Fayette County, Lexington Rat Control Situation:
I live in a suburban area in a development and have never had a rat issue in 30 years until recently. A few months ago we noticed two things which had not previously occurred trash was been thrown around the back yard from trash cans as well as holes in the ground. (near the house) We have a large cat that goes outside as well as two basically indoor dogs. Finally about a week ago my wife saw a tail of a small animal that she could not identify. I borrowed a cage trap from a friend and the first two nights they were set the bait was taken but we did not catch anything finally on the third night we caught two rats in the one trap. Set two cages last night, bait was taken but no rats caught. I had filled in about 5 holes that were near my house with dirt yesterday and this morning one of the holes was open....I am getting all kinds of amateur advice(soak toilet tissue with gasoline place it in hole and cover it etc...) don't know what the hell to do. I do not believe the rats have gotten into the house (we have a crawl space). Have two daughters and mother in law with me.... Need any guidance you can provide.
Lexington 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.