How do wildlife rehabilitators handle rats?

Wildlife rehabilitators are known to provide shelter and care for injured, and sick animals, however, rats constitute nuisance in homes, and rehabilitators will normally capture and take such rats to rehabilitation centers where the rats are tested and either killed, or released as laboratory specimens. In some cases, rats and mice are normally bred by rehabilitators as food for reptiles in zoos. There are quite a number of facilities at rehabilitation centers handled by caregivers. Normally rats, are not released back into the society , unlike some other animals.



One of the things that wildlife rehabilitators do with rats is that they Euthanize the animals, humanely and quickly , and in the safest possible manner. The Euthanization of the rats are done in the Carbon dioxide chamber, and the legs of the rats are tucked along with their nails and underneath their bodies, before they are frozen immediately. When the rats has been completely frozen, they are carefully bagged in re-closable freezer bags before they are stored. With Euthanization and freezing, the rats will not suffer freezer burns , likewise , they will be freed from urine, feces, and odor. The process also ensures that the rats do not get stuck together during storage.

What can you do to help wildlife rehabilitators handle rats in your home. When you locate a rat in your home, you should be careful of the way you get rid of it. If you have a few colony of rats, then a non-lethal trap or a bait could be your best option to catch the rats alive, however, then there are multiple colonies , you will have to call the wildlife rehabilitators to get rid of the problem. Never make attempt to use chemical poisons to kill rats, because some of them do not die immediately, they may move into inner parts of your home where they can cause offensive odor that becomes difficult to handle and may even cause sickness to your household.

Once you are able to trap the rat, you should take them immediately to the wildlife rehabilitation or conservative center where they can be further handled. If you find the rat injured or sick, you must ensure that you wear some protective gloves while transferring the rats to the rehabilitation center. Never make attempt to treat an injured rat by yourself, if you do, you may suffer from certain diseases that can spread through body contact with fluids. A licensed wildlife rehabilitator is in the best position to ascertain how best a captured rat can be treated. Aside the removal of rats from key areas of your home, wildlife rehabilitators can also provide advice and services on sealing off, entry points and creating rat barriers in your attics and other areas of the home.

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