Coma?

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

Last night my cats found (and did not hurt) a rat (in the house!) which I caught and placed in a bin so that I could let him loose in the country. When I placed him in the bin, I gave him some butter (which he had previously been eating when we were asleep!) and even was able to pet him without him scampering about.
This morning, he is in a near fetal position, and I picked him up gently by the neck to see if he was still alive (he's small). He's still breathing, but he hasn't cleaned off his face. Also, one of his front paws appears to be closed. (Coma?)
Is he going to die? I can't release him like this; he'll get eaten or will freeze to death. If he's in pain and is certain to die, then what's the most painless way to kill him?

ANSWER:
Thank you for trying to save  the little guy.  He is probably injured and you did not know it.  A cats teeth can penetrate very deep and they may have gone into his head through his ears, you will not see traces of blood etc... He probablyhas very severe internal injuries.  My cats have found mice in the house and even though I thought I was saving the mouse by prying it from the cats jaws and the mouse seemed fine, they die within minutes from internal injuries because the cats bite down hard to keep their prized prey from escaping. :(

The only humane way to put him down is to have a vet do it. Since this is a wild rat, any decent vet will euthanize this animal free of charge.

Also, be sure to tell the vet you would appreciate they put the rat totally under anesthesia first before using a cardiac stick. Insist on it even though this is a wild rat.  Most vets know to do this but it should be clear this is what you want.  They will NOT charge you for this, I promise.

Scoop him up and keep him in a blanket and be sure if he should somehow come around that he wont get loose in the car.  I would do it right away to end his suffering.  

Thank you for your kindness

Sandra

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Sandra,

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately, approximately two hours ago I went to check on the rat, and he was completely lifeless. His last meal, last night, was a good amount of butter and flour, the same type that he had been eating off of the counter these last few weeks. Butter was apparently his favourite, and that's why we named him Oliver Buttermuncher.
I don't think that the cats hurt him, as just before I caught him, the rat and a cat touched noses and then they both (the cat and the rat) turned and walked away.
Though it is possible that the rat had some sort of internal injuries, could heart failure or other shock done Oliver in?

Answer
Oh I am sorry to hear that.

If your certain the cat in no way squashed the tiny rats body etc...yes, shock could have caused his death.  Heart attack would have been instant, but shock could have been what caused his death.  

My cats sometimes try to sneak into the rat room and once one of my cats went to the cage and came face to face with two of my big bucks. They freaked, ran, hid and just froze in place for a long time. I was a nervous wreck trying to get them to snap out of it but they were so terrified the cat was still in the room. It took a bit to get them to finally come out of their hidey house.

Next time you find a little critter like this, be sure to put it somewhere that it can hide and that they are not exposed to humans. I dont know where you put little Oliver after you found him though but if you did not have him hidden in a little box where nobody could see him, next time, if there is a next time, thats what to do. They will feel a bit more secure that way.

Poor little rattie :(  Thanks for trying though. Most people would have tossed it outside and let it die.  :(  Rodents rarely get respect from people that dont understand they are not these disease infested nasty dirty animals.  Heck mine use litter boxes!!  


I had a wild rat as a pet. I had her nearly 4 years...she passed away in July 07.   Best rat I have ever had, smartest too!