Yesterday, I was bitten by a rat…. 🐀

One of our cats brought a baby possum in a few years back. It was still alive so I took it to a local vet who I knew took in wildlife and they looked after it and fed it. It was a lovely little thing and actually snuggled up to the cat when I held the cat - it thought it was its mother. Poor little thing. I don’t think I would do that with a rat,though, because of the risk of disease. They really are risky in that regard because they eat more or less any rubbish which to us would be bad.

Possums make the scariest noise though. Bit like the creatures in The Last of Us

It was a little ringtail.A whole lot cuter than the brush tails who decimate our garden and have just ripped up my outdoor cushions for their nests!

I follow an Australian wildlife rescue on instagram and am learning so much about the creatures that live there. Especially wombats.

I love wombats but doubt a cat could bring one in! Also, if I'm ever feeling low I look at a photo of a quokka+ must be happiest looking creature in the world.

Wombats are big and solid. One lived under our holiday shack and the whole place shook when it pushed its way in or out. I once saw an albino one, what a treat that was but I think there are a lot less of any of them now than there used to be, at least round here. We do get echidnas from time to time though.

Would never have even attempted to pick the rat up, too dangerous . Without being dramatic people die through weils disease and thats just via rats urine.

Goodness knows what a bite would carry.

Yes I deff would have let the dog finish it off(there are plenty more)

Might sound a bit harsh but I would have been thinking of my own health and safety (and yes I am an animal lover

Glad you have sought medical .

Missed Merlots msg but yes I agree.

How kind you are....if only more people were like you! To be honest though, if the rat is suffering you should put it out of its misery. Drowning it would probably be easiest. If it survives, you should release it somewhere like a park....where it can help clean up the mess human vermin leave.

The rat died.

Nanna8, I can’t see or hear the word possum without thinking of Dame Edna Everidge. 😂

When Duke is a bit older he won’t want to play with a rat. He will simply go for the neck and all over before you know it. The youngest of my two Border Terriers killed 8 squirrels in his life, the older one never figured out how it was done!.

The Border Patterdale crosses are just lovely little dogs and I miss my 2 Borders every day. The only rat I’ve ever seen up close was a dead one in the garden before we got the dogs.

I know you meant well but picking up a rat was not a good move they are riddled with disease! I am an animal lover but would only go so far!!!
Not sure the vet will be too pleased . If you can summon up the courage you should despatch the poor creature ASAP.
Hope the bite clears up easily- should do, you got to hospital as soon as possible. Please think twice before picking up a rat again .

Pleased to kniw the cresture has died.
I am very surprised you were not given a tetanus jab in hospital. Hope you are ok.

Shelflife

Pleased to kniw the cresture has died.
I am very surprised you were not given a tetanus jab in hospital. Hope you are ok.

I was given a booster tetanus, but thank you for your concern. 🙂

Shelflife

I know you meant well but picking up a rat was not a good move they are riddled with disease! I am an animal lover but would only go so far!!!
Not sure the vet will be too pleased . If you can summon up the courage you should despatch the poor creature ASAP.
Hope the bite clears up easily- should do, you got to hospital as soon as possible. Please think twice before picking up a rat again .

To be honest, I didn’t really “think” about it. I just did it on instinct, I saw a creature in need of help and I just helped it. I know a lot of you disagree with what I did but you do you…..🥹

I know a lot of you disagree with what I did but you do you…..🥹

They say you are never more than a few feet from a rat.

I’m never more than a few feet away from a pair of gardening gloves!

PS. What did you do with the bowl and grass the rat was sitting on?

I’m not being critical and I applaud your compassion. I obviously don’t know where you live but before I moved to a town I would sit in vets’ waiting rooms that were plastered with posters warning about Weil’s disease, as were fishing lakes, river sport centres et al.
I haven’t seen one in my current location but I do know that when there was an attempt to control the fox population by culling, the rat population soared. The foxes were quickly reprieved!

As a country dweller, the only foxes I saw in over fifty years were either injured, starving, or after my chickens. Now I watch them swaggering about - timid and wary but not fearful. As I no longer keep chickens I find them fascinating.
Rats, however, will never earn my affection! 🤣

merlotgran

PS. What did you do with the bowl and grass the rat was sitting on?

I’m not being critical and I applaud your compassion. I obviously don’t know where you live but before I moved to a town I would sit in vets’ waiting rooms that were plastered with posters warning about Weil’s disease, as were fishing lakes, river sport centres et al.
I haven’t seen one in my current location but I do know that when there was an attempt to control the fox population by culling, the rat population soared. The foxes were quickly reprieved!

As a country dweller, the only foxes I saw in over fifty years were either injured, starving, or after my chickens. Now I watch them swaggering about - timid and wary but not fearful. As I no longer keep chickens I find them fascinating.
Rats, however, will never earn my affection! 🤣

Had my cornflakes out of it this morning…..😉
It’s an outside bowl anyway, so just gave it a good washout…🥹

As long as rats stay out of my house I don’t mind them, now and then you see them under a bird feeder.
You’re kind Shinamae but I think sometimes it’s best to leave a rat, mouse or bird where it is and let nature take its course.

I’m glad the situation got sorted eventually, Shinamae. What a cute pup Duke is! My dd has a half-grown kitten - he’s just discovered that they have bats living in the attic of their house. 🦇 😩

A question, though. Are pets also in danger of disease from rats etc? Can they get Weil’s? I assume they could also get bitten by a rat.

Merlot that fox looks very smug, in the sunshine. 😁

SueDonim

I’m glad the situation got sorted eventually, Shinamae. What a cute pup Duke is! My dd has a half-grown kitten - he’s just discovered that they have bats living in the attic of their house. 🦇 😩

A question, though. Are pets also in danger of disease from rats etc? Can they get Weil’s? I assume they could also get bitten by a rat.

Merlot that fox looks very smug, in the sunshine. 😁

Yes. Especially dogs. Weil’s disease is a serious form of leptospirosis but as dogs are usually vaccinated against it you don’t get many cases.

Weil’s is horrible

Merlot that fox looks very smug, in the sunshine

It’s an much older photo than the ones I put up earlier so I can’t be absolutely certain it’s the same fox.

I think it is though.

Oh, interesting, I didn’t know there was a vaccine (I have cats not dogs nowadays). A friend’s partner was very seriously ill with Weil’s four or five years ago. He was critically in ICU for about six weeks with horrible symptoms, though it took ages to diagnose him.

PS why do animals want to sit on you when it’s hot?? My cat wants to sleep on me! 🥵