After a recent spate of rat-related headlines, Alex Casey asks the experts if it’s a sign of an impending ratpocalypse – and gets some tips for dealing with your own rodent influx. Two weeks ago, I caught a rat inside with my bare hands. I had been sitting hunched over my desk when I heard the unmistakable scramble of frantic paws on hard wood, and raced down the hall to find my cat and my dog had cornered a rat in the kitchen.