Life without rats
By Fleur
@Fleura (34126)
United Kingdom
February 24, 2026 4:32am CST
Everyone hates rats, right? Unless they have pet rats of course. My partner in particular is totally paranoid about rats and if he ever glimpses any unidentified furry thing he immediately suspects a rat 
Yesterday I listened to an episode of a radio series called ‘Life Without’; this particular programme considered life without rats. Would our lives be much better if there were no rats?
Well the conclusion seemed to be, not really.
In extreme cases – where children are bitten by rats while they sleep or dangerous damage is caused to electrical wiring, for example, then yes. But basically if there were no rats then some other creatures would probably take over that ecological niche.
One statement that surprised me is that rats living in sewers provide a useful service by gnawing away at the fat and grease that accumulates along the walls, helping to prevent blockages. A horrible thought, but definitely important. And I think the disgusted reaction that induces in me is more about the thought of eating that residue than about the rats themselves 
Here we definitely have rats in the garden. The common saying is that ‘You are never more than 6 feet from a rat’ but in spite of that we very rarely see any. However I know they visit my various compost bins because I see evidence of tunnelling, and sometimes droppings or teeth marks on vegetable scraps. I try not to make life too comfortable for them by regularly emptying the bins and moving them around, and by adding material to different bins (I have eight scattered around the garden) so they can’t just settle in one and make themselves at home, waiting for food deliveries… On the other hand I admit that their tunnelling activities do actually provide a useful service in mixing up the contents of the compost bins for me! Successful composting needs a good mixture of material otherwise there is a risk of ending up with horrible slimy layers of, for example, rotten grass clippings, or just a layer of dry autumn leaves.
Of course I never mention any of this to my partner
Do you often see rats?
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur.
Yesterday I listened to an episode of a radio series called ‘Life Without’; this particular programme considered life without rats. Would our lives be much better if there were no rats?
Well the conclusion seemed to be, not really.
In extreme cases – where children are bitten by rats while they sleep or dangerous damage is caused to electrical wiring, for example, then yes. But basically if there were no rats then some other creatures would probably take over that ecological niche.
One statement that surprised me is that rats living in sewers provide a useful service by gnawing away at the fat and grease that accumulates along the walls, helping to prevent blockages. A horrible thought, but definitely important. And I think the disgusted reaction that induces in me is more about the thought of eating that residue than about the rats themselves
Here we definitely have rats in the garden. The common saying is that ‘You are never more than 6 feet from a rat’ but in spite of that we very rarely see any. However I know they visit my various compost bins because I see evidence of tunnelling, and sometimes droppings or teeth marks on vegetable scraps. I try not to make life too comfortable for them by regularly emptying the bins and moving them around, and by adding material to different bins (I have eight scattered around the garden) so they can’t just settle in one and make themselves at home, waiting for food deliveries… On the other hand I admit that their tunnelling activities do actually provide a useful service in mixing up the contents of the compost bins for me! Successful composting needs a good mixture of material otherwise there is a risk of ending up with horrible slimy layers of, for example, rotten grass clippings, or just a layer of dry autumn leaves.
Of course I never mention any of this to my partner
Do you often see rats?
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur.7 people like this
5 responses
@DaddyEvil (168578)
• United States
6h
No, we never see rats here. The occasional mouse, yes, but not in the house. This house is sealed really well. At our last house, we had mice all the time. Every time new people moved into the other half of the duplex, I'd have to call an exterminator to come kill mice. Very rarely, I'd have to call about roaches when new people moved in. Thankfully, we've never seen evidence of roaches here, either.
2 people like this
@Fleura (34126)
• United Kingdom
5h
@DaddyEvil Yes they can be quite smelly. I've known a few people who kept pet rats; they are intelligent, affectionate, adaptable and generally great pets in many ways, apart from the smell. And they don't live very long which can be good or bad depending on your point of view!
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (168578)
• United States
5h
@Fleura She had them trained to walk up her arms and sit on her shoulders when we went anywhere. They'd hold onto her ears so they didn't fall off.
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (7977)
• United Kingdom
5h
If you’ve watched the movie “Ben”, then you’ll know not to trust a rat!
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (54250)
• United States
4h
We live in the countryside, so I know that they are definitely around, but I haven’t seen any. Snakes on the other hand are sighted often in warmer weather.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (130083)
• Marion, Ohio
2h
I got rid of them I think finally. They can be very destructive
1 person likes this
@LooeyVille (41)
• United States
6h
I only saw a rat once while traveling outside the USA somewhere when I was riding in a carriage. I can't remember where I was.
1 person likes this
