Me too. wrote:

Hi, just the other day, I noticed there is a rat around our deck out back.
It seems to be eating the bird food that falls to the ground, (2 bird
feeders mounted on deck.) This is a somewhat rural area and has a
population of squirrels, chipmunks, bear, groundhogs, deer, rabbits etc.
So, seeing this unfamiliar site has thrown me. We have 3 large house cats
with full sets of claws, so I'm not too worried about the rat coming in and
surviving, or should I be? Anyway, this is 1st time I've seen a rat around
here and I'm not sure if I need to be concerned?

What to do?

Thanks...




Rats and mice love, love, love graineries and other food warehousing.
Why make it easy for them? The birds are better off finding their own
food. I once watched rats coming for the dog food at the neighbor's
yard - had a big old dog that spent it's life tied to a tree, with
food/water bowls set out for him. Much of the time, his water bowl
would get turned over, so I used to carry water to him. I like pets and
their food indoors, let wild things find their own.