Even Dr. Drew Pisky said his home in Los Angeles was invaded by rats. He believes it has to do with L.A. county not addressing the homeless population. Whatever the case, things are just getting worse and we need to figure out options that WORK.
I have done a TON of research to find what is the best way to kill rats, and FINALLY found something that actually works REALLY, REALLY WELL, that is ALSO safe to be used around cats. It's also cheaper than just about everything else I've tried.
I know it sounds too good to be true, but it's not. As long as you use it correctly. It's also, in my opinion, THE most humane thing you could possibly use. I watched a YouTube video by a guy who has a whole channel about how to kill rats, and he did a whole analysis, and he showed all the rats he was able to kill with it (humanely), and I was convinced enough that it was humane AND effective. I tried it and holy moly, it actually works.
The only thing those inhumane rat pellets have in common with Rat-X, is that it LOOKS similar, because is a type of rat bait / food product that they eat, and it is in pellet form.
But the way it works is completely different.
Please note that you DO have to mix it with something that is appealing to the rats, like peanut butter and bird seed. Otherwise, it's not likely to work.
What happens is, the rats gobble it up, not realizing that what is going to happen is, it's going to shut off a censor in their brain that makes them thirsty. This causes them to get very dehydrated, to the point where they lapse into a very drowsy, catatonic state. They end up crawling into thier burrows, and go to sleep.... for good.
BONUS: For those who hate the thought of the rat dying in an area where they can't find it, you'll be happy to know that the rats' bodies are very DRY when they die. It's likely they will burrow underground so you won't smell the rat at all, or even find it, but if you do find it in your house, or if it's trapped iside a wall, it's likely that the rat won't have that horrible smell that you would get if you used regular rat poison. I'm not saying there will be NO smell, but it is WAY less than a "regular" dead rat.
Here are some videos that show how it works (this one by Shawn Woods is what convinced me to use it).
Why Rat X Is The Only Rat Poison I Will Ever Use - Safe & Effective
This is the video below explains why the rats won't stink up your home or property, when they die.
Get Rid of Rats The Safe Way ☠️ 🐀 🌿
What is THE most humane way to kill a rat?
Someone on Facebook had complained, after I recommended the Rat-X, that falling into a deep coma and dying, is inhumane. Well, I'd like to see someone come up with an option that IS more humane.
I've learned, over the years, that there is no "100% humane" way to kill any animal or insect that does not want to die. But if you weigh every one of the alternatives, you may conclude that, out of all the options that are out there, this method is THE most humane option that's currently available.
Ask yourself, if you were a rat that was actually given a choice on how you'd want to die, which option would you choose? I can tell you that if I had a choice, I would 100% for sure choose the Rat-X. No, I can't say 100% for SURE that it would be the best way to go, since I'm not a rat, but that is my best guess, based on the research I've done. Most people would probably prefer to die in their sleep, than to die in a way that caused a lot of pain.
Here are the other options I've tried, and why I feel that they are actually much more inhumane than using Rat-X.
Rat traps
I used these and they did not work on some of the rats I tried to kill. The rats in my neighborhood are BIG. I have a friend who told me the exterminator she hired, told her that one of the rats he caught would not fit into a GALLON SIZED Ziploc bag. Many of the rats were able to wriggle out of the traps I bought, and I used the ones that had THE HIGHEST REVIEWS ON AMAZON. Some were able to figure out how to eat the bait without touching the trap. There was one time where I found a rat that was stuck in the trap and couldn't get out. That was traumatizing for me AND the rat. I had to figure out what to do with this poor, injured rat. Kill it myself? Let my cats kill it? Let it go in a field, injured, so that something ELSE can kill it? All of those options just caused me more stress to even have to think about it.
Ultrasonic devices
I bought a few different types, and the first ones were completely JUNK, but I actually found one that actually did work, when I used several at once, and turned them up on high. But I had to crank it up to on the setting where it was somewhat audible, which was intolerable to my own cats and myself, so we had to relocate for a few days and it was just this big to-do, and it's way easier to just use the Rat-X. The rats I found dead, looked like they had been desperately trying to escape the annoying sound, and I feel like they died in a very stressful manner. I would not recommend this if there was something easier and more humane.
Rat Zapper
I only caught ONE rat with this, and felt horrible about it. It was hard not to picture the poor thing getting ELECTROCUTED. I mean for God's sake that is what is used on criminals on death row, who've been convicted of gruesome murders. Feels kind of ironic, while you're setting the trap: "Hmmm, I guess now I'm the gruesome murderer!" I realize people have good reason to kill rats. I personally HATE rats. They can do TONS of damage to a house, and they're dirty and disgusting. But I know it's not their fault that they ARE rats. They probably didn't get a choice. So the humane we can be, in getting rid of them, the better.
Goodnature A24 Rat & Mouse Trap
It wasn't cheap - like $200 I think, for a full set of everything I needed, on Amazon (bought in 2019). And the cartridges aren't cheap, either. I had to replace them a few times when the device got knocked over and it accidentally fired or broke the cartridge (I attached it to a wood block, but realize this wouldn't have been a problem if attached to a wall or tree).
When I used it, I was surprised to see that the rat actually had spasms for about 5 minutes. I was mortified. I thought it was supposed to die instantly!! This part was NOT shown in the videos I'd seen online. And there was a lot of blood, because it just got knocked in the head and it's skull was cracked open. So cleaning it up is like wiping up a crime scene. I still think this device is a more human option than rat poison, rat traps or a rat zapper. And it may be useful for a lot of people, and it may be good to use in the woods, where other animals can eat the rats and cart it off. But I still prefer the Rat-X.
Drowning
I bought a couple of devices that are like little planks that you attach to a bucket. The rat basically falls into the bucket and drowns. I HATED this method, knowing that poor rat must have suffered, and I wanted to cry when I found the drowned rat, but I knew it wasn't safe to let rats live. So that is the ONLY reason I used it. I just am SO relieved I found something that appears to be way more humane.
Letting the rat go (in a field, etc).
I used to actually drive rats to a field and let it go, thinking this was the most humane thing to do. I'd literally drive SEVERAL MILES, using about 5 bucks worth of gas, to let these rats go in a woodsy area. I kid you not. But I did this because I truly believed it was THE most humane option (at least, until I found the Rat-X). I started to realize, either it's going to be scared and will probably either starve or get eaten by something (how would YOU like to get eaten by a cat or mountain lion?)
Say it does find a food source, and maybe it'll even have a happy life, hook up with another rat and they have babies. Those babies are going to need a food source, and shelter, and when they can't find it in the forest, theyll move back into the burbs. This is happening a LOT MORE, now that we are experiencing climate change and lots of forest fires, and ALL creatures are starting to come closer and closer to the burbs. Once these rats move into the burbs, they will either multiply (so you just made the proble worse by letting it go), be killed (and tortured) by a cat, or they'll be poisoned, and die in a painful way.
I realized that it's better to kill the rat ASAP, in a safe and humane way, than to give it any chance of breeding, and letting it's offspring get killed in an inhumane way. Seriously, think about it. One rat can turn into THOUSANDS in a year. So in my opinion, it's better to just kill it humanely. I never would have said this before I discovered the Rat-X, but now I think this is a much better option.
Letting the cats "just take care of it."
While I think you can look at it as "Nature's Way" - and believe me, I've had to resort to this - I would much prefer to kill a rat with this Rat-X stuff, than to let one of my cats kill it. Cats have a tendency to TORTURE mice and rats. They'll bat it around and it can be suffering for half an hour or longer, before it's dead.
What I would never use:
Traditional rat pellets:
They make the rat bleed internally, and the rat can have a very painful, prolonged death. When it dies, it's body will rot and if it's in a hidden area, you are going to have to smell thatfor several days. In addition, these types of pellets can kill any other animal that eats the rat (like a cat or mountain lion). I once had a cat that had to be rushed to the vet because his nose was bleeding badly. The vet said it was rat poison, and that could have been either from my cat eating rat poison OR a rat that had eaten it. I wish that stuff was illegal.
Glue traps
These are horrible and I would never, never use them, ever.
Poisons that cause Sterility
There are products I read about, that can cause female rats to become sterile. This seemed like a good, humane option, until I thought about the reality. The rats could spread it around, and it could get into the HUMAN population. There are just WAY too many things that are considered "safe".... until many years later, when the truth comes out, that it affects humans way more than the company was willing to admit. When there are no long term studies, you ARE the guinea pig. Roundup weedkiller turned out to be a great example of this.
If you want to try the Rat-X, here's a link for it on Amazon:
And no, I don't sell the stuff, but I do have an affiliate link on this page). You can just as easily go get it at your local hardware store. I wish they'd sell it at Costco!
Hope this helps.
