Thread

Alberta's image as world's only rat-free region shattered by discovery of rat

47 points · 35 comments · pseudolus

rdwallis · 1790410370 · focus · HN ↗
The article lists climate change as the cause of the rise in rat populations in major cities but wouldn't cat neutering and spaying campaigns have a more direct impact? The huge reduction in feral cats over the last few decades seems a more likely direct cause, not just in how big the rat population is but also in the visibility of the rats in major cities. Rats don't have to hide as much if there are fewer cats around.
1. SockThief · 1790410812 · focus · HN ↗
  Cats don't care that much about rats.
  "Temporal and Space-Use Changes by Rats in Response to Predation by Feral Cats in an Urban Ecosystem" - <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2018.00146/full?utm_source=FWEB&utm_medium=NBLOG&utm_campaign=ECO_FEVO_rats-cats" rel="nofollow">https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/a...
  1. aitchnyu · 1790416037 · focus · HN ↗
    I have a feeling cats are evolving to avoid mice in this corner of India. I had a stray mother cat who kept kittens on the roof. The mother weighed 3-4kg and two kittens weighed 750g each. The prey skeletons around them were mostly reptiles and birds. The cats catching mice for their kittens give them an infection that kills within days.
    throwaway2037 · 1790416807 · focus · HN ↗
    > The cats catching mice for their kittens give them an infection that kills within days.
    Do you know what is the root cause of the deadly infection? One idea: Rodent poison bioaccumulates, then kills the hunters. This has been witnessed many times in mountain lions living in Los Angeles county.
  2. sellmesoap · 1790444823 · focus · HN ↗
    Yeah terriers are the way to go, my cats will only take on wayward juvenile rats, full size rats are more like potential cuddle warmth for the cats! I've witnessed rats stalk and kill pigeons, from a famers context the only good rat is a dead rat. They make awesome pets though, so a lot of mixed feelings for me.
2. crote · 1790414925 · focus · HN ↗
  I doubt it. There are plenty of cities without significant feral cat populations without rat problems.
  In my part of the world cats are a rare sight on the streets, and virtually all of them wear a collar so they aren't feral. Meanwhile I can't recall ever having seen a rat, and according to the local statistics almost all rat extermination happens at farms.
  Don't want rats in your city? Don't leave trash lying around in places easily-accessible to rats.
  1. phoronixrly · 1790416536 · focus · HN ↗
    Agreed from my observations as well. Animals like rats, pidgeons, gulls need food. In urban environments this means trash. Live in a society that keeps its environment free of trash (including properly kept landfills) and pests will be significantly less.
  2. expedition32 · 1790438538 · focus · HN ↗
    There are always rats you just can't see them. Rats are intelligent creatures they know that humans go crazy.
3. miki123211 · 1790415647 · focus · HN ↗
  1. Why do we want fewer rats in our cities?
  2. Why do we want fewer cats in our cities?
  3. Would we rather fewer cats or fewer rats?
  1. hulitu · 1790526770 · focus · HN ↗
    Yes

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