There are many things that you can do to prevent Norway rats – eliminate entry points, remove clutter, keep your food sealed… but what about owning a cat? What if the cat is lazy? After all, what good is a cat if it just lets rats run amok? Well, as it turns out, even a lazy cat can be an effective deterrent against rat infestations.
Why the simple presence of a cat is an effective deterrent
Rats are excellent at avoiding death in nature. Given their small size, and lack of defensive capabilities, they are at the mercy of numerous predators. If they are to survive, they have to be very aware of their environments. This is why the mere presence of a cat, even if the cat is extremely lazy, will deter rats. Rats can smell the pheromones of a cat, whether that cat is present in an area or not. This effect is very strong in all rodents, to the point where if a rat senses the pheromones of a cat, it will turn around and run in the other direction.
Other methods of control and prevention
While having a cat in the home can be an effective measure to prevent a Norway rat infestation, there may be situations in which a rat population gets out of hand, and you will have to use extra measures. In terms of prevention, the best thing that you can do is to make sure that your home has fully intact walls, with no cracks or gaps in them that would allow rats to get in. The second best preventive measure is to keep your food sealed.
When it comes to control, you can go with traps and poisons, but you have to be careful if you have a cat in the home, because it may ingest the poison or get caught up in the trap. Luckily, there are products on the market which are specifically designed to prevent cats from being accidentally hurt. For example, containers that have holes large enough for a rat, and corridors inside of them in order to keep the poison out of the reach of the cat.
If you still have issues with rats after all these measures, you may be dealing with a really big infestation. In this situation, you will need the help of a pro. Contact us today, and we can set up an appointment and get rid of the infestation for you.
