I realize that not everybody likes rats. Most people don't want wild rodents in their yards or their houses. They can be a nuisance and a danger, and I don't blame people for wanting to be rid of them. However, I am a firm advocate against rat poison.
Rat poison is nasty stuff. A rat ingesting poison doesn't die instantly. It can take days. Slowly his body shuts down. Internal bleeding occurs. In a weak state, the poisoned rat becomes easy prey for other animals, including pets, who can in turn be poisoned. When the rat dies, his body remains for other animals to feed on, animals that are poisoned in turn. Alternately, the rat dies inside the walls of a home, spreading the stench of death.
Rat poison doesn't just kill rats!Two days ago, my dog Mandy slipped out the front door and took off. She returned an hour later, covered in mud and burrs and happily panting. But that night she began vomiting blood. When we rushed her to the vet, he diagnosed poison. She hung on all that day as we sat with her in the clinic, poised on the edge of life and death. When the clinic closed we kissed her and patted her and told her everything would be alright. That night she died.
Rat poison doesn't just kill rats. For Mandy and all the other pets that have died, remember that.
Dealing with Wild RatsRodenticide Poisoning in DogsAnticoagulant Rodenticide Toxicosis in the Dog and Cat
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posted by Sophielynette @ 10:15 AM