The article lists climate change as the cause of the rise in rat populations in major cities but wouldn't cat neutering and spaying campaigns have a more direct impact? The huge reduction in feral cats over the last few decades seems a more likely direct cause, not just in how big the rat population is but also in the visibility of the rats in major cities. Rats don't have to hide as much if there are fewer cats around.

▲ SockThief 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Cats don't care that much about rats.

"Temporal and Space-Use Changes by Rats in Response to Predation by Feral Cats in an Urban Ecosystem" - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/a...

▲ aitchnyu 27 minutes ago | parent [-]

I have a feeling cats are evolving to avoid mice in this corner of India. I had a stray mother cat who kept kittens on the roof. The mother weighed 3-4kg and two kittens weighed 750g each. The prey skeletons around them were mostly reptiles and birds. The cats catching mice for their kittens give them an infection that kills within days.

	▲	throwaway2037 14 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		`> The cats catching mice for their kittens give them an infection that kills within days.` Do you know what is the root cause of the deadly infection? One idea: Rodent poison bioaccumulates, then kills the hunters. This has been witnessed many times in mountain lions living in Los Angeles county.

▲ crote an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I doubt it. There are plenty of cities without significant feral cat populations without rat problems.

In my part of the world cats are a rare sight on the streets, and virtually all of them wear a collar so they aren't feral. Meanwhile I can't recall ever having seen a rat, and according to the local statistics almost all rat extermination happens at farms.

Don't want rats in your city? Don't leave trash lying around in places easily-accessible to rats.

	▲	phoronixrly 19 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Agreed from my observations as well. Animals like rats, pidgeons, gulls need food. In urban environments this means trash. Live in a society that keeps its environment free of trash (including properly kept landfills) and pests will be significantly less.

▲ miki123211 34 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

1. Why do we want fewer rats in our cities?

2. Why do we want fewer cats in our cities?

3. Would we rather fewer cats or fewer rats?