Rat problem

[Ranching]

One thing you should consider is that male feral cats mark territory by urinating everywhere. If you're OK with the smell, proceed.

Get some cattle, that smell will drown out the cat smell. Lol

 

[waldoputty]

Put out some food after midnight, put on a pair of night vision goggles, borrow a gun from @Trouty and wait for that sukka to gorge. Then, shoot!!

i saw pics of t-man's guns - i now respect him a lot

 

[kimrose]

Get some cattle, that smell will drown out the cat smell. Lol

You right, Ranch, you are so right!

 

[waldoputty]

Get some cattle, that smell will drown out the cat smell. Lol

my neighbors will shoot me.

 

[waldoputty]

Pregnant female cats look for a place that they feel is safe enough to have their babies, where they won't be attacked by other animals....or even humans. They can find any nook or cranny, any hiding place that is hard to get to for larger animals. It doesn't have to be neat or clean, just safe. And usually small.

will their dig into clay type soil?
i would guess not?

 

[waldoputty]

I started with two fifteen years ago when I built my place. I have 9 right now guarding my ten acres. Haven't seen a mouse or rat in fifteen years. Mine aren't necessarily feral cats, they are semi feral since they have all been born here.

do they pee on your walls?

 

[Ranching]

I love having my cats around, no rats, no mice, no snakes and no smell. I've never had an issue with the cats. They are actually very clean, they go if into the pasture, dig a whole in the grass, do their business and cover it up when they are done. The original cats where brought up with litter boxes, they taught their babies and so on through the years. I spray my yard and barn for fleas and ticks every so often and put some dewormer in their food from time to time. They scratch my back and I scratch there's.

 

[Ranching]

do they pee on your walls?

No

 

[waldoputty]

I love having my cats around, no rats, no mice, no snakes and no smell. I've never had an issue with the cats. They are actually very clean, the go if into the pasture, dig a whole, do their business and cover it up when they are done. The original cats where brought up with litter boxes, they taught their babies and so on through the years. I spray my yard and barn for fleas and ticks every so often and put some dewormer in their food from time to time. They scratch my back and I scratch there's.

if they dont stink up the house by spraying on the wall (0.7 acre lot), i dont see much downside.
it is possible they have a den under the deck, but there are lots of places like that in the neighborhood.
if needed, i could easily sealed that area...

 

[waldoputty]

No

that would be the #1 concern to me.
dont want smelly house.

 

[Ranching]

if they dont stink up the house by spraying on the wall (0.7 acre lot), i dont see much downside.
it is possible they have a den under the deck, but there are lots of places like that in the neighborhood.
if needed, i could easily sealed that area...

If you aren't there very often, they won't hang around was the rats are gone.

 

[waldoputty]

if i do this, how much catnip/catfood do i use.
my steep driveway is 70 feet long.
how many lures do i use and how far apart can they be?

 

[kimrose]

will their dig into clay type soil?
i would guess not?

It's not really so much that they dig a den, it's that they find tiny spaces already there to feel safe in. They can dig a little to soften the space I guess, but mainly they would bring in things to soften it, or tear things up some that are already in the space. Just something to make them feel cozy and happy and safe.

 

[Ranching]

if i do this, how much catnip/catfood do i use.
my steep driveway is 70 feet long.
how many lures do i use and how far apart can they be?

Buy a cheap bag and lay out a few handfuls every 20 feet or so and then put a little extra around the area of the house you want them at. The rats may get to the food at first until the cats show up. Might take a couple or three days.

 

[waldoputty]

It's not really so much that they dig a den, it's that they find tiny spaces already there to feel safe in. They can dig a little to soften the space I guess, but mainly they would bring in things to soften it, or tear things up some that are already in the space. Just something to make them feel cozy and happy and safe.

ok, in that case, the only shelter area is the area under the deck. that is fine.
the outside of the house is concrete tiles, glass and wood.
there is only one deck on the ground level.
the lot is very steep hillside and no easy hiding place.
there is the storm sewer, but that is it.

 

[Ranching]

if i do this, how much catnip/catfood do i use.
my steep driveway is 70 feet long.
how many lures do i use and how far apart can they be?

left over food works too! Stronger scent

 

[waldoputty]

Buy a cheap bag and lay out a few handfuls every 20 feet or so and then put a little extra around the area of the house you want them at. The rats may get to the food at first until the cats show up. Might take a couple or three days.

oh, i am going to use catnip and catfood

anyone experience with catnip and how cats react?

 

[waldoputty]

left over food works too! Stronger scent

i would not have left over food, but plan to use catnip unless it causes a problem...

 

[Ranching]

oh, i am going to use catnip and catfood

anyone experience with catnip and how cats react?

I don't know anything about catnip, sorry. Texas cats eat fajitas, they aren't all sophisticated like San Fran cats.

 

[waldoputty]

I don't know anything about catnip, sorry. Texas cats eat fajitas, they aren't all sophisticated like San Fran cats.

lol, whatever works!