Catch wild rat and release ?

Drumpot

Hi,

We have pet rabbits and a dog. Asides from that, I am not comfortable with the thought of killing an animal.

so, if you caught a rat in a humane trap and set it free a Km or 2 down the road, is there much of a chance they would find their way back? It would have several fields and potential housing estates to go through to find my house.

It may have babies or a family so I wasn't sure how rats sense of direction was in this regards! This happened when the OWP started doing work on a stream out the front. Looks like they didn't bother trying to use poison before working cause loads of neighbours are having a similar problem.

Any advice is much appreciated (and assumes of course that I will catch it!).

Kristopherus

Rats are vermin. Get rid of.

hurler97

Drumpot wrote:

It may have babies or a family so I wasn't sure how rats sense of direction was in this regards!.

Drumpot wrote:

so, if you caught a rat in a humane trap and set it free a Km or 2 down the road, is there much of a chance they would find their way back? .

Drumpot wrote:

Asides from that, I am not comfortable with the thought of killing an animal.

Seriously can't believe what I've just read. If you end up releasing the rat please go for a mental check up.

DEFTLEFTHAND

When it comes to rats, they have to die I'm afraid.

You can't run the risk of having disease carrying vermin on your property.

Ddad

If you are vegetarian or vegan I can understand your point. It is possible to get humane traps, to allow catch and release. I don't know about a rats homing abilities. I would not be first in line for having a live rat in my possession. They carry disease and are more than capable of delivering a nasty bite.

If you are not a vegetarian or vegan I'd strongly suggest you use lethal traps which can be effective and humane if deployed properly. I'm not a huge fan of poisons from an environmental point of view. There are no shortage of rats and they are vermin so depleting their population in a way that isn't cruel is something worthwhile.

Cherry Blossom

Catch and Release is the only method to be discussed in this forum. If replies following the current suggestions continue the thread will have to be closed. Posts addressing the OPs query on catch and Release from this point on only please.

junospider

I think it is illegal to release them,I know it is illegal to release mink and grey squirrels because they are non native
but so are rats if you go back far enough.
Kill the rat and dont hand your problem to someone else.

kathleen37

I've used humane traps to trap and release mice. I used to release them at a park a couple of km away, on the way to work.

I wasn't aware you could actually get humane traps big enough for rats?

I don't know what to suggest really. I would have issues killing rats - using poison is so indiscriminate and can harm other animals/wildlife, and from what I've read, it's a horrible death for them. I think glue traps must be like torture and it always surprises me they are allowed to be sold.

I think proper rat traps are probably most humane, in that they are supposed to be quick and painless. You need to research the different types of traps out there though, as apparently there is a difference in relation to different types and their effectiveness.

deadlybuzzman

If you grow cat nip around the house the smell of cats about the place will make them steer clear.
I really hate poison and I don't want to poison any birds of prey so that's my plan for next month

Knowall Macduff

I think it would be lousy to release the rat in someone elses property, if you want to keep it alive feed it yourself!!!!!!!

pawrick

I have a colony of cats near my house and they did not deter rats appearing once there was a food source. Large rats are well able to fight a cat so many cats will avoid them. I'm also unsure if you can release a rat in to another area and I would definitely not be happy having someone release one near my home with the health risks it would bring.

topmanamillion

Humanely kill the rat. Transporting rats long distances for catch and release and considering the welfare of their young is bizarre to say the least.

DBB

As talk is still of killing the rat, and therefore breaching the rule that vermin control threads are not permitted in this forum, I'm closing this thread now.
Thanks,
DBB