Whether on purpose or by accident, you may have captured a rat inside your home. Maybe you were looking to capture the animal so no harm would come to it. You value the animal, but simply don’t want it in your home. Maybe it got trapped inside your bathtub or other structure, and now you are trying to figure out what to do with it. So what do you do with a rat you’ve caught?
You Could Kill It
This may not be the option you are looking for, but maybe the most sensible thing to do is to simply kill the rat. It’s not like there are only a few around. There are literally tens of billions of rats on the earth, and getting rid of one or two isn’t that big of a deal.
There are plenty of ways that you could employ to get rid of the rat. This can be done through poisons, harpoon mechanisms, even drowning the animal. Most of these are quite humane and can work quickly. This makes your solution to the problem a quick remedy, allowing you to move on quickly.
You Could Relocate It
You could decide to move the rat to another location. This is a very humane thing to do that gives the animal a chance to thrive in another spot away from your home. However, you should be aware that the chances of survival for a relocated rat are minimal at best. The animal is used to this environment, and faces some real challenges. Your humane choice could really be a prolonged death sentence for the animal.
If you decide that relocation is the way to go, then contact your local wildlife preserve. They will know good locations to take the rat that will give it the best chance of survival. No sense going to all this trouble only to see the animal die hours or days later.
Before moving the animal, ensure that you properly protect yourself. Cover all exposed skin, wear gloves, and a surgical mask to keep viruses, bacteria, and parasites from getting into your body.
Don’t Ever
One thing we want to caution you against is keeping the animal for yourself. While many people have rats as pets, these are store-bought rats. They have been treated to ensure that they don’t carry any type of disease or pathogen that puts you at risk.
The average rat you may find inside your home carries a number of potential health risks. Viruses, bacteria, and parasites are common in these kinds of animals, and keeping one in a cage inside your house puts you, your family, and your pets at risk.
You have been humane to protect the animal, now don’t let it put you at risk. Find a different location to take the animal or terminate altogether. Just don’t do something that could endanger you and your family. You will truly come to regret that if you take this kind of risk.
Go back to the Turlock wildlife removal home page.