Our home is our most personal place on Earth, our favorite corner when we feel the safest and most comfortable.
However, it seems that we should always be prepared for a surprise in life- and this is true for our home as well!
Namely, no matter how clean and organized your house or apartment is, it turns out that you can sometimes come across an unwanted visitor there- and this has happened numerous times before!
Just imagine how terrified you would be if you notice a creature crawling up the pipe while you are in the toilet!
And no, we are not talking about mice only here- as depending on the area, many people have spotted various creatures in their bathrooms, from spiders to pythons!
So, let us look at these scary guests that might appear in your toilet as well:
- Snakes
Although most of us were sure that finding a snake in the toilet is impossible, it turns out that we were wrong! Back in 2010, a three-foot-long corn snake had slithered up a toilet in a 19th-floor apartment in New York City. According to herpetologist Jack Conrad, the incident was “within the realm of possibility” as snakes are good swimmers capable of holding their breath and squeezing into small spaces. Fortunately, such incidents are not common, but take a look at the video below to learn more about them:
2. Rats
Rats are constantly seeking food, and many of them live in sewers since they can survive harsh situations and can swim for three days at a time. Various smells from leftovers spilled down the kitchen sink attract them. Some rats even seek shelter in the sewers from the cold. Eddie Marco, the owner of Brooklyn Pest Control, explains:
“It happens all the time, especially if you live in the basement or a first-floor apartment. The pipe is empty, the rat crawls through the pipe and up over the hump and into the porcelain. And he can’t get back out.”
The video below shows the way rats can easily wriggle their way up to your toilet!
3. Squirrels
Back in 2010, a woman in Edmond, Oklahoma, found a squirrel splashing in the toilet bowl! After she called authorities, the rodent was captured and brought back to the local park. Squirrels start their way from the roof, and then crawl into the stack vent, climb down the pipe, and get into the toilet’s passageway. At this point, they decide to remain in the lit area, instead of the dark pipe.
- Frogs
Although frogs are less scary than the creatures above, none of you would enjoy an encounter with them in the toilet for sure! One Florida resident had a few of these encounters, unfortunately, so he wrote to an advice column:
“How does a frog (of a pretty good size) get in the toilet? We had one a number of years ago and then again just Sunday.”
Some advised calling a plumber, as the frog might have entered through a crack in the pipes, and others told him to place a mesh screen over the toilet vent and keep the bathroom lights off at night.
- Possums
It might sound unbelievable at first, but some people have found possums in their toilets as well!
In 2008, a man in Brisbane, Australia, heard gurgling in his toilet, and when he went to check, he saw a baby possum in there!
Another writer in West Virginia found a dead possum in her toilet, and some people in San Diego experienced the same thing in 2016!
So, if you would like to ( and we are sure you do) keep these creatures out of the pipes in the toilet, install a rat guard that will allow wastewater to leave while preventing critters from coming in.
Moreover, make sure your toilet is always clean, since the fumes of cleaning products may help keep them away.
In case you still find a critter in the toilet, close the lid immediately, put something heavy on top, and call animal control.
