Rats in street

[Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain]

So I was walking past a part of town that’s a bit run down and rough today (it’s ok though) and past a house with a green garden open space next to it, at the side, the house had a pavement next to the main road. I suddenly saw at least 2 rats running backwards and forwards in some rubbish but I immediately crossed to the other side. The only time I ever saw a rat in the street was near Brick Lane.

I wasn’t really freaked out just didn’t want them to run near me or over my feet.

I suppose we’re closer to rats (the old myth) than we think. They actually looked quite cute.

we have tons here. awful things. bins are just overflowing as they aren't collected so rats fester. I once saw a cat all triumphantly carrying a dead rat in it's mouth. all happy.

They have to live and I don’t mind them in gardens but I was a bit shocked to see them in the street. There are businesses like a takeaway, off licence a few doors down and behind the house it backs onto a train line so I’m guessing they come from there originally.

That’s disgusting the bins aren’t collected, have you been onto the council?

Cats have to be pretty hardcore to catch rats. My childhood cat did but my half Siamese half moggy I used to play with him with a stuffed toy rat which he loved and one day he shuddered and ran away from it, I think he’d encountered a rat, had tried to catch it, and it had fought back.

everyone has complained. it doesn't make a difference.

I once saw a magpie trying to catch a juvenile rat as I was driving towards a roundabout. The rat just managed to make it to a drain and go down into it, leaving the magpie behind.

Usually down to broken sewers.

You can fix your own sewers but can't force neighbours or the council to fix theirs.

Can you tell I have tried?

Environmental Heath team would be interested surely?

as they are on private land behind the shops the problem just doesn't improve as the rubbish builds up after being cleared and the rats remain

Omg really! I think these do come from the railway tracks. And probably the takeaway places must not clean properly or leave food out with their rubbish.

My cat was chasing one in the garden last week. We could hear squawking and I assumed it was a bird until I reached down and saw brown fur and a scaly tail😬
I've seen another one eating vomit in the high street once so I'm not a fan.

we live in a nice street with a golf course over the road no rubbish dumped in the streets round here and at night i have seen rats running across the road dosent bother me they have to live somewhere and there are enough foxes round here and the odd owl or two so enough predators (plus cats) to keep the numbers to reasonable levels at the end of the day we are the ones who built buildings so restricting their territory

Ah you’re probably correct there.

But if it gets worse they’ll multiply. Over lockdown most of our local parks had big problems and they had to get pest control to sort it as they were running everywhere in the parks. They got braver coming out as people were eating food outside and not necessarily using litter bins.

That’s the good thing about foxes and owls, rats and mice are their main food source.

It’s the scaly tails I can’t stand. Ugh!