the cat just walked in with a rat in its mouth and dropped it at my feet. Last time she did that the rat darted under the kitchen cupboards where I have no plinths and there was me, my friend, the cat and badger (my jack russell cross) all trying to catch it and it was bedlam. So this time (especially as my dog has passed away) the moment she dropped it I grabbed it as quick as I could and headed for the back door into the garden to launch it as far as I could. But by the time I got to the end of the garden it had bitten me about four times and was hanging off my finger so I could not throw it so instead left it dangling until it let go. Then I thought about grabbing it again but then thought I should probably go wash my hands asap. There was a red mark but does not appear to have broken my skin. Will ring the GP surgery in the morning.
My cat just brought in a rat
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When I was ~12 I caught a flying squirrel, who justifiably bit me. I was forced to take the series of rabies shots. I hope that will not apply in your situation. As I recall, the word was that if I'd brought it in to the authorities (alive?), which I did not do, the shots wouldn't have likely been required. 'Never say never', I know, but I hope to never attempt to catch any rodent with my hands again. I'll either make friends with it (preferred), or shoot it (if required) - nothing in between.
My first instinct was to grab it quickly as I did not want to be up all night trying to catch it. It did not occur to me that it would bite me until it did. My cat likes catching them but is not to bothered about killing them. Which is where my jack russell excelled, he would take one of the cat and despatch in a fraction of a second.When I was ~12 I caught a flying squirrel, who justifiably bit me. I was forced to take the series of rabies shots. I hope that will not apply in your situation. As I recall, the word was that if I'd brought it in to the authorities (alive?), which I did not do, the shots wouldn't have likely been required. 'Never say never', I know, but I hope to never attempt to catch any rodent with my hands again. I'll either make friends with it (preferred), or shoot it (if required) - nothing in between.
I understand completely - it was a decision which you felt the need to make in a split-second, and did as you instinctively felt best without the benefit of full analysis; which is not unlike me and the squirrel actually, only it wasn't in my home so I could have just walked away.
In hindsight in your situation, had I the time to think about it and had such a puppy dog, I'd have likely just let the dog take it down. The reason I say that is only because the dog is very likely vaccinated against rabies (whereas we are not), and might not have been at serious risk of infection even if bitten (which of course is why dogs are typically vaccinated in the first place). In any case, sometimes life calls for those split-second decisions, and we can do little more than react in the moment. Were it not for my flying squirrel experience, I might have reacted exactly as you did.
I sincerely hope that you determine you are at little or no risk from the bite, and you, the kitty, the puppy, and the rat can all walk away none the worse for it!! In this respect I guess it's just as well that my two kitties are 'indoor only'. It's either me giving them food, or they'd be bringing food home to me (and I'm not in their part of the food chain and wouldn't be interested in whatever they brought home to me!).
turbodog
Flashaholic
So did you ask yourself "Was it a rat I saw"?
Wow! If it hasn't broken your skin, you are probably OK!
IMO.
So what, my friend, have you learned from this?
I try to learn from the experience of others.
IMO.
So what, my friend, have you learned from this?
I try to learn from the experience of others.
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Chauncey Gardener
Flashaholic
We had lived in our house for about 25 years but had never seen a sign of any large rodentia. Then right when the movie Ratatouille premiered signs started appearing in our detached garage ---- Lots of signs. I mistakenly assumed it was just another field mouse, so places some small traps and poison in the garage. Nothing worked. Then a friend told me to use the large rat killing green pellets. Two days later there it was - sprawled out on the floor. The thing was huge!
It took me a week to replace, repair, clean up and dispose of its daily doings. It had gathered bits n pieces of all type of fabrics and built a nest on top of the motor in our car. For the times when the car nest wasn't available or was too hot, the rat-******* had also built a nest inside of an interior wall.
About a month later I was mowing the Back 40 when another rat took off running from the mower. I jumped off, chased it down, and monkey-stomped it to death.
It took me a week to replace, repair, clean up and dispose of its daily doings. It had gathered bits n pieces of all type of fabrics and built a nest on top of the motor in our car. For the times when the car nest wasn't available or was too hot, the rat-******* had also built a nest inside of an interior wall.
About a month later I was mowing the Back 40 when another rat took off running from the mower. I jumped off, chased it down, and monkey-stomped it to death.
Perhaps misguided, but that is standard kitty programming. It's essentially hard-wired normal behavior for them to bring such things 'home' if they're out hunting. Even when I lived with kitties who went out and hunted, I don't think the family ever had a pet-port-door thing that allowed unrestricted passage, so mine would never make it into the house with such things. In that case, they were always deposited right outside the door (generally deceased) for our discovery. Edit: These prey items were generally rather small mice / birds, not usually full-on rats!
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Hooked on Fenix
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Our outdoor cats eat our gophers and leave their heads as gifts by the front door. If your cat is bringing you live rats, it's probably being too well fed and it's showing it's appreciation. You should keep it as an indoor cat and train it to retrieve other things. You'd really impress your houseguests if they saw your cat bring you a beer or a bag of chips.
In general. most (if not all) rodents are among the most underrated animals by humans in terms of their intelligence / mental capabilities. As a group, they're very sharp! Just try to out-smart a squirrel some time and you'll find out!
I don't give a flyin'flip if they are smart enough to build a wrist watch, they aint welcome in my house anymore than ants or roaches……
Just sayin'.
Just sayin'.
The doctor prescribed 10 days of antibiotics and got the nurse to give me a tetanus jab. The backdoor is definitely staying closed at night in future (usually left wide open when I am in during the summer for the dog I no longer have). It's all glass so I can check the cat out before letting her in too.
Chauncey Gardener
Flashaholic
Was there any mention from the doctor about the possibility of you gaining super powers?
Hooked on Fenix
Flashlight Enthusiast
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Probably should be on the lookout for unexplained hair growth, an insatiable craving for cheese, and developing a tail under the light of a full moon.
knucklegary
Flashlight Enthusiast
Did y'all see the movie Willard?
Really good to hear this. 10 days of ABs beats 14 days of rabies shots by light-years!
