# toilet rats **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 18, 2002, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672 "2002-06-18T10:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![meyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@meyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meyer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/1 "2002-06-18T10:48:01Z")
This evening, while making dinner, I heard a strange splashing sound in the bathroom. I thought maybe someone had left the tap on, so I went to investigate. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that what was responsible for all that noise was a wet, angry looking rat swimming around in my toilet bowl!:eek: I have to admit, even though I had read Cecil’s column on the subject ([http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_029.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_029.html)), I didn’t really believe it could happen. Not here. Not to me. That’ll teach me to mistrust the perfect master. We live in a basement, so I’m reasonably sure he came in through the sewer pipe. Now I’m very distrustful of my toilet. I’m afraid every time I sit down that I will feel an unpleasant nibble in the nether regions. Blech. [sub]I’m also very glad I have a roommate who will do the dirty work. Ewww.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/2 "2002-06-18T12:00:26Z")
BAND NAME! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/3 "2002-06-18T14:42:01Z")
Yup, had one come up through the bathtub drain once…but that toilet rat phobia would be a bad one to have… ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/4 "2002-06-18T14:46:48Z")
So what did you do? Flush it again? ---
**Author:** ![meyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@meyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meyer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/5 "2002-06-18T21:06:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*So what did you do? Flush it again? \*\* No, we tried that, but the little thing was pretty tenacious. It kept putting its little feet on either side of the tank when we flushed and just its tail would go down the drain. It was a pretty good swimmer. My roommate, the incomparable **Dabrota** , dealt with it. [sub]read: she drowned it with a stick, fished it out, and put it in a bucket, and disposed of it somewhere. I swear, she’s got nerves of steel, that one.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/6 "2002-06-19T00:24:43Z")
:eek: Ye gads. She’s got bigger cojones than me, I’ll tell you that much 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/7 "2002-06-19T00:35:16Z")
Rats are very good swimmers and climbers. It’s amazing and rather frightening. But it’s a fact. I’ve encountered such things myself, as part of my duties. And, of course, Cecil has had his say on the topic. Ain’t nuthin’ but the trooth. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/8 "2002-06-19T00:43:55Z")
I’d have drowned the little bastard, sure. But I tell you this for nowt: I’d try to avoid using that toilet again. Of course, I’d talk a big game about how I’d take great pleasure in purposely shitting on the head of any animal that disturbed me on the loo, but really, truly and honestly, the thought of getting bitten by a rat scares me. ---
**Author:** ![dabrota](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@dabrota](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dabrota)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/9 "2002-06-19T07:22:12Z")
Don’t worry… Near as I could see, he wasn’t able to reach high enough to nibble ANY sorts of nether regions…unless you’re of the male persuasion and prefer the sit-method to the stand. In greater news, I am now a hit-man/exterminator of the highest degree. Rat disposal is my new game. Imagine coming home to your roommate telling you, “so, the bad news is…well, the good news is…no, there is no good news. There’s a rat in the toilet.” Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/10 "2002-06-19T10:18:56Z")
I like rats. You have to admit, it takes a certain amount of self-righteous constitution to think to yourself: “I want to be inside that house. I will go in through the sewer–swim through copious amounts of raw sewage, squeeze through tiny pipes, and come out the toilet.” ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/11 "2002-06-19T12:20:57Z")
Note to self: stop pooping. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/12 "2002-06-19T13:00:09Z")
I read somewhere once that it’s a good idea to always leave your toilet lid down as it’s rather common for snakes to slither up sewer pipes and eventually end up in people’s toilet bowls. That one had me mortified for a while. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/13 "2002-06-19T16:22:42Z")
Note to self: Watch cats for tips on using cat box from now on! ---
**Author:** ![meyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@meyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meyer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/14 "2002-06-19T20:40:20Z")
You know, I used to enjoy sitting on the can with a good book, just whiling away the time. THAT won’t be happening any more. And its the only toilet we have, so it’s not like I can just go elsewhere. Yep, it’s gonna take a while to get over the emotional scarring involved in this one. ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/15 "2002-06-19T23:00:19Z")
**Meyer** , you’re of the female persuasion, I take it? Good thing, you could’ve ended up with **a scarred meyer weiner!** \ ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/16 "2002-06-19T23:16:21Z")
There are **RATS** in the toilets/sewers/drain pipes of the Lower Mainland?!? :eek: :eek: :eek: Rationally, I know that there are indeed rats living in the sewers and such, but I’ve never had that happen to me! (though there was the time when I was sitll living at home that there were bees swimming in the toilet, but they got in through the vents) That has got to be an emotionally scarring experience, and I’m glad that you both are getting through it. (I’d be afriad to even sit on the toilet after that!) I will be carefully checking all toilets I use after reading this, I tell ya! :eek: is all I gotta say on this one! F\_X ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/17 "2002-06-20T00:02:49Z")
Gotta wonder what was further down the pipe that the rat was fleeing. Be afraid, be very afraid. ---
**Author:** ![meyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@meyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meyer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/18 "2002-06-20T07:58:22Z")
**Flamsterette** - you bet there are rats in the Lower Mainland. I called City Hall to report the rat episode, and the guy down there was disturbingly casual about the whole thing: Me: I have a problem with rats. Him: Whereabouts are they? Me: Well, there was one in my toilet. Him: Oh yeah, that’ll happen around this time of year. :eek: He did say they would send a crew around to my neighbourhood to put poison baits in the sewer, though. In the meantime I just keep telling myself that this can’t possibly happen twice. ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/19 "2002-06-20T09:43:18Z")
I’m glad I live in Alberta. It’s still completely rat free. [sup]{if you don’t count the lawyers and politicians.}[/sup] 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-rats/114672/20 "2002-06-20T17:16:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muffin \* > \*\*Gotta wonder what was further down the pipe that the rat was fleeing. Be afraid, be very afraid. \*\* Sewer Gators!