Rats mysteriously dying

[BaGAWK!!]

I've been setting a small live trap to trap whatever has been digging holes in the dirt in the small space between the food bin and the enclosed part of my coop...the other end of the hole looks to be in the run. Anyway I caught 2 rats at separate times the last 3 nights! Catching them with cat food kibbles. Left the first one in the trap all day while I was at work and it was dead when I got home! The 2nd one was dead in the trap when I went out there today!

What the....???

Now, my dogs terrorize the poor things when they're in the trap. Don't know if they could be dying of heart attacks? Just curious, dead is most likey where they would have ended up anyway.

 

[laughingllama75]

Dont know, but curious to see what others think. Is there ANY chance they got ahold of poison somewhere?

 

[RHRanch]

They probably died from the stress of being trapped and the dogs terrorizing them. I have heard that people using the squirrelinator live trap often find them dead from the stress as well.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree...

 

[Ariel301]

I agree, they are dying from the extreme stress and fear they experience in the trap. If left in the trap a long time, they can also die from heat/cold exposure and dehydration.

 

[sourland]

Stress kills - animals of all species.