Clarke County, Athens-Clarke Rat Control Situation:
Dave, I just wanted to thank you so much for the great site on dealing with rats in the attic, as well as listing pest control companies that deal with rat issues. I thought I had mice in the attic, but I now think it's rats. I set two mouse snap traps almost three days ago. Early this morning, I was awakened by the sound of plastic banging in the attic. My only thought is that I've caught something, but I don't think it's a mouse. A mouse would have died instantly. Anyway, I do have a few questions for you. First, do you think the mouse trap killed the rat, or will kill it, or is it just injured? Second, any tips on safely climbing in the attic to prevent getting bit by a rat? I noticed your pics on your site about having to get into tight spaces. I would worry about encountering a rat by doing that. One last question, any tips on accessing tight areas for a tall guy? I'm 6'3" and I wasn't able to get close to the soffit area in one area of my home. The particular area has a cathedral ceiling and the roof gets closer to the rafters as you get closer to the soffit area. I attempted to move down in a particular area where I've heard noise, but my legs began cramping really bad.
Athens-Clarke Rat Control Tip of The Week
Can A Rat Be A Good Pet?
Rats are naturally affectionate, inquisitive, intelligent, and playful. So if you know you can keep up with the responsibility of taking care of it, there is no harm in keeping a rat as a pet. Rats are very clean animals, which means you won't have to worry much about it dirtying your home.
Just like other pets, rats are very easy to train. This is due to their high level of intelligence and empathy. To do this, all you need is a dedicated trainer with a good portfolio on how to train rats. When you have that in place, you can easily call your pet rat and it will respond to you. There is even some well-trained rat that can fetch balls when you instruct them to do so.
The most attractive quality of rats is their compassion. When another rat is not in a good state or in distress, you will see other rats rally round the rat in distress and show compassion and empathy in their little way. This particular quality is only common with humans and other few animals.
Also, when rats get accustomed to their owner, they tend to create a long life bond. Due to their level of intelligence, pet rats recognize the sight and voice of their owners and will respond accordingly when they hear or see their owner.
The only sad thing about keeping rats as pets is that they are short-lived compared to other pets like dogs and cats. But you will enjoy the little time you get to spend with them.
If you wish to keep a rat and have a pet, you can go ahead to do that. Rats can make a good pet if you are ready to provide all the care they need.