dead rat in garden for the 3rd time

We have found a dead rat in our garden this morning. This is the third dead one in a month. What is happening? We are really careful not to leave any food around. We have not put out poison. Perhaps someone nearby has done so? It's really worrying, we have young children. These rats are so horrible. We live in the city not far from a canal so we would expect some to be nearby - What will we do? Anybody doing autopsies on rats?

Report it to Dublin City Council - they may come out and lay poison to control the problem.

If there is a cat in the neighborhood they may be leaving the rat there as a sort of present.

Where abouts in the garden did you find the rats ?

Better than finding live ones in my opinion!!

Sometimes magpies can attack and kill rats. It is alot better than finding live ones. Maybe your neighbours are laying poison. Theres probably loads of them around with the canal being so close, the weather getting colder and food thin on the ground.

You said you don't leave food around - do you have any bird feeders? Rats, if hungry enough, will eat any seeds which may have fallen on the ground.

If you can bear to look, check if there are any bite marks or blood on the dead rat - if there are, then you've a local moggie on patrol!

I live next to the railway and have had a few rodent visitors, not all of them make it out of my garden alive, thanks to the cat!