The message
from "geoff" contains these words:

It would be a brave and very hungry cat which attacked a rat defending its
young - I wonder if cats can contract (or transfer from their paws) Weils
disease?

I once had a cat whose main purpose in life was the slaughter of rats. I
could turn this post into a short story, but you'll be relieved to hear
that I haven't time.

She came from the Isle of Lewis and was reputed to have a touch of wild
cat in her blood - which I believe, as one of her kittens was completely
untamable from the moment it opened its eyes.

Piseag, for it was she, saw her first rat emerging from beneath
next-door's summerhouse. Big hooter, too. A look of mingled delight and
incredulity spread across her face - eyes as big as saucers.

She went and sat by the hole and waited.

And waited,

And waited.

Ignored her meal in the evening when I got back from work. And waited.

For another whole day.

And ignored her meal again.

On her plate in the morning there was a pair of ratty hind legs and a tail.

After she had accounted for Ratty's mate, she cleared the rat population
from the environs of a neighbour's menagerie, and then used to set off
on ever longer big-game hunts, often disappearing for a fortnight at a
time.

When I bought a smallholding I'm sure she thought I'd bought it for her,
and when rats were in short supply she'd have the odd stoat.

--
Tony
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