The use of cats in farm rat control

Abstract

Summary o 1. Four out of five farms and a cottage on a downland area in Berkshire, on which cats were installed, remained almost completely free from rats after the latter had in at least three cases been initially destroyed by other means. The other farm, that had no cat, suffered recurrent infestation. Ricks more than about 50 yd. from cat-occupied units continued to have rat infestations, often heavy ones. 2. From these and certain other instances, it is concluded that if a sufficient number of cats (say, four) is introduced after complete rat extermination has been done, and if part of their food is supplied as milk, they will maintain the immediate area of the farm buildings rat-free. They will not necessarily clear a farm of an existing rat infestation. The quantity of cats if probably more important than their quality. 3. To keep cats on this scale is certainly more expensive in human food (used for the cats), than if human servicing was used for rat clearance, but it supplies a useful and efficient source of additional labour, which has the important attribute of maintaining the efficiency of control at very low rat densities.