In article ,
The Natural Philosopher writes:

and when you have seen a friend in tears as a beloved cat dragged itself
home on front paws only, after 2 days, its rear end covered in
diahoerrhea, to die in her arms. you might think twice about where you
leave it too. Mind you that was strychnine, in Italy, set out for foxes.

Similarly, neighbours in tears as they watched their dog slowly
die over a week from what the vet said was rat poison. At one
point, they thought it was going to pull through, but it didn't.

And if you think that a pack of dogs killing a fox is 'inhumane', you
are mad, compared to that.

Out here in the ****rycide, rat poison goes in pipes, which does at
least mean the dogs can't get at it, or foxes for that matter. But
squirrels do.


In all cases traps are preferable, and , if you are worried about not
killing things other than rats, make sure its you that does the
killing/releasing. not the trap.

However the real answer is to use a bird feeder that is rat proof.

Rats with no food go somewhere else, or die.



--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]