Help - Animal invasion!

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:07AM #1

there's some sort of animal thudding around in my attic and it has me completely freaked out. I've heard it a few times in the last few weeks scraping and messing about but tonight it's gone crazy, it's right above my head now, I can hear it's movements and it's very loud banging about up there

help?

Rb · 07-12-2007 12:08AM

Go up and see what it is first.

Then re-evaluate the situation.

JæKæ · 07-12-2007 12:10AM

Probably just your evil twin, after wriggling free of the chains

monkeyfudge · 07-12-2007 12:10AM

Do you perhaps have a deformed child that you might have hidden up there at some stage and forgotten about?

foxface · 07-12-2007 12:11AM

id say hope its not cyril mcsneer, that its actually a raccoon.

all the best

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 07-12-2007 12:11AM

a rat or mouse?

buy a kitten tomorow and leave it up in the attic for a few days.

best thing about this plan is once the kitten kills the rat, you don't have to feed the kitten any more.

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:12AM

Go up and see what it is first.

I will not! :eek:

I'm nearly pee-ing in my pants in fear here

not going to sleep a wink.

Sounds like it's about to come through the ceiling boards, it sounds angry! A neighbour had a mink in her hotpress a few months ago and her son had to shoot it because it was about to attack the dog.

a rat or mouse?

no i've heard mice up there before, they just scrape around alot but this thing is thudding around....

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:16AM

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Do you perhaps have a deformed child that you might have hidden up there at some stage and forgotten about?

Of course, why ddin't I think of that? It's only beatrice! :rolleyes:

Rb · 07-12-2007 12:16AM

Realistically, nothing of significant size will have made it into the attic, so don't worry about it making it's way down to you.

Trojan911 · 07-12-2007 12:16AM

I reckon it's this. He's in your attic & he's coming for you....... :eek:

07-12-2007 12:17AM

Is it Mcacity the cat?

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:17AM

rb_ie wrote: »

Realistically, nothing of significant size will have made it into the attic, so don't worry about it making it's way down to you.

Ok I'll keep telling myself that

But this thudding sound that it's making every 10 seconds or so is really making me think it's trying to get somewhere, and trying hard!

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:18AM

Trojan911 wrote: »

I reckon it's this. He's in your attic & he's coming for you....... :eek:

No, there's no lake up there thank god!

homah_7ft · 07-12-2007 12:20AM

Seriously though I'd say it's rats.

nice1franko · 07-12-2007 12:20AM

50 quid says it's a rat. any takers?

bug · 07-12-2007 12:22AM

Do you go up there often?

Could be a previous border who you turfed out and now lives in your attic, unbeknownst to you.

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:26AM

oh god........and rats can be sooo big! eurgh! Guna buy a few rat-traps tomorrow and send good ol' daddy up there to set them.

Funny thing is though....I sent my father up there earlier this eve to take down Christmas decorations and he knows there's something up there (but has turned a blind eye thus far) but whatever it was didn't budge while he was up there or he saw no trace, or so he says.

Maybe it's his mistress! :eek:

Would rats only become active late at night? Whatever this is, I only ever hear it after 11pm, maybe I only hear it when the house has gone quiet though, or mybe it only gets active when there's no noise about the place

Anyways, I'm home alone now (except daughter and dog and rat/mink/bat/mouse) so I'm well freaked out

gogo · 07-12-2007 12:28AM

rats!! They would make three times the noise of a mouse, and if i were you I'd be packing a suitcase right now.

Rb · 07-12-2007 12:28AM

You sure it's not just the central heating system?

Ring rentokil

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:29AM

bug wrote: »

Do you go up there often?

I was up there around halloween time (getting constumes) and my father was up there twice in the last week - the door (we have one of those stira things on it) was left wide open for almost a full day a few weeks ago, so anything could have gone up there!

Could be a previous border who you turfed out and now lives in your attic, unbeknownst to you.

We've occupied this house since it was built 30 years ago! I was wondering if it could be a homeless person as we dont lock our doors during the day when house is empty :eek:

milli · 07-12-2007 12:30AM

Do you reckon it could be a bird - maybe an owl? Do you live in the countryside or city?

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:32AM

oh **** I just saw my daughters shoe onthe floor from the corner of my eye and jumped a let out a fuggen stupid yelp - i thought it was a rat, now you've all got me freaked out that there's rats living with me

If I log off suddenly one has landed on my head!

marcsignal · 07-12-2007 12:36AM

Don't worry OP, it's more than likely just a mouse.

Rats need a regular source of water, and drink the same volume of water that they eat in food (approx) daily.
Even if your water tank isn't covered, a Rat wont risk trying to drink out of it, for fear of falling in, not being able to get out, and drowning.

Just lift the attic door and place a mouse trap just inside, with a bit of Rasher Rind smeared in Grease from the pan.
He'll find it for sure, and that will get him where it hurts.

It just sounds like he's wearing Jackboots because of the plasterboard.

trust me, I worked in Rentokil for 6 years.

Good Hunting

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:36AM

milli wrote: »

Do you reckon it could be a bird - maybe an owl? Do you live in the countryside or city?

Live in the countryside. No I'd say whatever it is got in from downstairs and worked it's way up, rather than got in at roof level - there's no gaps for a bird to get in really and wouldn't I hear it who-whoing or tweeting or whatever. This thing is silent but deadly, just thudding about and scraping and rattling stuff.

no I can hear all the normal heating system noises aswell that I've grown used to over the years, this is definately alive whatever he hell it is.

It was over my bedroom last night and the room I'm in now is the other end of the house, which is a LONG house, would a mouse travel that much? Could there be more than one?

gcgirl · 07-12-2007 12:36AM

weird noise in the attic have you ever watched ''The exorsist'' sorry bout spelling ! the whole rat in the attic thing again!

Duiske · 07-12-2007 12:43AM

homah_7ft wrote: »

Seriously though I'd say it's rats.

Probably. l3LoWnA, do you have insulation on the attic floor ? If something is crawling around under insulation, it makes the noise seem louder in the room below.

Take rb_ie's advice. Have a look. Might be an idea to wear safety goggles though, and maybe a heavy scarf around your throat. Actually, leave it till tomorrow night. Give you a chance to go to your doc and have a tetanus jab.

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:44AM

marcsignal wrote: »

Don't worry OP, it's more than likely just a mouse.

Rats need a regular source of water, and drink the same volume of water that they eat in food (approx) daily.
Even if your water tank isn't covered, a Rat wont risk trying to drink out of it, for fear of falling in, not being able to get out, and drowning.

Just lift the attic door and place a mouse trap just inside, with a bit of Rasher Rind smeared in Grease from the pan.
He'll find it for sure, and that will get him where it hurts.

It just sounds like he's wearing Jackboots because of the plasterboard.

trust me, I worked in Rentokil for 6 years

Phew - thx marcsignal. I don't mind mice at all. Actually I find them quite cute and cheeky most of the time scurrying about the place! They've often made homes in our house (most winters - of course we do kill the poor buggers though) one ran over my bare foot in the bathroom before and my boyfriend picked him up and threw him out the window - poor thing haha and one climbed up onto the top rim of a lampshade last year in our sitting room and created an amazing shadow up the wall - like a MONSTER MOUSE with his nose twitching towards the ceiling! I'm hoping that's the most likely answer as a mouse could scurry up there along a pipe or something. Everyone says mice sound much noisier when in the attic, so I hope it's true, but i've heard a mouse scuttling along up there before and it sounded pretty harmless, but it's the thudding noise that only started tonight that's worrying me (was just loud scratching and scurrying sounds before....)

I'm sending in the troops tomorrow, ie. my dad and brother armed with rat AND mouse-traps loaded with delicious quisine.

marcsignal · 07-12-2007 12:47AM

l3LoWnA wrote: »

Phew - thx marcsignal. I don't mind mice at all. ..........

No worries

l3LoWnA wrote: »

but it's the thudding noise that only started tonight that's worrying me (was just loud scratching and scurrying sounds before....)

It's mating season, theyre prob just back from the local

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:49AM

Probably. l3LoWnA, do you have insulation on the attic floor ? If something is crawling around under insulation, it makes the noise seem louder in the room below.

No, no insulation, but the ceiling boards (which aren't made for walking around) would increase the volume I reckon.... If it's a rat though, I presume enough scratching and it would come through the ceiling?

Take rb_ie's advice. Have a look. Might be an idea to wear safety goggles though, and maybe a heavy scarf around your throat. Actually, leave it till tomorrow night. Give you a chance to go to your doc and have a tetanus jab.

Oh Christ, I'll pass, I'll send up a man, sometimes they do come in handy!

PS - It's gone quiet now, I'm so scared it's worked it's way down into the hotpress or any other room (we have television cables coming down from attic into five rooms and seperate holes for phone cables in 4 rooms

)

foxface · 07-12-2007 12:50AM

l3LoWnA wrote: »

oh god........and rats can be sooo big! eurgh! Guna buy a few rat-traps tomorrow and send good ol' daddy up there to set them.

Funny thing is though....I sent my father up there earlier this eve to take down Christmas decorations and he knows there's something up there (but has turned a blind eye thus far) but whatever it was didn't budge while he was up there or he saw no trace, or so he says.

Maybe it's his mistress! :eek:

Would rats only become active late at night? Whatever this is, I only ever hear it after 11pm, maybe I only hear it when the house has gone quiet though, or mybe it only gets active when there's no noise about the place

Anyways, I'm home alone now (except daughter and dog and rat/mink/bat/mouse) so I'm well freaked out

my dad used to do the same about spiders actually "its jsut not there *foxface*" around late at night, id still go for a raccoon, failing that, a mouse..... remember, theyre just as scared of them as they are as you etc!!

l3LoWnA · 07-12-2007 12:53AM

scratch that, it's after going mental again, it COULDNT be a mouse, it's REALLY loud and I''m sure I heard it squeak that time as it moved (or tweet?) :eek:

The sound it made there was like weight being put on the ceiling if you get me? Kind of similar to tyres turning on gravel? You know that sound? Or the sound of gravel being emptied out of the bucket of a digger? (not as loud but a similar sound)

I think I will need sleeping pills tonight now - wish it would go to sleep or just feck off

Help - Animal invasion!

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