I'm a little anxious about a rat that's been living under my neighbor's decking. It frequently crosses into our garden looking for birdseed that has fallen from our feeder. We've stopped feeding the birds, hoping the rat would leave, but it hasn't worked. I'm immunocompromised and have been trying to enjoy the sunshine in my garden lately, but my boyfriend is really worried about the health risks and is obsessively cleaning our yard, which makes me anxious. I'm nervous about the rat potentially making me or our indoor cat sick. How concerned should I really be about this situation? I love rats and don't want any harm to come to it, but my boyfriend's fears are stressing me out. Any advice?
1 Answer
Honestly, you don’t need to bleach your yard. Just make sure to wear shoes when you're outside and wash your hands afterward. As long as you just avoid direct contact with the rat and don’t eat where it’s been, you should be fine. If you keep it outside, it’s usually not a big deal unless it gets into your home.
That makes sense! I was worried too, but your response is reassuring. I'll try to ease my boyfriend's worries with this info!