Do You Like Rats, The Area Where I Live Is Infested With Them?

[Sunrising]

I had never seen a rat or mouse in all my life until where I live.

You might think this is joke, but I'm serious and we are infested with rats.

Would you know what to do if your area was infested with rats?

Cats kill some young birds, the ones that don't fly away, rats and mice are totally different, they can't fly away.

I'm not kidding you, we have cats on leads, and taken for walks like dogs, other cats are kept inside. We don't have any cats anymore patrolling the area. This has only been happening for 3 or 4 years.

I've heard folklore of Dick Whittington and his cat, and the Pied Piper of Hamelin, but having never seen a rat or mouse, I thought there were no truth in them.

In the past rats were primarily known for transmitting the Black Death that killed a large portion of Europe's population, also other diseases which cause severe flu like symptoms and potentially fatal organ damage.

It seems like our past lessons have been forgotten.

What is your opinion?

A. Rats and mice do no harm.

B. I've never seen a rat or mouse, probably because cats have kept them away.

C. I hate cats but better than rats and mice.

D. Allow cats to do their job they have done well for centuries.

E. Something else.

Updates

9 mo

NOT THE JAMES CAGNEY TYPE!
WHO'S JAMES CAGNEY? HE WAS AN American FILM STAR IN THE BEGINNING OF TIME AND IMMEMORIAL, AND HIS FAMOUS LINE WAS "YOU DIRTY RAT"

Updates

9 mo

Rats will prey on birds, especially eggs, chick's, and smaller slower birds, and kill adult birds, climbing trees to do so.

[XXblack88]

I've seen mice but not rats and no I don't like them. Cats help thin them down but put some mouse traps down with peanut butter on them in places like under the sinks, the pantry etc. Put food like sugar in air tight continues and deep clean the house. oh and they will get into pet food as well.

[Sunrising]

Fortunately at my property the rats are outside, I saw a big dead rat about 400 yards away from my property, and it's away from fields etc.

[XXblack88]

yeah they like fields so they can hide from those that like to eat them. speaking of which there's probably snakes since mice/rats are around

[Sunrising]

I live in an urban area, I've never seen a rat, mouse, or snake. But previously loads of cats. It seems they have lost their predators and feel free to show themselves now.

[Sunrising]

I think we need a modern day Dick Whittington.

[DryGermanGuy]

I have never seen a wild rat in my life. Rarely you see mice in the city park or the cat killed one and brought it home. I remember seeing a documentary about the rat problems in American cities and a huge part of that problem are the garbage grinders which people use to flush tons of food waste into the sewers. In my country they are illegal.

[clampfan101]

They’re cute, but too much of anything is a problem.

[Nikki1989]

I had several rats as pets when I was a kid; no dogs or cats for me back then. However, a rat infestation inside your home is never good; they will chew through everything.

[Sunrising]

Fortunately things aren't that bad, the rats are outside, hopefully they stay there, or disappear altogether!
The authorities have been notified and we've had poisons put down.
A few years ago my cat brought me a live mouse, must have been an escaped pet mouse, and waited for me to return home, even with a number of cats in attendance. The mouse was begging for it's life, I'd never seen a mouse before, so I praised the cat, and put the mouse in a box ( it had no wishes to escape from me) and I put it outside were I thought it might be safe.

[Sunrising]

The rats may be outside but they dug rat holes at the entrance of my home, with an entrance of their own, and an emergency exit. They must have hollowed out a home for themselves, because the steps on top have started to collapse.

[avery58]

Only fictional rats like from Ratatouille or Speedy Gonzalez. Real rats, no thanks.

[Sunrising]

Me too!

[queenofcardio]

I'm terrified

[Sunrising]

You need a cat to keep the rats away.

[katiesmuff]

I would never move to an area like that!

[Sunrising]

When I moved to the area there was no problems, I like the birds as much as anyone, and unfortunately working long hours, sometimes 6 days a week, and sometimes nights to, owning a cat the last ten years or so as not been an option for me.

[jamesgoldman]

Cats and terriers

[Sunrising]

Cats are usually very popular, but their decline in my area has obviously benefited the rats. It will be interesting to see if cats become popular again because of the rat problem.