Keeping rats out of our homes
 

Feed him in the morning or leave him alone.Attachment 55043

Please help me. Why is this nice cat's picture posted? I can't read the stuff on the picture.

As far as I have ever heard here in The Villages there are no rats trying to get into our homes. There are palm rats who hang around palm trees. But not the rattus rattus variety like in horror films.

I love cats by the way. Love, love, them.

It's from the Foundation for Homeless Cats. Homeless, not feral.

I am afraid of rats but only four kinds big, little, alive, dead

I smell a rat!

Actually, some cats are great mousers, including one in my neighborhood who leaves one it killed at my front door as a nice present from time to time.

The Disney Cats
 

This is the program called TNR, trap, neuter, return.

This link explains it well:

TNR at Work - Disneyland Finds Balance with Feral Cats - Alley Cat Allies

For the rats?

Rats
 

Actually yes there are rats trying to get into our lanais and they are chewing through the screens to do it. Not just one home but several. Not just one hole but several. They are trapping them on the lanais

I have put out peppermint oil around the birdcage to keep them away.

Well, what a nerve, trying to kill the rats.
How about the poor rats, All they are looking to do is find a little food. Say hello to a rat today. Protect the rats. Save a rat and you may go to heaven. Donate money to the rat fund. Care of me. No change please. They mess up the printer when printing them out.

a mouse or rat
 

Has it ever left a full size roof rat on your doorstep. Would be one heck of a cat if it did. Seriously the rats can get really large and I wouldn't want to depend on a cat for them. Try some rat bait in a plastic container that keeps other animals out of it.

Join AARP

Adopt a Rat Program

Rats in The Villages - Just take a look around the restaurants and in front of the Colony Plaza stores. What do you think those black plastic containers are for?

If you are worried about rats getting onto the lanai make sure you do not leave any petfood out. They do make a rodent bait filled plastic container that you can set out. It is made so that when you catch the rat you throw it away. Of course the rat eats the bait and dies.

When they were constructing homes here there were rats around, one got into our garage. He was about 3 times the size of a big mouse. Other neighbors were complaining about them too. It was the lunch bags left behind from the workers. Lately the new areas seem to be cleaner so someone must have looked after it.

Unless helped, homeless cats have short miserable lives. Putting a small dish food out in the morning stops some of the night predators getting it as you can take it back inside if not gone in a few hours. These homeless versus feral cats seem to know who the caring people are and when to come. They are fixed, vaccinated and just want to live.

If you have/leave a grill or cook on the lanai, leave food scraps or pet food rats will chew thru the screen to get in. Also keep you palms trimmed away from the roof so the palm rats have no easy access to the house.

What if it's lazy cat like this one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOMbCX691II