Just read this thread - from a farmer's point of view, rats are very intelligent (as seen with the way they treat traps!), prolific breeders, thieves of feed (be it chicken, pig or sheep cake) and very sly!! I would never be cruel to any animal just for the sake of it, but they are a pest - every year I get the blighters under my chicken houses, in the barn and the stable. I have 5 cats, who avoid the rats (they're huge - almost as big as my smallest cat!!), but my dogs are brilliant at catching them. If you know anyone with a dog, preferably a terrier, then invite them over to your place. My German Shepherd caught an enormous rat last week - she dispatched it quickly and cleanly, so there was no suffering. I do occasionally put poison down, but I'm very careful where I place it, as I'm aware of the threat to the local wildlife. Good luck, K x