I wouldn't feel too bad. While it sucks to take the life of an animal, rats are an overpopulated nuisance, carry bad diseases, and can do MAJOR damage to your house. Rat killer.
I had a similar experience with a mouse and a broom. My cat brought it in to the house alive. I had to corral the poor creature and thrash it. Then I felt bad for a couple days. It hadn't even wanted to be there.
Bonus- After reveling in the satisfaction of catching the rat or mouse in my elaborate trap I would take the little fella to the home or business of someone who has wronged me. (Just kidding...sort of...but not really)
Scrappers. "Catch and release" traps are well-intentioned, but where are you going to release them? The sidewalk? By the corner store parking lot? If you let them out in the yard, they're just coming right back in.
If an entire house and yard has a serious rat infestation, then call a damn exterminator. Killing one rat (or 10 or 100) is symbolic only and will accomplish exactly nothing.
For rats or mice, if you put out traps it's a good idea to also have a container of water large enough to drop them into when the traps don't kill quickly.
Get a cat.
If you don't like cats, you'll be suprised how quickly a box of rodent poison stops the sounds in the wall and the roof, and since you don't have cats there's no worry they'll eat a poisoned rodent.
My takeaway from this: killing a rat is cheaper than therapy.
You had no choice.
God will forgive you. She's vegan too.
Mark
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple--No…
Bonus- After reveling in the satisfaction of catching the rat or mouse in my elaborate trap I would take the little fella to the home or business of someone who has wronged me. (Just kidding...sort of...but not really)
Nothing like having a rat die inside your walls and rotting in the summer heat, and the subsequent giant corpse fly infestation.
THE MORE YOU (WISH YOU DIDN'T) KNOW
http://pleasestopticklingme.blogspot.com/2…
God help us all.
If you don't like cats, you'll be suprised how quickly a box of rodent poison stops the sounds in the wall and the roof, and since you don't have cats there's no worry they'll eat a poisoned rodent.