Pet Friendly Rat Poison (2023 Update)

[Kev]

I wonder if anybody know anything about rat poison. I have an overseas development and they get forest rats coming out of the neighbouring forest and chewing everything in the bungalows and they put down poison to kill the rats. Unfortunately the cat eat a dead or dieing rat and died. Are there any poisons that become inactive once digested by the host. I am not sure whether cage traps would be available in the country concerned since they are not so animal friendly and would just put down poison and to hell with it. I could take some out from the UK but I would need quite a few. I can't take the risk of getting another cat so want to find a safer alternative.

Kevin

[DIY]

Rentokil can advise.

[Joe Kelleher]

This is known as 'secondary poisoning'. Unfortunately I think cats would be more likely to catch a dying rat that was slowed by the poison than eat a dead one, so a poison that deactivates over time wouldn't be much use for protecting the cat. The wikipedia article at

talks about 3 types of poison in detail, anticoagulants, metal phosphides and calciferols. Chloralose also seems to be common. Anticoagulants seem to pose the greatest risk of secondary poisoning, although an antidote is available. Metal phosphides would be safer if the cat only ate the meat from the rat but didn't touch the digestive system. I don't know whether this is usual though. The wikipedia article cites a source that says calciferols are inherently less toxic to cats, but dogs are still affected. I don't know if dogs eat rats, since my knowledge of animal predation comes mostly from cartoons.

Joe

[visionset]

"Joe Kelleher" wrote in message news:461e3fc5$0$8714$ [e-mail]...

Dogs for certain go straight for the arse hole of any caught prey.

1 Whippey and at least 50 squirrels can't be wrong.

[meow2222]

I dont know of any safe poison, I think the solution is trapment rather than poison. Breakback traps kill quickly, a lot faster than poison. They can be placed inside boxes with small entry holes to keep bigger animals out.

Rentokil use poison, so I'm not sure if they'd be any use.

The best option though is to locate and block all entry holes. Anything pencil size or bigger can allow rodents in.

Antidotes are only given once you know the animal's ill and have worked out why, so are far from a safe solution.

NT

[R]

I have a very similar problem and used a squirrel trap to catch and terminate (with a lump of wood) each rat caught. Next door just shoots the buggers !

[dom]

I use one of these against mice, never had a rat problem so can't comment, but on mice it is first class:

[Mark]

Yep we seem to have an epidemic of the buggers this time of the year But they do make good target practice

-

[Kev]

I posted on a site in the country concerned and I have found that humane traps are available, although the rat may not be humanely treated. At least I wont need to put poison down now.

Kevin

[DeMouser]

PetSafe DeMouser/RattRidder pat.pending will be for sale in early 2024

[jon]

I have a pet rat.

[Brian Gaff]

I was just wondering that. Most rat poisons just make them bleed to death. I do not see any way one can achieve a poison just aimed at rats. Traps I think are the way to go, or do like they do in some parts of the world. You move out for a week taking all livestock with you, and they cone along and fill up all the holes out of the building then fill it with poison gas for a day, then come in and get rid of all the dead bodies, but you can find that even then there could be a smell of decomposing rat several weeks on.... Brian

[GB]

That's what Zyklon B was originally designed for.

[John J]

Here's a solution>just be aware of the price of gas powered air rifles and decent sights.

[Mike Halmarack]

You'll be looking for the Rat friendly Pet poison.

[GB]

:)