Rats carry Leptospirosis which can be fatal. I had to have Antibiotics for it once when i contracted it after falling in to a canal (Alcohol may have been involved ;-) ) If it is untreated it can have dire consequences. Make sure you do not leave anything out that you use for food preparation and always wash your hands before putting them anywhere near your mouth or anything you may put near your mouth.
If you are squeamish about sprung traps you can build a slightly more humane trap yourself out of a bucket, some string and a tin can and capture it to release elsewhere. Or if you put water in the bucket you can drown it but I am not sure that is much more humane.
If you are squeamish about sprung traps you can build a slightly more humane trap yourself out of a bucket, some string and a tin can and capture it to release elsewhere. Or if you put water in the bucket you can drown it but I am not sure that is much more humane.
Whatever you do, avoid chemical poisons. The risk of your guinea pigs coming in contact with it or rats that have ingested it is not worth the benefit. My advice is to call a rat exterminator to get rid of them. They are experts in solving rat infestations humanely without using poison.
Some things you can do to help get rid of them are; remove all readily available sources of food altogether. Anything they might get into should be secured in a place and in a way where they cannot get into it. Tupperware containers work well. Keep anything they might use for bedding picked up and put where they cannot get to it. They go after just about anything they can chew up for bedding. Basically you need to remove anything that makes your place hospitable.
Another choice and as a last resort is to get a cat. If you go that route, you will need to be extremely careful not to let it get to your guinea pigs. I have to watch things very carefully with mine. I had the cats long before we got the piggies. They have no interest in the piggies, but I don't take any chances. The presence of the cat may drive the rats out.
Some things you can do to help get rid of them are; remove all readily available sources of food altogether. Anything they might get into should be secured in a place and in a way where they cannot get into it. Tupperware containers work well. Keep anything they might use for bedding picked up and put where they cannot get to it. They go after just about anything they can chew up for bedding. Basically you need to remove anything that makes your place hospitable.
Another choice and as a last resort is to get a cat. If you go that route, you will need to be extremely careful not to let it get to your guinea pigs. I have to watch things very carefully with mine. I had the cats long before we got the piggies. They have no interest in the piggies, but I don't take any chances. The presence of the cat may drive the rats out.
Most house cats don't take a sinister interest in anything as big as a guinea pig. They are well suited to catch rats and mice. I'm not concerned about them trying to kill and eat the piggies. What concerns me is them wanting to play with them and inadvertently injuring the pigs.