Does an Indian Mongoose Control Rats?

The Indian Mongoose is used in certain island areas to control rats. Yes, it is possible to use an Indian mongoose to control rats. Is it possible to do it at your house? Probably not.

An Indian mongoose is a small mammal which belongs to the family of Herpestidae. This family includes all animals which are known as Mongooses. They were first discovered in India and because of that they got their name from there. The animals can be either yellow or brownish colored. Their size ranges from 20 to 28 inches and they weigh around 2 pounds maximum.

As a whole, these animals belong to carnivores although some consider them omnivores. They have long tails and short legs with sharp teeth that never stop growing throughout their life span meaning that they must be kept under control by constant chewing on bones or other hard objects. In fact, you might say that they cannot keep their teeth under control without supervision.

Their body is covered with fur which has either yellow or brown color, but the belly is white. They are very good hunters and they can kill an animal 3 times its size like snakes for example. These animals make great pets because of their somewhat harmless attitude towards humans. However, children should never be left unsupervised around them because they tend to play rough and might hurt a child just to have fun.

They love spending time outdoors so if you want to place these animals in your house it would be best if you first provide them with a safe shelter outside where they can go whenever they feel like it. Although these creatures usually spend most of their alone, there might be some exceptions. If you plan to get one, it would also be best if you get two of them because they are social animals who like spending time with each other.

When placed in the same room, they will often fight over food or anything that can help them climb. The fights might cause serious harm so always keep your eyes open and do not ever leave small children unsupervised around these creatures no matter how obedient they seem to be. Their personality is quite different than what people would expect from a small furry animal which they consider as an ideal pet for their kids.