Rats That Can Swim Into Toilets? Oregon’s Health Announcement Has People Losing It
Happy Toilet Rat Season to all who celebrate. Unfamiliar with toilet rats? Well, then you must not live in Multnomah County, Oregon, where a public service announcement (PSA) from the local health department has gone viral.
The Multnomah County Health Department shared an infographic on Instagram, telling residents what to do if they happen to find a rat in their toilet. While step one is “try to stay calm,” it doesn’t seem like the people in the comments were able to follow the directions.
That’s because people were shocked to learn that rats could enter their homes through the toilet, and they weren’t shy about sharing their thoughts about it.
For now, it seems like the PSA did its job, since thousands of people have seen the infographic and now know exactly what they should do if they ever encounter this unusual situation at home.
Toilet Rat Warning From Health Department Goes Viral
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The caption that accompanied the infographic explained why the health department was sharing such strange information, explaining how winter rains make it possible for rats to enter the sewer system, although the caption notes that a sewer break can also produce the same results.
“Rats can swim and hold their breath, so don’t worry about hurting the rat. Rats can also hold their breath for up to 3 minutes and have a diving reflex,” the caption continued after suggesting flushing a live rat back down the toilet if found. “If the rat in your toilet is not alive, use gloves to take it out, put it in a doubled-up grocery bag, and place it in the grey bin or garbage can outside.”
People Are Horrified by the Toilet Rat Warning
It would appear that many people were unfamiliar with the fact that rats could swim up into the toilet, and they weren’t shy about sharing their surprise. “I’ve never considered this as a potential problem! And I’m someone who anxiously thinks of problems at 3 A.M. New fear unlocked,” one person wrote.
Then some joked about the situation. “We’re not even supposed to flush ‘flushable’ wipes, and y’all want us to flush a live animal? Who wrote this?”
“Welp. You lost me at ‘stay calm,'” another person joked. “The rat can have the whole apartment.”
While the issue may sound terrifying to some, Terminix says that it’s actually quite uncommon. According to the pest control company, the issue typically involves Norway rats, which are known for their swimming abilities. Additionally, the company says that the issue remains rare and is more likely to happen in urban areas where rats are more plentiful. That being said, it’s probably good to be prepared and follow the Multnomah County Health Department’s instructions if it does happen.
