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Possum or rat in kitchen (Sorry about the Vanity)

Posted on 04/04/2008 1:14:48 AM PDT by rollo tomasi

Woke around 1:30 AM hearing strange noise in the kitchen. My daughter's Persian cat had what looked like a possum or rat cornered. Needless to say I was startled a bit.

When I turned on the light I noticed blood then the long tail animal escaping behind the baseboard.

If any animal expert or lover would chime in I would be appreciative.

1) The Persian has her front claws out (Indoor cat) and upon inspection did not notice any blood or bite marks on the body. Could the cat have used the back claws? If the cat did bite the thing would there not be blood around the mouth?

2) 'Belle' the cat has her rabies shots up to date. If the long tail possum or rat had rabies what are the chances 'Belle' could contract the disease?

3) Anyone have any tips on catching possums or rats? I can see the tail hanging out of the baseboard. Seeing it's not even the crack of dawn yet, help would be futile from "expert" rat/possum catchers.

By the way judging from the short glimpse it looked like a possum. Had that triangular feature but then again the thing was screaming.

Thank you in advance.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Health/Medicine; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: possums
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1 posted on 04/04/2008 1:14:48 AM PDT by rollo tomasi
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To: rollo tomasi; Slings and Arrows

Cat advice ping.


2 posted on 04/04/2008 1:20:15 AM PDT by Jet Jaguar (Who would the terrorists vote for?)
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To: rollo tomasi

Possums don’t scream, they growl, unless you have a baby.
The cat should be fine if the shot is current.


3 posted on 04/04/2008 1:22:54 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: rollo tomasi
Be careful...


4 posted on 04/04/2008 1:26:11 AM PDT by HAL9000 ("If someone who has access to the press says something over and over again, people believe it"- B.C.)
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To: SWAMPSNIPER

Growl was the word I was looking for.

Thanks.

But I do have a 3 month old who screams.


5 posted on 04/04/2008 1:28:39 AM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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To: HAL9000

6 posted on 04/04/2008 1:30:06 AM PDT by HAL9000 ("If someone who has access to the press says something over and over again, people believe it"- B.C.)
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To: rollo tomasi
Y'all don't happen to need a door right there where it is, would you?

If so, I've an idea that would involve a shotgun, a railroad tie, a pickup truck, a chainsaw, 30' of chain, and about a cold-pack of beer...

7 posted on 04/04/2008 1:36:00 AM PDT by roamer_1 (Globalism is just Socialism in a business suit.)
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To: rollo tomasi
One of my favorite websites...good Lord I'm strange.

Ratkill.com

Lots of info and tips in the forums on catching and killing varmints.

WORD OF CAUTION...the site is NOT for the squemish! Graphic pics. THen again their varmints.

prisoner6

8 posted on 04/04/2008 1:39:48 AM PDT by prisoner6 (Right Wing Nuts hold the country together as the loose screws of the Left fall out.)
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To: rollo tomasi

Possums are not aggressive, it won’t hurt you unless you grab it. Put some food out, leave the room for a while, when it comes out charge in and put a laundry basket over it. Then, just scoot it out the door. You need to find out how it got in. If it’s a baby you could have a momma possum in the attic.
If all else fails, and it is not a rat, call the county wildlife rescue folks. What county do you live in? I may have a number to call.


9 posted on 04/04/2008 1:54:53 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: rollo tomasi

Our Possums are a bit different to yours in the US, although I understand they may be somehow distantly related. They are certainly a bloody nuisance if they get inside, as are rats.

> Woke around 1:30 AM hearing strange noise in the kitchen. My daughter’s Persian cat had what looked like a possum or rat cornered. Needless to say I was startled a bit.

Was there a strong, pungent smell? If so, probably a rat.

> When I turned on the light I noticed blood then the long tail animal escaping behind the baseboard.

If a decent amount of blood, the animal (whatever it was) is likely to die of infection if not shock.

1) The Persian has her front claws out (Indoor cat) and upon inspection did not notice any blood or bite marks on the body. Could the cat have used the back claws?

Yes certainly: could have clamped with its teeth and scraped repeatedly with its back claws: cats often do this, and it is one of their more effective attacks.

> If the cat did bite the thing would there not be blood around the mouth?

Not necessarily: their bite would render a puncture wound, which is more likely to seep than to spurt. Cats are also pretty good at cleaning themselves, so if there was blood it wouldn’t stay there for long.

> 2) ‘Belle’ the cat has her rabies shots up to date. If the long tail possum or rat had rabies what are the chances ‘Belle’ could contract the disease?

Unlikely. That is what the shots are for.

> 3) Anyone have any tips on catching possums or rats?

Possums are harder to kill than rats. Here in NZ we have a proper possum trap. Most people will use Cyanide baits or 1080 poison, or the good ol’ .22 to kill the mungrels. I have killed possums with my .177 hi-powered air rifle, but that requires a clean head-shot.

Rats respond to warfarin-based poison baits best. Use proper bait stations. Alternatively, the British make an excellent all-steel rat-trap that kills them stone dead. The trouble is, if you have seen one rat chances are you have twenty or more, so killing them one at a time is a rather pointless task. Again, the .177 air rifle is a good choice for one-off killings: find a good killing ground and set bait there for a couple nites at a consistent time. Consistency is the main thing: be consistent so that the rat develops a habit of visiting there. Then after say four or five nites, set the bait and be waiting in the dark with your air rifle and a good flashlight. Take the precaution of being loaded and having your rifle pointing in the general direction of the bait — you will have one shot when the flashlite goes on, and it will be a snap-shot. The mungrel will move very quickly after being initially surprised — you will have 2 seconds max to get your best shot off.

Air rifles are a good bet because you can retrieve the body immediately and dispose of it. They also kill instantly due to shock so there is little blood — even if you do not hit the rat in vital organs, the shock will kill it stone dead.

Rat poisons, on the other hand, rely on killing the rat from dehydration and thirst, and desiccating the rat like an Egyptian mummy. This can lead to unpleasant smells if the rats die in your ceiling or walls and fail to desiccate, because they will then rot. It is therefore important to limit the availability of water in your house while you are poisoning (ie empty your dishwater, keep your toilet seats closed, cover your fishbowl, &tc). This will encourage them to go outside in search of water, and hopefully die there.

> I can see the tail hanging out of the baseboard. Seeing it’s not even the crack of dawn yet, help would be futile from “expert” rat/possum catchers.

Get the .177 out and blast ‘im if you can get a clean shot at the body. Anything traveling faster than 500 fps should do the trick.

> By the way judging from the short glimpse it looked like a possum. Had that triangular feature but then again the thing was screaming.

Rats scream. Possums in New Zealand growl something horrid!

> Thank you in advance

Good luck and good hunting!

*DieHard the Hunter*


10 posted on 04/04/2008 1:59:51 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: SWAMPSNIPER
I live on an AFB (Base housing just got privatized a couple of months ago) so have to go through the company that manages housing.

I see the darn thing sticking out of the baseboard and it does looked spooked. The cat is in the kitchen “patrolling” and keeping it scared (Kitchen can be closed off from rest of the house) but might have to try your idea.

Had a possum problem outside last fall. Caught a big one outside with a trap that was provided but I guess another "momma" is back because because this one looks rather small.

11 posted on 04/04/2008 2:11:14 AM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

Thanks for the info.


12 posted on 04/04/2008 2:13:09 AM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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To: rollo tomasi
if it was me I would put on a nice thick pair of leather work gloves on my hands and a thick coat to protect my arms. I would get a deep trash can with a lid inside near the animal and I would yank that sucker out by his tail from the base board. If you can't get a hold of it, gas the sucker out with some sort or aerosol spray like air freshener, etc.
13 posted on 04/04/2008 2:22:29 AM PDT by stlnative
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To: rollo tomasi
Some of that base housing was built in 1940, LOL. It's most likely a baby, better check the attic and crawl space, momma is somewhere near. Welcome to Florida!!

http://www.pbase.com/tsiya/root

http://photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/

http://cabbagehammock.blogspot.com/

14 posted on 04/04/2008 2:27:37 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: rollo tomasi

> Thanks for the info.

Yer welcome. It occurs to me that you have one other option. There is this outfit near Chicago that makes a device called the “Rat Zapper” — it is blue plastic, and shaped like a foot-long section of roof gutter, upside-down if that makes any sense. Essentially it is a tunnel, with one end sealed and one end open.

Inside the tunnel there are two metal plates, separated by a gap. The housing of the tunnel contains a switch, a big capacitor, and a pair of D-Cells...

You place your bait inside the tunnel and switch it ON and place the tunnel where your rats frequent.

In fairly short order a rat investigates the bait, enters the tunnel and completes the circuit by touching both metal plates. There is a big blue spark and the next thing he knows the rat wakes up dead.

Then you merely take the tunnel outside and tip the rat into the rubbish bin — you don’t even need to touch it or see it. Then re-set the trap and repeat as often as needed. Retail cost in the US would be about $50.

These work a treat! If you Google “Rat Zapper” +Illinois you should be able to find it.

Good luck and Good Hunting!
*DieHard*


15 posted on 04/04/2008 2:27:54 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: rollo tomasi

YouTube - Catch A Possum By The Tail
A cat paws at a possum’s tail, and the possum reacts.

Watch video - 26 sec -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZl15ROk8K8


16 posted on 04/04/2008 2:29:55 AM PDT by stlnative
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To: rollo tomasi

LOL...
Possum and Persian Cat Confrontation (YouTube Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxOS2iuVNvw&feature=related


17 posted on 04/04/2008 2:39:02 AM PDT by stlnative
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To: SWAMPSNIPER
Fortunately they are in the process of building new housing.

Lived in a nice house last year (Off base) but moved on base for the “convenience”. I guess I'll take a few possums once in while over having to deal with traffic.

18 posted on 04/04/2008 2:50:56 AM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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To: stlnative

LOL!

Wish this mornings encounter was as “friendly”. Kind of feel bad for the little possum bleeding in my baseboard.


19 posted on 04/04/2008 2:57:45 AM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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To: rollo tomasi
I've trapped raccoons with this inexpensive trap using chocolate chip cookies as bait:

Live animal trap

20 posted on 04/04/2008 3:10:51 AM PDT by Godebert
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