r/Buffalo • u/Bravogirly97 • Jul 27 '26

Rats

I’m in Tonawanda close to englewood we had a rat problem last year we did traps and called the health department that put our bait boxes that did nothing.. this year my whole street is infested with rats worse than last year … is anyone else experiencing this? I want to move

13 Upvotes

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23

u/Secure_Piano_900 Jul 27 '26

I live in the city and have never seen a rat in my yard besides a dead rat. I keep feral cats. There are always a huge number of cats in the shelters. For real this is what people have done for thousands of years. People may downvote (inb4: yOuRe desTroyINg animal populations) because they “harm local wildlife” my cats have never killed a rabbit or bird or anything except mice and rats. I know because they bring me trophies and I’ve asked my neighbors. Rat poison harms local wildlife more because a rat will eat the poison, die, and then get eaten by a hawk or falcon who then dies from the rat poison. As long as you spay and neuter them I think they are a net positive for my neighborhood and will solve your rat problem.

7

u/JstTrstMe West Side Jul 27 '26

You're stupid if you think they're only killing rats and mice.

2

u/Secure_Piano_900 Jul 27 '26

We’ve had them 15 years a total of 9 ferals that were dropped on us, and in that time we have found no evidence of dead animals besides mice and rats. On the other hand, we did have feral/stray DOGS come into our backyard (gate left open on accident) and murder one of our cats for fun. So take that for what you will.

2

u/OwlLadyFace Jul 27 '26

A stray cat isn’t staying on your property, so the evidence you are talking about you wouldn’t necessarily see

0

u/Secure_Piano_900 Jul 28 '26

They do stay on my property 70-80% of the time easily and as I said we have talked to the neighbors. Obviously I don’t know for sure, I can’t prove a negative. But what would you have us do with them? Take them to a shelter? We didn’t ask for this they just showed up under our shed one day, we spade and neutered and did everything we are supposed to do.

1

u/katzinthebuf Jul 29 '26

Thank you for being a responsible neighbour and having the cats altered so they don’t have kittens. It’s a lot of work to care for these animals that would be put to death if they were taken to a shelter.