Dhe attempt to use cats to control the rat plague in Chicago appears to have been unsuccessful: the Windy City in Illinois is once again at the top of the list of American cities with the worst infestations this year. New York is second, Los Angeles third.
The fact that Chicago tops the list of the “Rattiest Cities” by pest control agency Orkin for the eighth time is likely to hurt the city fathers particularly. Ten years ago, the metropolis on Lake Michigan launched the “Cat at Work” program to curb the rat plague. More than 1,000 feral domestic cats were provided with water, food and shelter in so-called colonies near shops and buildings.
The animal protection organization Tree House Humane Society relied on deterrence at the time. The city council also attributes the fact that the rodents continue to feel comfortable in Chicago to the outdoor management of many restaurants during the pandemic. The rats, mostly of the species Rattus norvegicus in the Windy City, would have been fine with leftovers. “The rodents prefer to eat fresh food, but they also feed on pet food, dog poo, garbage and plants,” warned the city government.
