What do you do with a rat that bites?

[MCMB]

I started my own rat colony a while ago because I was tired of dishing out the money for live from local shops and our collection is getting too big. Built the rack using Clay Davenport's guide (which was amazing by the way), feeding Mazuri, Aspen bedding, gravity water, the whole 9 yards. Bought the males and females from completely separate places to avoid inbreeding as much as possible.

I've had quite a few litters now and have been culling off the rats with small litters (recently had to get rid of my 'mustache' rat because she only had 3 babies...she was cute too ). I've been keeping a 1:4 ratio, cleaning regularly, separating preggos from the colony, etc.

For the most part the rats are all very nice. I've had a few that like to come up and nip a tiny bit, but I usually just ignore them. Then I got one that took it a little further.

She had her babies, and I was playing with them a little bit, and she came up and really bit me. That was the first time I experienced a rat actually bite, and it bled pretty badly. I've been in her cage a few more times since (for cleaning, etc), and every time she is extremely aggressive and will literally run across the cage to bite me. I usually get my hand out in time, but she's caught me 2-3 other times because I wasn't being careful. I know that mothers are very protective, but all of the other moms that I have right now usually just pick up a baby and run with it (I don't know why they think I'm going to hurt them, you'd think after the 10th time they'd figure it out ) or they'll sniff me a little bit and then everything is fine.

Today was the last straw. Her babies are all opening their eyes now, and for those of you who breed rats you can probably concur that this is their cutest point. Of course I can't help but play with them and want to pet them. Mom was on the other side of the cage, the babies were all sniffing me and letting me play with them, and then out of the blue mom comes over and literally bites onto my finger. She bit my finger so hard that when I pulled it up, she was hanging in the air by my finger. She bit deep enough that I was instantly dripping blood all over the floor and the rack, and my finger still feels like it is extremely bruised.

My concern is that she is aggressive enough to attack a snake if I try to feed her live, and I don't really know of humane killing methods.

My question is not "what do I do with my finger" or "SHOULD I kill this rat?". My question is...HOW do I kill this rat?

I have another mom that can take care of her babies or they may just end up as feeders this weekend. Feel free to be as detailed as possible.

NOTE: I AM NOT INTO ANIMAL TORTURE, SO KEEP IT WITHIN REASON

 

[hhmoore]

CO2 is generally considered the most humane method.

 

[JColt]

Plenty of videos on youtube on how to properly us co2.

 

[MCMB]

CO2 is generally considered the most humane method.

I had heard that before but do not have a canister...simply have not needed to euthanize rats as I'm feeding off more than I'm growing up at the moment.

I had heard that you can do the volcano thing like in elementary school with baking soda/vinegar? Haha. Does that actually work? Or will it make the rats stink like vinegar and have the snakes not take them?

For the record, this is the first rat that I've ever actually wanted dead. I usually feel awful feeding them, but if I don't do it my snakes will suffer. I just can't have extremely aggressive rats in my colony as it makes it difficult to socialize the others in any way...plus she's a

 

[MCMB]

Plenty of videos on youtube on how to properly us co2.

Like I stated, I know of using CO2 but when looking into canisters it seemed very expensive (maybe I was looking in the wrong places). Since I'm not currently producing enough rats to need to kill and freeze them, I decided to invest the money elsewhere.

This is just a one time killerooski. Nothing that I want to have to go get supplies for.

 

[Fangthane]

Like I stated, I know of using CO2 but when looking into canisters it seemed very expensive (maybe I was looking in the wrong places).

Have access to dry ice? If so, dry ice and water is all it takes to make a nifty little CO2 fog.

 

[Helenthereef]

I worked in an animal lab for years. Here's the "How to" of hit-'em-on-the-head, which is without a doubt the fastest way and most merciful for the rat,

1. If rat is tame, hold it on your left hand with its head looking over the back of your hand, front paws on top of your hand, back paws and tail hanging.
(- if rat is not tame you can quieten it down considerably by hanging it by its tail and spinning it a few times by twirling the tail between your fingers so it gets dizzy)

2. Hold tail in your right hand.

3. Stand in front of a hard surface such as kitchen or bathroom counter

4. Swing back of rat's head FIRMLY and without hesitation against hard surface to stun it. Once should do.

5. Place stunned rat quickly belly down on hard surface

6. Place something solid but not sharp (such as the edge of a wooden kitchen spatula, or as you say wooden dowel or spoon handle) immediately behind the rat's skull.

7. Pull on the tail, not just backwards but also angled upwards about 45 degrees

8. You will feel the neck give way - it does not have to be hard (certainly not hard enough to have the tail skin come off, although it happens sometimes with mice)

9. Rat is now effectively dead. It will kick but this is reflex nerve action, not a conscious struggle.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - buy a few frozen rats and practice with dead ones before you go on to live. This is only kind when it is done with certainty and confidence.
__________________

 

[MCMB]

I worked in an animal lab for years. Here's the "How to" of hit-'em-on-the-head, which is without a doubt the fastest way and most merciful for the rat,

1. If rat is tame, hold it on your left hand with its head looking over the back of your hand, front paws on top of your hand, back paws and tail hanging.
(- if rat is not tame you can quieten it down considerably by hanging it by its tail and spinning it a few times by twirling the tail between your fingers so it gets dizzy)

2. Hold tail in your right hand.

3. Stand in front of a hard surface such as kitchen or bathroom counter

4. Swing back of rat's head FIRMLY and without hesitation against hard surface to stun it. Once should do.

5. Place stunned rat quickly belly down on hard surface

__________________

This is exactly what I needed. I knew about separating the spine, and while normally I would feel way too awful to do it I feel like this rat gave me a reason. I had already tried to get her to lay on her stomach with her paws over an edge but could not get her to lie still...had no idea I had to stun her first .

Thank you to everyone for the input, this sounds like the way to go for me. If I ever have to kill rats in the future, I will most likely invest in a canister though.

 

[Helenthereef]

Speed and confidence are the key. Good luck!

 

[hhmoore]

Be prepared - the strike can cause bleeding from the rat's nose and/or mouth; and, if poorly done, the rat may scream.

 

[MCMB]

Yea I was prepared for the worst, but it's all taken care of . I don't think I'd ever want to do it again, but this one needed to go. I can still barely bend my finger, she got me right on the joint -.- On a plus note, my big ol' het pied that I thought would only take live apparently has no issues with fresh killed .

 

[snowgyre]

Thoracic compression is the standard method to euthanize small animals via the Society of American Mammalogists and is a technique I use in the field when I encounter injured small mammals during my period small mammal surveys. Grab the rodent firmly by the chest and squeeze hard until the animal can't breathe. Death occurs in less than a minute and is more reliable than blunt trauma to the head.

 

[snowgyre]

and is a technique I use in the field when I encounter injured small mammals during my period small mammal surveys

Good lord that sounded dirty. PERIODIC small mammal surveys. PERIODIC. The lack of an edit button as a nonpaid member is embarrassing sometimes, but alas, can't pay for an account until after I finish moving. x_x

 

[MCMB]

Thoracic compression is the standard method to euthanize small animals via the Society of American Mammalogists and is a technique I use in the field when I encounter injured small mammals during my period small mammal surveys. Grab the rodent firmly by the chest and squeeze hard until the animal can't breathe. Death occurs in less than a minute and is more reliable than blunt trauma to the head.

Are you saying to squeeze hard enough as to actually crush the ribcage? It seems to me at that point that just squeezing the spine at the base of the neck and twisting would be more effective?

 

[snowgyre]

No, you're not crushing any bones, you're simply applying enough pressure that the animal can't breathe. A rat dies rather quickly by suffocation... quickly enough that the primary scientific society for mammals in North America recognizes thoracic compression as a humane method of euthanasia. Just squeeze hard and hold. If done properly, the rat won't even struggle. They just kind of go to sleep.

 

[snowgyre]

In my experience, any method of killing an animal that requires twisting or blunt trauma leaves far too large a margin an error. If done incorrectly, the animal suffers GREATLY before death. If the rat is calm when you're holding it, then you gently grab it around the chest and then squeeze hard with one hand, they actually pass quickly and surprisingly peacefully.

 

[MCMB]

Weird, I'm suprised I've never heard of that...I never even saw it when I was looking around the internet.

Sounds a lot easier than bashing their head on a table first (no offense Helenthereef, it did the job ) . Plus I don't think I'd feel quite so bad if I had to do it to my nicer ratties. Thanks for the info!

 

[JColt]

If you watch video's the "chamber" is nothing more than a container like 5 gal bucket or shoebox with a supply line for co2 and a small hole so lid does not blow off. If you go the tail route hold tail firm or you will peel skin from tail and have one agitated rat.

 

[Helenthereef]

In my experience, any method of killing an animal that requires twisting or blunt trauma leaves far too large a margin an error. If done incorrectly, the animal suffers GREATLY before death. If the rat is calm when you're holding it, then you gently grab it around the chest and then squeeze hard with one hand, they actually pass quickly and surprisingly peacefully.

That's interesting - essentially it's the same way the snake kills a rodent so it makes sense, but this is the first time I've every heard of it being done (literally) by human hand.

PS; no offence taken MCMB, head bashing isn't lovely but it is fast, and works when you need it. I agree that it isn't for everyone.

 

[oneofakinduserid]

No, you're not crushing any bones, you're simply applying enough pressure that the animal can't breathe. A rat dies rather quickly by suffocation... quickly enough that the primary scientific society for mammals in North America recognizes thoracic compression as a humane method of euthanasia. Just squeeze hard and hold. If done properly, the rat won't even struggle. They just kind of go to sleep.

Huh. It's like pretending to be a snake to constrict the rat... If she is aggressive as he says it might be tricky, though...


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