Cartoon PSA advises to flush rats if climbing up and invading toilets — and social media goes wild

This PSA had social media clogged with one-liners.

A whacky government cartoon warned Seattle residents how to deal with rats that might climb up from flooded sewers into toilets – but social media just couldn’t take it seriously.

The Public Health — Seattle & King County Facebook page posted a series of cartoons that gave residents a step-by-step on flushing the rodents back down the drain if they creep up into homes during heavy rain or flooding.

“Try to stay calm,” the deadpan post says, with a cartoon of one of the critters peeking out of a toilet bowl and at a surprised woman. “That might not be easy under the circumstances.

“Close the lid and flush,” it says and shows the wincing woman trapping the rat under the lid.

The ad tells residents if that doesn’t work, run to the kitchen to get some dish soap — “your new best friend,” which will make the animal slide down the drain easier.

“It may take many flushes,” the PSA states. “Back to the sewer, rat!”

The ad concludes by saying if a large rat won’t go down, residents may have to call an exterminator or set a trap. It quickly went viral for seeming to acknowledge the “nightmare” scenario is actually possible — and for being greater fodder for Internet comedians.

“Never been happier to be septic!” one commenter said.

Another urged people to not “be so hasty” to flush.

“Talk to the rat first. It could be from NIMH and just trying to help Mrs. Frisby,” one commenter joked, referencing the children’s novel “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” which was the basis for the animated 1980s movie “The Secret of NIMH.”

Other commenters couldn’t help but focus on the unintended side-effects on covering a rat with soap.

“The dish soap didn’t work, now the rat smells like Dawn and is fluffy. Do I give it conditioner? Help,” one commenter quipped.

“OK so you suggest giving the rat a bubble bath?” another asked.

While the idea of rodents surging up through plumbing may sound ridiculous, it can happen.

The smell of food and grease in sewage attracts rats, and holes in old plumbing and high waters in sewer systems can lead to them being carried away and appearing in resident’s toilet bowls, according to the the infographic.