It's rat carnage out there!!!

[schellie69]

I have 2 dogs that kill mice and rats a beagle mix and my son's husky so far so good. I don't mind the pet rats but a large wild rat I think I would be screaming also. Good luck with the rat problem.

To add, be careful that the chickens don't eat the ones that have eaten the poison that would be bad for the chickens.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

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You're a goof..

So I have been told. Repeatedly.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I have a couple of dogs that would be useful if they ever got to be near the coops. Unfortunately they are not trustworthy around the chickens.

They would probably do a great job though given how they have decimated the backyard mole population. I just don't trust them around the coops though. We are chasers and diggers.

There is a "barn cat" out there. Fred is theoretically a "feral stray" who adopted me. Yeah, right. Feral stray. Fred has transitioned to the good life and is completely useless. He is super sweet and friendly, but has given over to kibble and head scratches rather than being a mighty hunter. How so, you ask? Well, Fred was one prong of my defense plan originally. I knew the rats were there. I knew that they came out after dark and that they seemed to prefer the laying coop most of all (dunno why. There is no food in there. I think perhaps the rotten rats were stealing shavings for their nests). At any rate, Fred was with me one night as I closed up coops and I decided to utilize his skills. He went in and stood by the inside coop door and I primed him- "Are you ready?! Are you ready, Fred?!! Here it comes!! Here comes the rat!!!! Are you ready!!!!!" Fred was indeed ready and was giving his best hunter impression. I banged on the coop and those rats ran right for him. I heard a thump and a squeak and our came Fred with a rat in his mouth. I praised that cat up one side and down the other telling him what a mighty hunter he was and what a good kitty he had been. He strutted out of the run with that rat and stood about six feet away from me proudly holding his prize. Then he looked around and carefully set it down.

The stupid rat wasn't dead, of course. It was merely stunned. Or annoyed. It immediately ran back under the coop and made its escape. Fred didn't seem to care. Sigh. Catch and release. That's what my barn cat does. I have long suspected that Fred has signed peace treaties with the local rodent population. Once every 6 months or so a dead rodent will appear on the front step (the sacrificial mouse I call it). I think the rodent population brings out the victim and hands it to Fred so he can make his nominal gesture to catdom. The mice and rats understand the "arrangement" and happily give up one of their own so the other eleventy billion can live in peace. Fred doesn't have to exert himself too much and everyone is happy (except me!). Stupid cat.

 

[NurseELB]

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Your first post was funny, This one is hysterical! You made my day, thank you!

 

[ams4776]

So glad the rats we have stay at the sheep barn. Though from th leftovers my cat leaves they are huge suckers. Ive found a few spots im gonna cement over in preventitive measures. Like the huge coons and possums weren't enough lol. Good luck ive got some good ratters if you want a doz or so cats lmao

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

awesome, will you come help me with my fox problem???

 

[schellie69]

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Most of my mouse and rats are outside in the sheds or in my garden. Maybe time to replace your cat and not feed then cat any cat food just let him hunt.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I appreciate the offer, ams, but I am already crawling in cats. Sadly, they are all useless. The original indoor cat was joined by the original two outdoor barn cats when one of said barn cats got hit by a car. I freaked out and moved them inside. They were joined last summer by yet another foundling. So that is four cats in the house and one outside (although I only claim half of Fred. He's a time share kitty.). Since my house essentially sits in the middle of a pasture, I periodically get mice in the house. It took all four indoor cats to kill the last one. The one before that I had to catch and kill. The cats were only interested in annoying it. Sigh. Worthless. All of them worthless.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

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If I don't feed Fred he stands outside the front door and yells at me. Seriously, he stands there and yells. If I don't act fast enough he starts peering in the windows. I might be able to harden my heart and ignore the little wretch, except that one of the indoor cats HATES Fred with a passion. When Fred starts yelling Dodger goes crazy. There is a lot of yowling in return and racing from window to window in a futile effort to kill Fred through the glass. Peace does not reign. With all this commotion it is really hard to focus on anything else, so generally I give in and just feed him.

Edited to add that this is the same cat that figured out how to work the doggie door last winter so he could sleep in the comfort and security of my heated dog porch.

 

[DickGJ]

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That was the best laugh I've had in a long time. Thanks for sharing your story...glad to hear that you're wiping out those nasty, flea bitten, bubonic plague carrying, dirty $%#^. If we can just get rid of rats, cockroaches, ticks, fleas, mites, and mosquitos...the world would be a better place!