I just bought a house in a dense urban area that is known for rat infestations. My new house came with several outdoor cat houses and an established colony of five feral cats. I agreed with the sellers that I would continue to care for the colony as they had -- feeding twice a day, water, maintaining the huts, etc. Today I saw a large rat eating from the cats' breakfast food. The alpha cat was there, looking on, as this gigantic rat ate his breakfast. The rat is way too big even for this tough, hefty cat to tangle with. I'm really concerned that caring for this colony of cats means that I am attracting/maintaining a colony of rats as well.
Does anyone here have experience with this or advice about how to handle it?
Does anyone here have experience with this or advice about how to handle it?