Chicago ranks number one for rats but feral cats have the last say
Humane Society releases 1K feral cats to get rid of Windy City rats
If Marshawn Lynch’s quote, “I’m ‘bout that action, boss” was an image, it’d be a cat. Even when cats are sleeping, they always look like they’re about that life any time, any place, anywhere. I’m not a cat person, but this is the one thing that entertains me most about observing felines just living life. So it makes absolute sense that the Tree House Humane Society will release 1,000 feral cats to fix Chicago’s rat problem.
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Orkin released its top 50 rattiest city list in October, and Chicago came in at the number one spot — for the sixth time in a row. And considering the calls and emails I got about rats being spotted by our dumpster and once on our back decks, this former condo association president is not even slightly surprised. While I still haven’t figured out why I’m not afraid of rats but have always had musophobia, this is clearly not something Chicago is happy about being top-ranked for. Rats and mice (along with gerbils and guinea pigs) can carry a number of diseases, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), salmonella and tularemia. In the wild, if they cannot find food at a level base, they start looking higher.
Recommended Read: “People will fear your dog so deal with it ~ How Musophobia made me respond differently to Cynophobia”
Of course Chicago won’t just be bonkers with loose cats. The Tree House Humane Society’s “Cats at Work” program releases 10 to 15 feral cats each month, largely depending on safety and demand. These cats, who would not work out well in a home environment or shelter and would more often than not be euthanized, are being put to use for what they naturally do best: hunt. While caretakers provide food, water, shelter and medical options, these cats are set up to live their best lives freely.
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The one hesitation for the Cats at Work program is rats may carry rabies, but these cats have rabies vaccinations already. Generally, they can scare rats away from their pheromones alone without having to kill them.