A friend has rats in home. How do I tell this person without hurting feelings that I will no longer be coming over because of the rats?

Question

This person has lived in a trailer in the country their entire life. This person is not afraid of the rats. I've stayed there over night several times in the past 10 years. I saw mice a time or 2 but never big rats like the last one I saw the last time I stayed about 4 months ago. On the couch in the living area, about 3am in the morning, I see a rat coming down the counter or out of a drawer to the floor. I scream and wake the person & they act like its nothing and says "No you didnt stop lying" (joking). So they are used to this. I leave when the sun comes up cause Im scared to move and they wont help me, just go back to sleep.

I went back yesterday evening, and I can hear noises (I dont want to assume its rats). Friend heard them too and looks in the corner and says "Man Im tired of these mice, rats walking around here like they live here. I dont know how tf theyre getting in here" Me being scared cause they just confirmed the noises are rats, I scoot back on the couch and raise my feet off the floor. 2 mins later Im like yea Im about to ride and they join me.

Return and they invite me in, like I didnt have a panic attack the last time I saw one. I thought rats come out at night so I'm thinking if they walk around in the day time I can only imagine what happens at night. I say "no I gotta get home"

I believe they need to move, not sure of their finances. But they have money for extracurricular activites. How can I talk about w/out hurting feelings or insulting them?

? · Answer

Be honest. Tell this person that the rats bother you, not to mention the urine smell and feces is a health concern for you. the will chew on wires, walls, clothes and make a mess. They chew and chew and pee and poo. Good Luck!

statecalifornia2009 · Answer

dont worried if you cant handle the rodents . you can place a some cheese or lettuces for the mouse just leave it there , the mouse will come at night time then take the foods. away. then dont worried  reason they come inside because they just looking for foods and take it back their home feed their family babies . i think better you just not tell your friend. they might feel like you think you are being rude. told them early before you had stayed over.  we had mices and mouses in our garage but they only come in winter time when its cold outside. but we never kill them because its wrong killing a animal might have family own like children of theirs back their holes. if there was thousand of them around the kitchen and living room and their house is very messing and dirty then you can tell them what going on. maybe happens just you that mouse is attractive to you  that why not coming out the cabinets maybe that why they dont believe you. can be their mouse pet .who nos. its better then a cockroaches  and spiders ,and crickets and centipede .i dont like bugs .keep me awake at night time hearing clicking sound at night.

Ivy · Answer

Tell them you are afraid of rats. It's common in people, so they will probably understand.

The First Dragon · Answer

Tell them you are scared of rats and can't sleep there.  Lots of people are scared of rats, so they won't be shocked.  You could even add that you are afraid of catching something from the rats, tho they haven't caught anything, so that might sound weak.  Still, it would be what most people think about rats.  
I'm not scared of rats, and I can sleep with them in the room.  So maybe I'm closer to their attitude than yours, but then, I'm weird.  If the rats are out in the daytime, it is because they are starving; and that is probably why they are getting into the trailer when they didn't used to.  
I'm not scared of them, but I really don't want them living in my house, because they do a lot of gnawing and pooping.  Though I have to admit, mice smell worse.

Anonymous · Answer

When I was kid, we used to hunt rodents for fun, set traps, cages to catch them. It was fun. You can motivate them to get rid of those pest as they can cause diseases.

Jesus · Answer

Yes I'm not going to live in a house that's full of rats and rodents. I used to work in pest control and I've got a little bit of knowledge about chemicals.  I'd be getting rid of them one way or the other

A friend has rats in home. How do I tell this person without hurting feelings that I will no longer be coming over because of the rats?

6 Answers