# Killing rats illegal?



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

Someone was saying it is illegal to kill rats, unless its under controled sir-com-sis (SPELLING)??

Well is it, becasue i have no....exact proof and facts.

Saying it is illegal to bash them on the floor, or hit them on the head, 1 hit kill?

Thanks Dan. 

Also proof from sites too would be cool.


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## cannotstopbuyingballs (Dec 29, 2007)

snakelover said:


> Someone was saying it is illegal to kill rats, unless its under controled sir-com-sis (SPELLING)??
> 
> Well is it, becasue i have no....exact proof and facts.
> 
> ...


Not sure I have heard anything but if you do it in your own home I doubt anybody would know or care ?


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## welshgaz (Dec 12, 2005)

I guess it would be if done for no real reason. Some info' might be in here http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/snakes/69279-live-feeding-laws.html

They are vertebrate animals so they are going to be covered under animal cruelty


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## tarantulabarn (Apr 21, 2005)

welshgaz said:


> I guess it would be if done for no real reason. Some info' might be in here http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/snakes/69279-live-feeding-laws.html
> 
> They are vertebrate animals so they are going to be covered under animal cruelty


I dont get any choice, we had a wild rat come in our house last year and my dogs got to it before me


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I would imagine that 'banging them on the head' or 'smacking them off a wall' isn't going to go down too well Whereas humane euthansia for reptile consumption most people can live with even if they dont' like the thought.
Afterall the reps have to eat.


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## cannotstopbuyingballs (Dec 29, 2007)

saxon said:


> I would imagine that 'banging them on the head' or 'smacking them off a wall' isn't going to go down too well Whereas humane euthansia for reptile consumption most people can live with even if they dont' like the thought.
> Afterall the reps have to eat.


The thought of putting them in a bag and bashing them on the wall sounds awful, Where is the inpact? The head, the front, the backside ? and think of the mess ! When I did it I put a shovel upside down and GENTLY swung the rat on the end of the shovel hitting the back or the neck. Instant spinal break, No pain, no mess and no problem.


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## perthchickie (Mar 15, 2008)

Breaking there neck is instant where as gasing them in large numbers they take longer to die


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

Apparently it is done as quick as possible...and apparently thats pretty quick..
are we talking rats in the street? or pets? feeder?


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## welshgaz (Dec 12, 2005)

DeanThorpe said:


> are we talking rats in the street? or pets? feeder?


should it matter ?


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## al_mcc (Aug 21, 2007)

there was a dirty big rat about the size of a cat at the end of my road at the weekend; thought it was a cat as it went behind a tree, so went towards it to 'say hello', then the f**ker jumped out of the tree towards me and got a bash with my bag of shopping...so to put this into context, is death by fish finger allowed? :whistling2:
(ip.s. i didn't by any means kill it, incase any lovers of wild town rats are reading this...that rat looked like it could have survived 12 rounds with mike tyson).


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

welshgaz said:


> should it matter ?


erm...well to an extent..
i dont know, do you have to have a license to breed and gas rodents? are you aloud to take wildlife and gas them? i dont know..i assume its ok to kill wild rats humanely then?

and duh by the way as we ar ein the feeder forum i now guess we are talking feeder rats.


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

al_mcc said:


> there was a dirty big rat about the size of a cat at the end of my road at the weekend; thought it was a cat as it went behind a tree, so went towards it to 'say hello', then the f**ker jumped out of the tree towards me and got a bash with my bag of shopping...so to put this into context, is death by fish finger allowed? :whistling2:
> (ip.s. i didn't by any means kill it, incase any lovers of wild town rats are reading this...that rat looked like it could have survived 12 rounds with mike tyson).


 
haha..saw a huge rat once too...and have had many smaller ones cross my path...including a rather cute lil one in our back garden [yeh i know...not cool]
i wouldnt want to hurt any of them but...i doubt it would take a run at me but if so id boot it... which would be wrong by animal welfare accounts... so shouldnt gassing one for food be the same?
no..i dont think but im curious as to what the laws are also.


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## Alice (Apr 30, 2007)

i'm not sure if it differs depending on domestic or wild. But i'm sure it's legal to kill wild rats because they're classed as vermin and you can legally buy all sorts of killing methods, traps, poison etc.


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## neep_neep (Oct 18, 2007)

Wild rats are classed as vermin - and as such, don't receive any protection as far as I am aware.

ETA: Alice beat me to it. But yes, domesticated rats will be protected by animal welfare laws, whereas unfortunately for the wild chaps, they are not.


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## welshgaz (Dec 12, 2005)

I know nothing about the laws on killing rats etc but I'm just asking some question to stir things up 

Personally speaking I see no reason why a rat breed for food or a rat brought up in da hood should have any different rights ? If you go out and kill it surely this has to be done in a humaine way else its just cruelty to animals if they are classed as vermin or not ?

I'd class cats a virmin so does that mean I can go out and put rat poison on a plate of kitty cat ?


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## Alice (Apr 30, 2007)

DeanThorpe said:


> i wouldnt want to hurt any of them but...i doubt it would take a run at me but if so id boot it...


:lol2: me too. They can be pretty vicious though, especially if there's a group of them..little mobsters.


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## Alice (Apr 30, 2007)

welshgaz said:


> I know nothing about the laws on killing rats etc but I'm just asking some question to stir things up
> 
> Personally speaking I see no reason why a rat breed for food or a rat brought up in da hood should have any different rights ? If you go out and kill it surely this has to be done in a humaine way else its just cruelty to animals if they are classed as vermin or not ?
> 
> I'd class cats a virmin so does that mean I can go out and put rat poison on a plate of kitty cat ?


yeah i know what you mean. It's like fox hunting. Some sick :censor: see that as being perfectly O.K. Yet if it was a domestic dog that was being hunted they would be disgusted.


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

I think the methods for killing virmin are regulated arent they? AS TO SUPOSED TO BE HUMANE ALSO? sorry caps cant be bothered to re-type...
i still think there is a difference in morality and maybe legally..if a rat in the street or enters your home and erm whatever..mayeb hit it with a broom... but if you hit your pet rat with a broom wouldnt that be bad?

or say you can breed and gas feeder rats but is it ok to go outside..hunt in the hedges for rats...chuck them in a box and gas them?
i wish i knew... i really do lol


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## hermanlover (Jul 8, 2007)

Alice said:


> yeah i know what you mean. It's like fox hunting. Some sick :censor: see that as being perfectly O.K. Yet if it was a domestic dog that was being hunted they would be disgusted.


fox hunting is actually one of the most humaine ways of dispatching of foxes, im not saying im for or agaisnts it, but the fox is dead within seconds, were as if the fox is shot, more often than not it is left just injured, and dies a slow painful death, once the hounds get the fox, its dead within a second. edit: also foxes are classed as vermin, domestic dogs arent

and back to the original topic, i dont think it can be ilegal, as you wouldnt be able to buy frozen rats (or mice for that fact) off the internet


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

californiankinglover said:


> fox hunting is actually one of the most humaine ways of dispatching of foxes, im not saying im for or agaisnts it, but the fox is dead within seconds, were as if the fox is shot, more often than not it is left just injured, and dies a slow painful death, once the hounds get the fox, its dead within a second. edit: also foxes are classed as vermin, domestic dogs arent


but the fox can be chased for hours. can you imagine running for hours and then being ripped apart?

And why shoudl it make a difference if they are "vermin" or not? They still have feelings. Still have cubs that will never see their mothers again.


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## hermanlover (Jul 8, 2007)

but the fox can be chased for hours. can you imagine running for hours and then being ripped apart?
you would be suprised how short they are chased for, once the hounds get the scent the fox is dead within seconds, and they are not ripped apart, as the hounds kill it (humaine as they snap the neck), and then the hunt leader retrieves it. 

And why shoudl it make a difference if they are "vermin" or not? They still have feelings. Still have cubs that will never see their mothers again
well its legal to kill vermin, not legal to kill domestic animals (well you would be charged for animal cruelty) 

the main type of hunting used now anyway is drag hunting, the fox is shot (doesnt always work and fox is left injured, suffering a slow painful death for days, hence why the hound method is more humaine) it is then soaked in a barrel of water for a week or so, the fox is then draged along, to create the scent, and the water is also used for the scent. so the dogs still follow it and get no were.


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

californiankinglover said:


> but the fox can be chased for hours. can you imagine running for hours and then being ripped apart?
> you would be suprised how short they are chased for, once the hounds get the scent the fox is dead within seconds, and they are not ripped apart, as the hounds kill it (humaine as they snap the neck), and then the hunt leader retrieves it.
> 
> And why shoudl it make a difference if they are "vermin" or not? They still have feelings. Still have cubs that will never see their mothers again
> ...


There's a chemical that you use, there is no need to kill an animal.

Also, some of the hounds follow the scent of the "walker".


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

californiankinglover said:


> fox hunting is actually one of the most humaine ways of dispatching of foxes, im not saying im for or agaisnts it, but the fox is dead within seconds, were as if the fox is shot, more often than not it is left just injured, and dies a slow painful death, once the hounds get the fox, its dead within a second. edit: also foxes are classed as vermin, domestic dogs arent
> 
> and back to the original topic, i dont think it can be ilegal, as you wouldnt be able to buy frozen rats (or mice for that fact) off the internet


You ever been to a hunt lee?


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