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Cats at Work
#1
Cats at Work is a program in Chicago that places feral cats in neighbourhoods with bad rat problems.
The cats are feral cats that are not able to cope with life as pets. They are spayed and neutered and vaccinated.
The people where the cats are placed must commit to providing them with food and shelter. In return the cats take care of rodent problems.
Since 2012 over 1000 cats have been placed in city locations.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021...rat-crisis

It is a win win solution. The city has help with its rodent problem and the shelters are able to meet the needs of feral cats. Because these cats are neutered they do not contribute to over population by street cats. They are street cats so they are happier to be back out on the streets. They no longer suffer from lack of food and shelter because that is provided for them. It is a solution that works for everyone. Maybe not so much for the rats.
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Catherine

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#2
It seems it is not so win-win. There is a down side to releasing cats for rat control. Cats eat birds. Cats prefer to eat birds than rats.  They prefer birds to mice.
Releasing cats into the city puts the local bird population at risk.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/5/17/2...s-telander

I never thought of the cats killing birds. It seems that neither did the people running the program.  They have also released the cats just as birds are hatching out this years young. If a cat kills the parents they eggs or chicks will die. Once the baby birds have left the nest they will be vulnerable to the cats. Fledgling birds can barely fly. Cats will eat them up right away. This could be a season with few baby birds surviving.  Instead of contolling its rat population, they will be decimating their bird population.
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Catherine

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