Need held ASAP - solved (we caught him and are watching for others)

[Kita]

There's a rat running loose in our neighborhood a few blocks away. It's a silver/blue capped dumbo (possibly rex). I posted about how we were going to take a hairless white that had been found - it was in the same area. We were up there and we were trying to catch him but we don't know how to go about doing so. He looks small, probably 2-3 months, maybe a little older. I actually was able to get close to him, but just before I was able to grab him, he ran.

A neighbor had seen him and is leaving food and water in a cat carrier by where he is hiding (under a mobile home). He seems to be dehydrated (the neighbor said he was kinda wobbly); we want to catch him as soon as possible and get him into a vet. Does anyone have experience catching rats who can suggest something?

EDIT

We don't know how long he's been outside, though I'd estimate a little over a week. We'd be out there now, except we're waiting on a call from the vet about a rat we had to take in earlier today. Hopefully we can get back out there and maybe wait him out, hope he'll go into the cat carrier and we can shut the door, but I'd like another idea if that fails. Probably because he's been out so long, it's making it harder to catch him.

We feel so bad for the little guy and we're worried that there may be others. The people who dumped the rats (they're the same ones who dumped the white hairless boy I'd posted about before) had been evicted; none of the neighbors know how many rats they had, but one neighbor's dog has been going crazy trying to get at the floors and walls, so we're afraid there are others.

Really, any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated.

[mamarat2]

I'd try getting a have a heart trap from home depot or someplace like that.  That way you can trap the ratter without harming him.

Link to some examples of hav a hart traps:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&search-alias=outdoor&field-brandtextbin=Havahart

[nancycccslp]

If you can see him, you might be able to net him, if you know anyone who has a net.  Be ready with heavy duty gloves and a travel cage open and ready to stuff him in.  Assume he will bite out of fear.  Is there any chance of just slamming the door of the cat carrier while he's in there?


If no one has a net, you will need a Havahart trap.  Bait it with food, remove all other food.  Some pest control folks may lend it to you if you explain that this is not a pest, it is a dumped pet. 

[Kita]

We'll see what we can do about getting a hold of a Havahart trap. We're going to try getting him into the pet carrier, first; it's just going to be a matter of getting him to come back out. I'm hoping we can run back up there after we pick up our rat from the vet's.

[littledevils]

Fingers crossed for this little one! I hope you manage to catch the poor rattie!

It really is the year for stray, abandoned rats!

We are taking in 3 more... 2 of them were abandoned outside Carnegie Center in Vancouver in a suitcase yesterday! I'm amazed they survived as it's freaking hot here in the last two days!

Keep us posted!

[hairless_love]

Maybe if you see him running you could try to drop a towel or a blanket on him and then pick him up. Good luck... I hope you can catch the poor little guy.

[whtnyte]

We are taking in 3 more... 2 of them were abandoned outside Carnegie Center in Vancouver in a suitcase yesterday! I'm amazed they survived as it's freaking hot here in the last two days!

I firmly believe that it should be legal to beat certain people with a base ball bat until some sense has been driven into their heads! What is wrong with people? Dumping pets out with the trash, stuffing them in suit cases??? I'd like to track some of these people down and offer them the same consideration and accommodation's!    <---flaming the idiots that take life so casually.

Please keeps us posted, I really hope you can get the terrified little guy and he understands being taken to safety! 

[chiropteragirl]

You can often rent humane no-kill traps from feed store type places. Once you get one, put food and WATER in it. Trust me. Once my rat accidentally ran away and was gone from three days. I had the trap out for two days with food in it, and he didn't go near it. Then I put a bowl of water in the trap and he was there within a few hours.

Good luck!

[Kita]

We are taking in 3 more... 2 of them were abandoned outside Carnegie Center in Vancouver in a suitcase yesterday! I'm amazed they survived as it's freaking hot here in the last two days!

I firmly believe that it should be legal to beat certain people with a base ball bat until some sense has been driven into their heads! What is wrong with people? Dumping pets out with the trash, stuffing them in suit cases??? I'd like to track some of these people down and offer them the same consideration and accommodation's!    <---flaming the idiots that take life so casually.

Please keeps us posted, I really hope you can get the terrified little guy and he understands being taken to safety! 

Beating people with baseball bats was what I was talking about doing if I knew where these people were...I really hate people sometimes.  Some people really do need to be taken out and beaten.

But, we called HVRR and Kaia is bringing out some live traps tonight for us to borrow. Kaia is fairly certain there are other rats in the area (neighbors saw the people getting rid of three cages) so we'll be leaving the traps out for a few days. The neighbor who originally saw the boy has kindly offered to keep an eye on the traps for us and call us if we catch anything.

Thank you, EVERYONE. I really appreciate the responses I've gotten. I'll keep everyone posted on the little boy. He was spotted again shortly after my mom and I left to get our little boy from the vet (he's doing quite well; got a bite to the nose when we tried intros, but he's okay now by the looks of it) so the blue boy's still around. Hopefully we'lll have him caught tonight. Thanks again!

[JR1030]

Argh!  What the heck is wrong with people?  Someone saw the people letting rats loose?    I hope you can catch a few and give them some good homes. 

[whtnyte]

Argh!  What the heck is wrong with people?  Someone saw the people letting rats loose?    I hope you can catch a few and give them some good homes. 

The other incident I was referring happened in Michigan. Someone moved and just dumped a poor hairless rattie boy out with the trash in his cage. Somehow he escaped the cage (got all cut up in the process) made his way across the street and into the kitchen of a lady that knows the legendary Scampers daddy Harold (AKA Viking Camper). The adorable nekkie boy has now been moved to a wonderful forever home where he has several "brothers" his own age to romp around with! I was going to take him in if we could get a rattie train going, but someone closer stepped up and gave Yogie a forever home 

[Kita]

Argh!  What the heck is wrong with people?  Someone saw the people letting rats loose?    I hope you can catch a few and give them some good homes. 

I don't know that anyone saw them letting the rats loose (if you're referring to my situation); they only saw the cages being left out at the curb We set the traps just a few minutes ago; hopefully by morning we'll have caught someone. I'm home all day, though, so if one's caught, he won't be out long (and he'll have food and water). We'll definitely be able to take the one boy; if we catch others and can't keep them, Kaia said to call her, so they'll find homes for sure.

And whtnyte, we're actually in Michigan, as well. Would that nekkie boy happen to be red-eyed, perhaps (there was a nekkie boy found here just a week ago; don't know if he might be the same one or not.)?

[Kita]

Just to let everyone following this thread know, we caught him. I posted more about him in my other thread here