# Looks like my pigeons are not alone in the shed!



## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

I thought a heard somthing munching this morning, I came back outside I bring my pigeons some seeds when BOOM! there it was attacking the seeds with all its might ... I took a sudden move closer it ran off Into the shed where my baby pijjies sleep at night! 

It had a long tail, big brown eyes, 2 round ears & a funny little run.

It ...

w..a..sss...

A!!!.....



























*RAT!!!!*

























Any tips on how to get rid of it? I don't want it's poops to make my most loved pigeons sick or anything, my mom said we might get a cat.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Christina,

You can trap them in a humane trap and relocate them, but your *real* problem is that *any* rat can get into the shed and might physically harm a pigeon. Where one rat has been others will follow and they love bird seed.

When I got my shed I stapled aviary wire (hardware cloth?) along the floors and walls and across any gap that a rat could squeeze through. The one weak spot that I left was found by a rat before I became aware of it but it is secure now! (The rat that got through my defences did no harm, but I have heard that they can kill birds, maybe when they are startled).

Cynthia


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

First thing.......Rule number one........RATS EAT PIGEONS!! Or they will try. Rats instinctively will attack any feathered thing that comes near them. I only speak from personal experience as I have rescued rats and pigeons for years and have had the inevitable run-ins between them. That rat sure is a cutie but if you walk in and find bloody pijie feet, he won't be so cute anymore!  Hmm, you have a shed......with an aviary, you would just make sure the holes in the wire are small enough so rats can't get in. With a shed, I would suggest buying some hardware cloth or tiny-holed chicken wire (not too expensive usually), and tack it (or better yet, staple-gun it) inside the shed along the wall and covering the floor, if possible. It would only have to go up three feet or so, I would think. Rats can and do climb but it would be difficult for them to climb inside the shed and then up and over the wire somehow, especially if it is tacked well. This should be rather cheap, and easy to do, maybe an hour or two of work at the most. Staple guns are about $15-$20 (here at least), and wire isn't that much either. Make sure the wire has very small holes (1/2 inch or less). It is a pretty common wire so many hardware stores/garden centers should carry it. 

As for a cat, I wouldn't even bother. About one in twenty cats actually hunt mice/rats lol, so your odds wouldn't be so great! And a cat that DOES hunt can only hunt so many, which leaves more rats around. I also *highly advise against* using a rat trap or poison, as they are inhumane and as strongly as we all feel about poisoning and trapping pigeons, rats have the same right to life as well.  OH also, you might try sprinkling hot red pepper thickly around the shed. Don't put it inside, as it will bother the birds, but outside should be fine. Rodents (as well as most animals) hate the smell and taste of HOT red pepper (black works well too in a pinch). Lay it in a thick trail all around the shed, you may have to replace it when it rains or gets moved around. This won't harm any critters, but will deter them. 

One other thing I have always done, is to keep the feed in plastic containers with lids. They are only $5-$10 for a good-sized one. Then the only seeds you have to worry about attracting rats, are the ones they have out to eat. If it's possible to put these up on a table of sorts, that would help maybe. Though some would of course be scattered on the ground anyway (especially if your birds are anything like mine, they can't eat without putting at least half of the seeds outside the dish  ). Someone else may have a better idea but that's all I can think of at the moment. Good luck!!


***Cynthia, I posted before I saw your post, looks like we're thinking along the same lines!


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## Baby Goose (Oct 10, 2006)

very useful information... thanks for the red pepper idea, I had no idea about RATS hurting, or killing pigeons.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Baby Goose said:


> very useful information... thanks for the red pepper idea, I had no idea about RATS hurting, or killing pigeons.


It is their instinct, as they do eat small birds in the wild if the opportunity arises; it's something they can't help.  But it is something many bird people aren't aware of and can be a danger. They have a very keen sense of smell and are drawn to seed that is available. It's not so much that the rats will hunt out the birds, as that if a bird lands next to a rat, their instinct is to GRAB whatever it is. A good peck from a pigeon deters this, as I've seen with my rescue rats and pigeons, which of course I learned years ago can't be in the same room, *ever*.....just because of that grabbing instinct that rats have. The only real danger of a rat killing a pigeon, or causing a pigeon's death, is from rat bite that may bleed enough to cause death. It is an unlikely occasion, and most rats just want the grain, but just the same it's best to keep pigeons safe from any rats, as well as mice, opossums, racoons, skunks, and other critters that may instinctively try to use one of our pijie as a meal.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Definitely not good news. 

They can also get Paratyphoid from rat droppings or tainted food/seed.


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## roxtar (Aug 21, 2006)

Why in the world would you want a cat anywhere near your birds? Last time I heard ..... Cats eat birds.


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## andinla (Mar 11, 2003)

*you can buy*

humane rat/mouse traps online where they can be relocated. You might have to set the trap on several ocassions because if you have one rat you most likely have more. Getting a cat will not solve your problem , it could also put your birds in danger.. your shed needs to be secure from all predators so I would suggest spending $30-50 to upgrade your birds home ... I have heard that rats will sometimes bite the heads off birds....

Andi


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

andinla said:


> humane rat/mouse traps online where they can be relocated. You might have to set the trap on several ocassions because if you have one rat you most likely have more. Getting a cat will not solve your problem , it could also put your birds in danger.. your shed needs to be secure from all predators so I would suggest spending $30-50 to upgrade your birds home ... I have heard that rats will sometimes bite the heads off birds....
> 
> Andi



Yes im going to update my shed, Im going to look for any posible holes because me and my dad just sealed a hole bunch up, I think those pesky rats may be living under the shed.

My dad wanted to use poisin but Im scared my pigeons could smell or eat it by mistake ... not taking any chances plus there's a local cat that loves to eat rats so if he eats a sick rat he could die.

I was going to get a cat that's freindly with pigeons starting from a kitten, I would never let the cat near my pigeons because there always in secure cages and when my birds are out the cat would go in.

When I was little and I had my first pet pigeon Todum, I found a young cat and it always ate the mice & rats all the time but never hurt my pigeon ... Todum would even jump on top of the cat and sometimes that cat would sleep beside her, I was also little and learning about pigeons so I didn't know better. I always watched them closley tho untill we had to sell the cat sadly. 

Anyway Im *not* going to put any cats near my pigeons, I just need to get rid of those rats. 

Im going to try some tips from here, thanks everyone!


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