A massive rat appeared in a Stockholm family’s kitchen making headlines in Sweden, where it is being dubbed “Ratzilla”.
Measuring nearly 16in plus tail, the rat terrified the family in Solna district.
Pest controllers finally killed the intruder using an oversized trap.
Even the family cat had refused to enter the kitchen while the giant rat was in residence.
It appears that the animal entered the kitchen via a ventilation pipe, having gnawed its way through cement and wood.
After devouring food leftovers under the sink, the creature feasted on a “Swedish smorgasbord” of waste in the bin, according to family father Erik Korsas.
The incident occurred three weeks ago and initially, after taking a few souvenir photos, the family thought no more about it.
But when they contacted Sweden’s Home And Rent website to see if it was interested in the story, it rapidly scurried to the top of the country’s news agenda after attracting the attention of reporters at newspapers including the English language The Local.
On Tuesday, the “mega rat” became the most shared item for popular Swedish daily Aftonbladet, according to a tweet by journalist Sven Nordenstam.
Social media rang with gasps of disbelief, disgust and amusement.
Since the incident, the family and its cat – a Cornish Rex by the name of Enok – have not been bothered by rats of any size, Erik Korsas said.
Despite regular media speculation, there appears to be little evidence of rats getting bigger in developed countries.
