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Rat catcher or poison?

My cat keeps leaving dead rats in the garden. There's no sign of them in the house, I believe she may be waiting by the drain and grabbing them when they come out of the sewer. I'd like to resolve the problem once and for all, would you recommend poison or other method or am I better getting an exterminator in? Money's tight and it's difficult waiting in for people to call round.

8 Answers

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  • Lar
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favourite answer

    whether you use poison or a snap trap you need to place it in tamper resistant stations to keep non target animals and the weather from interfering...snap traps you will have to monitor and change daily, the baits may not work quickly if the rodents have an alternative food source. If it is a ground drain rather than the large curb side drain, you might be able to use wire mesh to keep rodent activity down.

    if a cat sat back and ate on rat bait that was put out, think of it as a mercy killing, the cat had severe health issues already that led it to eat on the bait...with the common baits a pet will need to consume 5%-!0% of it's body weight in bait before a vet considers it an issue..a ten pound animal will need to eat at least a half pound of bait, doubtful you would ever have near that much out

    Source(s): me-exterminator
  • rowlfe
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    Neither. Your cat is already on the job... Never use a poison when there are outside domestic animals around, such as your cat, or you'll end up with a dead cat, and then there goes your own local rat exterminator... Simply bury or otherwise dispose of the dead rats your cat was kind enough to give you. Your cat is displaying the trophies of the hunt for you and should be praised by you so the cat knows you appreciate the gifts... then pick up the dead rat and dispose of it. A local cat runs through my overgrown back yard and catches field mice every once in a while. He likes to put them on my front porch, right in front of the door. And every time he does, I pick up the dead mouse and put down a plate of super high grade cat food as a reward... Cat food is a cheap price to pay for his keeping the field mice population down... I used to have field mice getting into my garage, but no more, not with my neighborhood feline on the prowl in my back yard...

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    commonly now no longer now after 2 weeks, even although i'm no longer a vet, why do no longer you call yours and ask such as you ought to have whilst your canines ate it 2 weeks interior the previous. for people who ate rat poison, might you wait 2 weeks to look for people who have been o.k.? NO, i think you have long long previous to the medical institution suitable away to be appeared at. How approximately if a companion and little ones member ate rat poison, might you wait 2 weeks formerly you puzzled if he or she may well be ok?, NO, you're transforming into to be taken them in for on the spot scientific interest. even although your canines eats it, and a couple of weeks later you're worried-Sorry, yet you do no longer must be a canines proprietor or own another animal the two once you do no longer care anymore approximately them that this

  • 8 years ago

    Your going to put down poison and you've got a cat? There'll be a dead cat in the garden soon. Also you don't know where they're going to die. You could have some horrible stinks in a month.

  • Sal*UK
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    Local COuncil should offer ratcatcher/poison putter down man for free! And they put down traps which Puss won't be able to get into.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    councils are cutting back on there pest control departments, poison is not good for the cat, get a few rat traps, after all its what pest control will do

  • DAR76
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    You already have a rat catcher - the cat! Let her take care of situtation.

  • ?
    Lv 6
    8 years ago

    ring your local council, its likely that they send someone to get rid of the rats for free

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