[jyl]

What do you do after you catch them alive?

Rats make great pets for little kids. We have a white rat that rides on my shoulder, roams around the house then returns to his cage to sleep, likes to be scratched under the chin, and has never bitten even during the hateful bath-time.

Not sure I'd ever dare try to convert a wild rat into a pet, but I guess you could ask a vet. I've trapped some wild rats in the basement, I tke them into the woods and release them. Can't use poison, with the kids and pet rat around.