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If methods like hot water or a plunger don’t work on your clogged drain, you can snake your drain to dislodge the plug. This can be a messy process, taking some physical effort and additional time over the other drain-clearing options. You can purchase a drain snake at a hardware store and choose from handheld options or those attached to a drill. Just work slowly, and be ready to call a plumber if you’re unable to reach the clog from your drain or P-trap.

Snaking a toilet is similar to clearing sinks and bathtubs, but there are unique circumstances where you’d have to drain, disassemble, and remove the toilet to fix the clog. For stubborn clogs in the toilet trap, a toilet auger—designed with a shorter cable and a protective plastic encasing—can navigate the tight bends and clear the clog without risking damage to the porcelain. 

If your drain doesn’t have metal crosshairs or crossbars, you should use a tub drain extractor. These tools create a grip on the drain so you can turn it using a 1/2-inch ratchet drive, drain key, or wrench. Your drain may not have crosshairs if it's old and broken.

Thankfully, it’s pretty rare to find a rat in your toilet. It’s more likely in larger cities with big sewer systems that can be feeding grounds for rats, but even then, you still shouldn’t fret. 

“I wouldn’t worry too much about rats coming up through the sewers,” Bradshaw says. “I’d say only one out of a thousand rodent customers we get actually have this problem. And of the 20 or some customers that have had this happen, they’ve all only had just one rat come up this way.”