There is a monster rat outside my door. He’s been hanging out by my door for the last 4 hours. Poor little fella looks like he’s freezing to death. When I first noticed him coming home from work, he seemed to have more energy. I’m not sure if he’s domesticated…we don’t have a rat problem, so he could be someone’s pet. I tossed him some pizza crust but apparently staying warm was on the top of his to-do list, because he’s just staying cuddled in a corner now, and is almost lifeless. Poor little bastard…SHOULD I TAKE HIM IN?? What would YOU do??
If you don’t mind encouraging the little fella, put a shoebox with a dishtowel over him with some food.
If there’s an emergency vet in your area (or an animal shelter) give them a call and tell them you think someone’s pet rat might be outside your door (or it may just be waiting for you to let it in and give you bubonic plague). They’ll give you advice.
Or, just find a cat.
If he seems docile and you aren’t terribly afraid of rats, then bring the poor guy inside and let him warm up. You might even fall in love and decide to adopt him.
It seems to me that a wild rat would have a den of some sort to go to if it gets cold. Maybe you could call a shelter or a vet and ask them if there’s a good way to tell domesticated rats from the wild kind?
Failing that, do you have a garage or a shed that you could put a blanket lined box in? That would keep him warm, but keep any nasty germs he might be carrying out.
This thread is better suited for In My Humble Opinion. I’ll move it for you.
Cajun Man ~ SDMB Moderator
Slight hijack: I know this isn’t a rat story, but deciding whether or not to help a poor animal story. One 4th of July the freeway (8 lanes) was crowded and I was speeding down the right lane when I spotted this small dog trotting along the median. I slowed (I know, dangerous) and parked on the soft shoulder and followed him. He ignored me so I had to back the car up and wrestle him into the back seat even though he didn’t want to go. I took him home and my mother had a fit and wanted me to take him to the pound. but, I put an ad in the local newspaper and his family called a couple of days later. When they came in the door, praying it was really their dog, the two kids ran to him crying and this sullen, quiet dog suddenly came alive, licking them all over their faces and snorting (he was a pug). The woman said she and her husband had had the dog before they had the kids and he had escaped from the garage when the door was inadvertently left open. Call me stupid, but I just knew that someone loved that dog and I couldn’t let him get squished on the highway. I still don’t know how that old bugger made it across four lanes of highway traffic. So, follow your heart about the freezing rat.
eeew, Rats,
I can borrow you my shoe.
He may seem docile because he’s sick or half frozen. Once he warms up he might decide to show you the business end of his continuously growing teeth (shudder)
Whatever you do, if you do bring him in, make sure he is contained in some kind of cage.
I lured a squirrel into the house once when I was about 8 years old, and boy, when he realized where he was, and decided he wanted to get out, he was chittering and ricochetting around the room so fas I could barely see him. Thank goodness he finally found the window he came in. Whew!
Rabies?
Plague?
I would lessen the world’s rat population by one.
Jammer