Rats!

[Cavy Lover]

Hey guys

I had no idea where to place this thread so I said I would put it here cause I will be mentioning illness I suppose. I keep my guinea pigs in a shed. And one day I was in there holding Beano and I saw a rat running along the window sill. Recently I saw a very small rat. Most possibly a baby, which means there could be a litter or something. I don't know if rats can give guinea pigs illness or what! An advice?

 

[Wiebke]

Yes, rats can transmit illness. They will also kill guinea pigs if they can get to them.

 

[Cavy Lover]

Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

 

[Wiebke]

Make sure that the rats can't get into the shed and don't leave or store anything edible nearby (including bird feed)...

 

[Cavy Lover]

I do keep it pretty clean all ready but I will try harder

 

[Deleted member 114675]

Don't blame yourself for this - rats exist out there and what you need to do now is work out if there are more things you can do to make this manageable or whether you have an infestation problem.

I remember a work colleague telling me she'd seen a rat on her bird table in her garden and she thought it was cute ! I didn't own guinea pigs back then but, even so , I though - that wouldn't be my reaction if I saw a rat in my garden!

As Wiebke has already advised - make sure they can't get into your shed and store nothing edible nearby.

You may want to make enquiries with your local environmental health dept - to see what they'd class as an infestation and what services there are locally to help you .

 

[Cavy Lover]

As I said I keep my pigs in a shed show therefore I don't think it's an infestation I have only seen two. My dad has an old rat trap where you trap the rats and release them far away but that's not going to stop them coming. Can rats transmit diese to people? I have asked my parents can I move the piggies cage into my bedroom or somewhere in the house where the dogs can't get at like upstairs, but my parents won't speak of that they won't allow it. I don't know what to do I have cleaned up the shed already.

 

[Pebble]

The fact you have seen two means there are more nearby. If one is a baby then it sounds like you have a nesting mother in the vicinity - possibly underneath the shed or in a nearby compost bin/heap.

Rats can carry Salmonella, Leptospirosis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis - which can be spread to guinea pigs and humans via urine and/or faeces.

Living by a stream, I have a real problem with rats....I once stood and watched one from a few feet away from me brazenly chew right through the wooden door frame of a guinea page cage to get at the food (with the pigs still inside!). It took 5mins! My pigs are all now indoor pigs.

Providing the shed is secure and rat-proof, there shouldn't be a problem - however please be alert to the fact that rats can sneak into sheds whilst the door is open (I've twice had a rat living in my garden tool shed eating lawn treatment and glyophosphate weedkiller! The smell is particularly unpleasant and trying to get them out can be quite dangerous, especially if they are a nesting mother.

I'm afraid i now resort to bait in sealed plastic bags after having one jump out of my dustbin onto my shoulder one dark night whilst I was putting out the rubbish.

x

 

[Deleted member 114675]

The fact you have seen two means there are more nearby. If one is a baby then it sounds like you have a nesting mother in the vicinity - possibly underneath the shed or in a nearby compost bin/heap.

Rats can carry Salmonella, Leptospirosis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis - which can be spread to guinea pigs and humans via urine and/or faeces.

Living by a stream, I have a real problem with rats....I once stood and watched one from a few feet away from me brazenly chew right through the wooden door frame of a guinea page cage to get at the food (with the pigs still inside!). It took 5mins! My pigs are all now indoor pigs.

Providing the shed is secure and rat-proof, there shouldn't be a problem - however please be alert to the fact that rats can sneak into sheds whilst the door is open (I've twice had a rat living in my garden tool shed eating lawn treatment and glyophosphate weedkiller! The smell is particularly unpleasant and trying to get them out can be quite dangerous, especially if they are a nesting mother.

I'm afraid i now resort to bait in sealed plastic bags after having one jump out of my dustbin onto my shoulder one dark night whilst I was putting out the rubbish.

x

OMG !

My guinea pigs are in a shed and I am happy it is as secure as it can be .

I was planning to keep them in a hutch outside in the summer - I think I've changed my mind now.