Apartment Complex Uses Feral Cats to Control Rat Population

EVANSTON, IL - An apartment complex in Evanston that has been using feral cats to cut down on their rat problem has reported great success in the project.

The Sherman Gardens complex at 1856-1866 Sherman Avenue has used two feral cats to cut down on the rodents, according to the Evanston Review. The result is a nearly rodent-free space.

The property began working with the Tree House Humane Society in May and is the only Evanston property that uses feral cats to cut down on rats.

The cats - Stinky and Sweetie - are micro-chipped and fed twice a day by a group of 10 volunteers.
"Nobody's worried about a rat running across their feet on the patio anymore," Sherman Gardens resident Barbara Pearson said.

Before the cats arrived, the complex was riddled with rats. Bait traps and other forms of control did not seem to work.

1st Ward Ald. Judy Fiske, whose ward includes the apartment complex, is among the proponents of the idea, which could soon be adopted in other places in the city.

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