Chicago sets loose 1,000 feral cats with a surge in rodents in the City that is considered a severe pest infestation. These many rats have earned the windy City the rat capital of the United States for the sixth year in a row.
Chicago sets loose 1,000 feral cats as a last-ditch attempt
The City has been having a problem with rats for a long time, which has bothered city officials to control its surging rat population.
In October of last year, pest control company Orkin proclaimed Chicago the rat capital of the United States for the sixth year in a row, depending on the percentage of new rodent treatments performed from September 2019 to August 31, 2020.
Its Cats at Work program is operated by the Tree House Humane Society, neuters the cats before allowing them to roam the Windy City for mousy prey, reported Daily Mail via MSN.
Chosen for pest control are cats that will not thrive in-home or shelter area, and those which cannot get along with other cats noted Aljazeera.
These feral cats, which can never be pets of a feline group, are considered the best mousers for the job.
Such a distinction of having the most rats running around forced these cats to be pushed into their jobs to control the rat population naturally. Having too many rodents can pose health risks to the public.
The Tree House Humane Society
Its program was begun way back in 2012; since then, according to WGN9, Chicago sets loose 1,000 feral cats from that time.
Read also: Joe Biden's Family Record Show Drug Usage, Drunk Driving, and Other Charges, But No One Was Jailed
Cats are placed two or three at the same time in residential or commercial settings providing environmentally sustainable pest management, mentioned the shelter.
Most of the Property and business owners give food, water, shelter and tend to the cats who work for them. Our Cats at Work become cherished members of the family or team in most cases, and some even have their own Instagram pages.
'We've had a lot of our clients tell us that before they got the cats, they would step outside their house and rats would immediately run across their feet,' explained Sarah Liss, the shelter representative.
She added the cats don't always kill the rodents; instead, the pests are deterring with cat pheromones emitted. At times one of the reasons rats would just run away from cats, even before seeing them. Residents of Chicago may apply for a cat through the internet.
Ever since the 1970s, when residents were paid $1 to kill a rat, Chicago has always been run over by a rat epidemic.
In May of last year, it was documented that rodents in US cities had become even more active in their search for food as their supply slowed down owing to the coronavirus restaurant closing.
These conditions had gotten so out of hand that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an official advisory telling folks about 'violent rodent actions' on unsuspecting people.
The CDC also advised homeowners and restaurant owners to inspect their properties and close any holes where rats might come through and feast on garbage. Chicago sets loose 1,000 feral cats as one way to stop rats more effectively.
a
