By Klinger
May 13, 2021
GREAT IDEA ALERT!! Rats run wild everywhere and Chicago has been dealing with a rat infestation forever! Orkin just named our beloved city of Chicago the rattiest city for the 6th year in a row!! Cats are superstars at hunting rats. The Tree House Humane Society in Chicago releases feral cats on the regular to keep the rat situation in check.
It is simply responsible to capture feral cats in a safe manner, have them spayed or neutered (clip the ear so you can tell they ve been fixed) and then release them back outside. My wife and I were a part of a program in DC where feral cats who were fixed would be released outside with the purpose of keeping the rat population at bay. The Cats At Work program in Chicago works the same way and provides a safe alternative to rat bait by having a cat that keeps rats from coming around.
By Klinger
May 13, 2021
GREAT IDEA ALERT!! Rats run wild everywhere and Chicago has been dealing with a rat infestation forever! Orkin just named our beloved city of Chicago the rattiest city for the 6th year in a row!! Cats are superstars at hunting rats. The Tree House Humane Society in Chicago releases feral cats on the regular to keep the rat situation in check.
It is simply responsible to capture feral cats in a safe manner, have them spayed or neutered (clip the ear so you can tell they ve been fixed) and then release them back outside. My wife and I were a part of a program in DC where feral cats who were fixed would be released outside with the purpose of keeping the rat population at bay. The Cats At Work program in Chicago works the same way and provides a safe alternative to rat bait by having a cat that keeps rats from coming around.
The cats are animals that “would not thrive in a shelter or home environment” and are usually subject to long stays in animal control centers or euthanization, according to the non-profit’s website.
While the deployed felines will sometimes kill rats, the mere presence of these repurposed alley cats is usually enough to scare off pests. About 1,000 cats have now been released since 2012, as reported by WGN9, a local media station.
Local homeowners or businesses can sign up for the program, as long as they cover food, water and shelter for the cats. The popular program currently has a “long waitlist”, as stated on its website.
Animal shelter the Tree House Humane Society is behind the Cats at Work program, neutering the animals before they are returned to patrol the streets. They started the initiative in 2012.