How Do I Catch This Rat???

[Crystalwings]

Ok well i'm not really sure if it's rat or rats but they are behind my fridge and oven and I need them/it gone as i'm scared of rats
I have tried using cheese, parmasen cheese, a pumpkin seed, banana and peanut butter on a rat trap but the silly thing hasn't even gone off! I've also let the cat in but I don't want to use baits because of Olive.
It's so frustrating and i'm worried it's going to chew the wires of either my fridge or oven.
So, I was wondering, what are your tried and tested ways for catching rats???

[Lulu]

A cat for sure! Maybe give it a bit more time - lock the cat in?

[mrsmac]

A cat or a Jack Russell LOL

[entreat]

If a Jack Russell is unavailable, tie bread onto the trap with thread. It sounds horrifying, but it gets caught in their teeth & ... well... desired outcome becomes reality.

If you have a dog you'd like to train as a ratter, you can get humane traps from bunnings (square 'pipes' that are bent in the middle, and have a trap door), and after trapping the rat/mouse, take the dog & the mouse-in-trap into bathroom. It's somewhat of a blood sport & not for those with any major feelings towards rodents, but it trained our dogs very well.

[Lulu]

Oh GROSS!!

Who was on cleanup duty in your house??

[Crystalwings]

Thanks ladies,
I have tried leaving the cat (who is usually a good mice/rat catcher) in over night but she was more interested in scratching the mat as she's been outdoors since Olive was born.
Will try the tying on the bread though.

Lets hope me (DH) gets a rat tonight

[entreat]

Oh GROSS!!

Who was on cleanup duty in your house??

Only rarely is there anything to clean up. it's usally a bit of stinky mouse-wee. It was really stinky when I caught 7 mice in one evening (settting & resetting traps was getting a bit tiresome!) - but atleast I didn't have to feed the dogs.

[mrsmac]

Our old jack Russell was such an instinctive ratter, she was amazing. We had rats in the roof of a house we lived in once and DH put her up in the roof cavity and she scared them all away permanently with no blood shed at all.

[entreat]

and no holes in the roof??! our JR isn't that coordinated...

[mrsmac]

Not one!! Meg was an amazing dog, she could open macadamia nuts with her teeth!

[tattoo_mama]

can u put the cat outside? if so use ratsak sachets, the rats are attracted to them and eat thru the sachet and they take a few days to die though but it works well (me and XPs rental had rats move in a few weeks before DD was borna dn i was paranoid as about getting rid of them before she arrived.
you get them from supermarkets or bunnings HTH

[Crystalwings]

Tattoo_mama - We have used ratsak and Talon in the past but i'm reluctant to do so with Olive in the house. It's not just the poison but often the rat will get really doughy and come out and I don't want Olive to pick up a rat or something.

We had a small success. DH managed to catch the rat the other day. Turned out to be small and it got really hot living under the oven we think and I could see it's tail. Anyway DH took the bottom off the oven and sprayed some surface spray down the back of the stove and caught it in some newspaper.
BUT it was only a day or 2 and another one is in the same spot!!!!!!!!!! SOOOO frustrating. Back to square one.
mmm maybe ratsak is appealing...