Ethical question about rats

[Guest guest]

Well, I'm not quite sure I understand your post; if the rats come from the jungle in the first place, then how is letting them go going to screw up the ecosystem?

 

That said, I recommend dealing with them the nature would intend. Get a couple outside cats! They may not even catch all that many; just the scent of the cats should deter them.

 

<>

natenjade

 

11/23/2008 2:00:52 PM

 

 

 

Ethical question about rats

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi there,

I live in Kailua, Hawaii and I have a neighbor that has a jungle for a back yard (Rats are very

common in Hawaii and they are everywhere) My neighbors do not keep it up so they get rats.

Well, these rats eventually end up at my house! My 4 dogs could care less about them so we

usually set humane traps. In the past we would take them to the marsh and let them go. Just

found out that letting them go will hurt the wild life and may screw up the ecosystem! What

do I do?

Please help me!

Thanks

Danielle

[Guest guest]

thats a tough one.

can you rat proof your house, or make it less inviting? why are they coming in? food available to them? such as dog food?

an odd solution, which will only work if you are REALLY dedicated..trap em humanely, and then socialize em. clean em up. feed them, get them used to you, and human contact in general (this will probably take a REALLY long time, and you'd have to be enormously careful, rats can carry quite a few diseases)...once they socialize, you can now give them away as pets.

like i said, a lot of work.

from the not so vegan corner. get a cat you can keep inside. hopefully the rats will just see kitty and skeedaddle. unfortunately some may not, and pay a horrible cost.

for what its worth, we had a horrible problem with mice the last year. they were multiplying in the walls, and all over the backyard. the neighbors cats were too lazy to even raise their heads at them (there's an oppossum which eats out of their food bowl every week and they just watch him). our last cat had passed away after 19 yrs, and suddenly, rodent central. which was sorta odd, as he could care less about chasing anything. mr lazy pants. i had humane traps..but, i would only catch maybe one a week, and we'd see half a dozen every morning scampering hither and thither. not good. after finding a bunch of books reduced to confetti, our wits end was near.

we finally broke down and got two kittens from the pound

a few days later..first victim then anpother a few days later...in about 6 weeks, 3 mice and a rat were found on the kitchen floor. eww.

but...thats been it. i feel bad for the lil rodents. but we haven't seen or heard them in a couple months. they are still in the compost pile outside, but, they are outside. no more lil chocolate rice crispies left all over the counters, and dishes. no more lil pitter patter feet in the kitchen sink. no more gnawing in the walls.

they just went "uh oh, cats in there...we'll just hang out in the yard"

now, they eat a lot out of the garden, but that's ok....i got sick of green beans anyways!

fraggle

 

 

natenjade Nov 23, 2008 9:54 AM Ethical question about rats

 

 

 

Hi there,I live in Kailua, Hawaii and I have a neighbor that has a jungle for a back yard (Rats are very common in Hawaii and they are everywhere) My neighbors do not keep it up so they get rats. Well, these rats eventually end up at my house! My 4 dogs could care less about them so we usually set humane traps. In the past we would take them to the marsh and let them go. Just found out that letting them go will hurt the wild life and may screw up the ecosystem! What do I do?Please help me!ThanksDanielle

 

 

 

 

 

For in a Republic, who is “the country� Is it the Government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the Government is merely a servant—merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.

Mark Twain

[Guest guest]

rats aren't native to hawaii, and have wrecked havoc on the ecosystem there..along with the mongoose, snakes, etc

Elaine Moses Nov 23, 2008 2:02 PM Re: Ethical question about rats

 

 

 

 

Well, I'm not quite sure I understand your post; if the rats come from the jungle in the first place, then how is letting them go going to screw up the ecosystem?

 

That said, I recommend dealing with them the nature would intend. Get a couple outside cats! They may not even catch all that many; just the scent of the cats should deter them.<>natenjade

 

11/23/2008 2:00:52 PM

 

 

 

Ethical question about rats

 

 

 

 

Hi there,I live in Kailua, Hawaii and I have a neighbor that has a jungle for a back yard (Rats are very common in Hawaii and they are everywhere) My neighbors do not keep it up so they get rats. Well, these rats eventually end up at my house! My 4 dogs could care less about them so we usually set humane traps. In the past we would take them to the marsh and let them go. Just found out that letting them go will hurt the wild life and may screw up the ecosystem! What do I do?Please help me!ThanksDanielle

 

 

 

 

 

 

For in a Republic, who is “the country� Is it the Government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the Government is merely a servant—merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.

Mark Twain

[Guest guest]

Ummm....nature...domesticated cats???? Perhaps you mean lions or tigers - they're the cats that nature intended.

 

BB

Peter

 

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Elaine Moses

Sunday, November 23, 2008 10:02 PM

Re: Ethical question about rats

 

Well, I'm not quite sure I understand your post; if the rats come from the jungle in the first place, then how is letting them go going to screw up the ecosystem?

 

That said, I recommend dealing with them the nature would intend. Get a couple outside cats! They may not even catch all that many; just the scent of the cats should deter them.<>natenjade

 

11/23/2008 2:00:52 PM

 

 

 

Ethical question about rats

 

 

 

 

Hi there,I live in Kailua, Hawaii and I have a neighbor that has a jungle for a back yard (Rats are very common in Hawaii and they are everywhere) My neighbors do not keep it up so they get rats. Well, these rats eventually end up at my house! My 4 dogs could care less about them so we usually set humane traps. In the past we would take them to the marsh and let them go. Just found out that letting them go will hurt the wild life and may screw up the ecosystem! What do I do?Please help me!ThanksDanielle

[Guest guest]

Aren't you just changing the problem if you get a couple of cats.

Cats catch birds and other small mammals that may not be a problem in

that area and they would affect the local wildlife/ecosystem as much

as just putting the rats out again!

 

Jo

 

, " Elaine Moses " <hathor633

wrote:

>

> Well, I'm not quite sure I understand your post; if the rats come

from

> the jungle in the first place, then how is letting them go going to

> screw up the ecosystem?

>

> That said, I recommend dealing with them the nature would intend.

Get a

> couple outside cats! They may not even catch all that many; just the

> scent of the cats should deter them.

>

> <>

> natenjade

> 11/23/2008 2:00:52 PM

>

> Ethical question about rats

>

>

>

> Hi there,

> I live in Kailua, Hawaii and I have a neighbor that has a jungle

for a

> back yard (Rats are very

> common in Hawaii and they are everywhere) My neighbors do not keep

it up

> so they get rats.

> Well, these rats eventually end up at my house! My 4 dogs could care

> less about them so we

> usually set humane traps. In the past we would take them to the

marsh

> and let them go. Just

> found out that letting them go will hurt the wild life and may

screw up

> the ecosystem! What

> do I do?

> Please help me!

> Thanks

> Danielle

>

[Guest guest]

get cats that only remain insiude (?????)

one could try and rodent proof the house, but, if the rats want in, they are getting in.

heartwerk Nov 24, 2008 4:11 AM Re: Ethical question about rats

 

 

 

Aren't you just changing the problem if you get a couple of cats. Cats catch birds and other small mammals that may not be a problem in that area and they would affect the local wildlife/ecosystem as much as just putting the rats out again!Jo , "Elaine Moses" <hathor633 wrote:>> Well, I'm not quite sure I understand your post; if the rats come from> the jungle in the first place, then how is letting them go going to> screw up the ecosystem?> > That said, I recommend dealing with them the nature would intend. Get a> couple outside cats! They may not even catch all that many; just the> scent of the cats should deter them.> > <>> natenjade > 11/23/2008 2:00:52 PM> > Ethical question about rats> > > > Hi there,> I live in Kailua, Hawaii and I have a neighbor that has a jungle for a> back yard (Rats are very > common in Hawaii and they are everywhere) My neighbors do not keep it up> so they get rats. > Well, these rats eventually end up at my house! My 4 dogs could care> less about them so we > usually set humane traps. In the past we would take them to the marsh> and let them go. Just > found out that letting them go will hurt the wild life and may screw up> the ecosystem! What > do I do?> Please help me!> Thanks> Danielle>

 

 

 

 

 

For in a Republic, who is “the country� Is it the Government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the Government is merely a servant—merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.

Mark Twain

[Guest guest]



I think cats that stay inside would work well. Just having them around should keep the rodents away.

 

Jo

 

 

-

fraggle

Monday, November 24, 2008 4:14 PM

Re: Re: Ethical question about rats

 

 

 

get cats that only remain insiude (?????)

one could try and rodent proof the house, but, if the rats want in, they are getting in.

heartwerk Nov 24, 2008 4:11 AM Re: Ethical question about rats

 

 

 

Aren't you just changing the problem if you get a couple of cats. Cats catch birds and other small mammals that may not be a problem in that area and they would affect the local wildlife/ecosystem as much as just putting the rats out again!Jo , "Elaine Moses" <hathor633 wrote:>> Well, I'm not quite sure I understand your post; if the rats come from> the jungle in the first place, then how is letting them go going to> screw up the ecosystem?> > That said, I recommend dealing with them the nature would intend. Get a> couple outside cats! They may not even catch all that many; just the> scent of the cats should deter them.> > <>> natenjade > 11/23/2008 2:00:52 PM> > Ethical question about rats> > > > Hi there,> I live in Kailua, Hawaii and I have a neighbor that has a jungle for a> back yard (Rats are very > common in Hawaii and they are everywhere) My neighbors do not keep it up> so they get rats. > Well, these rats eventually end up at my house! My 4 dogs could care> less about them so we > usually set humane traps. In the past we would take them to the marsh> and let them go. Just > found out that letting them go will hurt the wild life and may screw up> the ecosystem! What > do I do?> Please help me!> Thanks> Danielle>

For in a Republic, who is “the country� Is it the Government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the Government is merely a servant—merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them. Mark Twain