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Found a rat in the garden. Are my guinea pigs safe?

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4littlepiggies

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Hi, :...

I am very worried about the safety of my 4 guinea pigs, since my 3 year old saw a "mouse" on the patio, which turned out to be a very big and bold rat.
I called pest control and they put bait down. That was 10 days ago and i hadn't seen any sign of him again, until today grrrr. He comes right up to the patio door and is not at all scared of us until we open the door.
There is no food or anything for him to eat in my garden, so i don't know why he's so interested in my patio.
My piggies are still living inside at the moment, but they do go out into their run when it's sunny.
Obviously i want to get rid of the rats, as i don't want my kids to come into contact with them.
I'm also very concerned about my guinea pigs. Does anyone know if rats can pass on anything to them? Or will they attack my piggies?
I'm scared to put them out until i know they are safe.
I keep putting my cats out on the patio to catch them, but they're not interested (my cats are a bit dozy!).
Helen.
 
Hi just wondering what type of rat it is? For a rat to not seem scared and come right out like that, it could be a pet rat that's escaped or been 'released into the wild'.

Maybe call the RSPCA and see what they think?

Hopefully someone else will come along and give better advice!
 
I would be concerned also. To be on the safe side,I would keep the piggies indoors untill you have a professional take care of the rat problem,or you have taken care of it yourself and feel confident the rats are gone. Rats carry fleas and other nasty pests,I would think they could transfer to your piggies. I wouldnt think a rat would run up to a piggie and just start attacking him,but you never know. I'm sure you supervise your piggie outdoor during playtime anyways,so I wouldnt be too concerned about an attack.
 
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My piggie Roland came to me after his brother had died because a rat had gnawed into the hutch they lived in and killed his brother (hence the name...). I don't want to alarm people who have pigs in hutches but yes I think you should be generally aware that things like this are possible.
I'd also be careful about where the pigs are put outside if the guy has put rat poison down too.
Interesting thought about it potentially being a pet rat. What colour is it?
Hope you manage to get something sorted soon x
 
Hi,
It's almost definitely a wild rat, I looked at some pics online and it looks the same. It makes me more concerned as it is SO bold, strolling about in broad daylight (even when my cats are in the garden)
I can't see anywhere it could be nesting, but i think it's coming under the fence from next door. My neighbour has taken her bird seed away, in case it was that enticing the rats in.
I will DEFINITELY keep my piggies in until i know the rat has gone. I wouldn't want to put them at risk.
Thank you everyone,
Helen.
 
4littlepiggies said:
Hi,
It's almost definitely a wild rat, I looked at some pics online and it looks the same. It makes me more concerned as it is SO bold, strolling about in broad daylight (even when my cats are in the garden)
I can't see anywhere it could be nesting, but i think it's coming under the fence from next door. My neighbour has taken her bird seed away, in case it was that enticing the rats in.
I will DEFINITELY keep my piggies in until i know the rat has gone. I wouldn't want to put them at risk.
Thank you everyone,
Helen.
Click to expand...

I've got rats too. I'm keeping the pigs off the lawn until the rats have gone for good. There is a cat next door who doesn't take any notice of them either. There are holes underneath the fence, by the deck and underneath, in the grass, absolutely everywhere. The garden looks a right mess at the moment, and one of the neighbours keeps on throwing food out for them!
 
Keep your piggies inside & off the grass, because if the rats have ingested warfarin (rat poison) then they may wee on the very area you place the piggies which would mean a very horrible painful death. This is the very reason I won't put ours out on grass since we found a mouse dead on our grass a few years ago & spotted a very bold rat just like yours which would appear under our fence from next door!
 
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