halp pls!
Moonwana the Mighty Hunter has caught a cute little ratty, which is now hiding under a dresser thing in our lounge room after we tried to catch it with a towel and failed. It seems to feel pretty safe under there, right next to all the cables and chords that connect everything up to everything else and to the power. But we can't have it living there. Also, there's a cat who's all 'dude, it's my rat, let me at it nao pls rawr etc i is fearsome'.
So any suggestions, trap-wise? I don't want to kill it. I don't want Toby to kill it. But I also don't want a repeat of the last rat experience. So, you know... HELP! PLEASE!
ETA: (2:30pm) I have a humane "mouse device" now, set up next to one of the openings at the bottom of the dresser, the other three sides of it blocked off with phone books. Delicious peanut-buttery treats wait inside for the little boofer. It is a small rat, I just hope small enough for the mouse sized opening.
Went to three different places before I found this one. First place (a hardware) had only poison and killing/maiming-type traps. Second place (pet supplies) had a biggish wire one for $55, which I thought was a bit pricey for one wee rat. I had to pass the guy's test before he even showed it to me ('what kind of trap?' 'what are you going to do with it once you trap it?'), but when I said I'd release the rat far away from the house, then he shows me big wire contraption and then I was in 2 minds about getting it or not. There were two cats there, one friendly one I could pat, the other one who only sniffed my hand. The third place was a tiny run-down grotty little hardware which looked like it sold about one thing every 2-3 weeks. The guy there was amazed that I didn't want to kill it. He asked what I was going to do with it - cook it and eat it perhaps? But he had the thing I was looking for, and not too expensive either. Though this device suggests after catching the animal you then submerge it in water to drown it. I think that's rather mean, personally. What an icky was to die.
Now, Ratty and I play the waiting game. Toby is locked out of the lounge room. The rat is locked under the dresser and then also contained in the lounge room (if my housemate remembers to keep the doors shut). The trap is in a nice dark bag with it's opening next to the opening under the dresser. I'll keep you posted with what happens next!
So any suggestions, trap-wise? I don't want to kill it. I don't want Toby to kill it. But I also don't want a repeat of the last rat experience. So, you know... HELP! PLEASE!
ETA: (2:30pm) I have a humane "mouse device" now, set up next to one of the openings at the bottom of the dresser, the other three sides of it blocked off with phone books. Delicious peanut-buttery treats wait inside for the little boofer. It is a small rat, I just hope small enough for the mouse sized opening.
Went to three different places before I found this one. First place (a hardware) had only poison and killing/maiming-type traps. Second place (pet supplies) had a biggish wire one for $55, which I thought was a bit pricey for one wee rat. I had to pass the guy's test before he even showed it to me ('what kind of trap?' 'what are you going to do with it once you trap it?'), but when I said I'd release the rat far away from the house, then he shows me big wire contraption and then I was in 2 minds about getting it or not. There were two cats there, one friendly one I could pat, the other one who only sniffed my hand. The third place was a tiny run-down grotty little hardware which looked like it sold about one thing every 2-3 weeks. The guy there was amazed that I didn't want to kill it. He asked what I was going to do with it - cook it and eat it perhaps? But he had the thing I was looking for, and not too expensive either. Though this device suggests after catching the animal you then submerge it in water to drown it. I think that's rather mean, personally. What an icky was to die.
Now, Ratty and I play the waiting game. Toby is locked out of the lounge room. The rat is locked under the dresser and then also contained in the lounge room (if my housemate remembers to keep the doors shut). The trap is in a nice dark bag with it's opening next to the opening under the dresser. I'll keep you posted with what happens next!