1,000 Wild Cats Released In Chicago's Alleys To Combat Rats

CHICAGO — After six years of being voted the "rattiest city" in the United States, Chicago is taking matters into its own paws.

An animal shelter in Chicago has released 1,000 feral cats throughout the city in hopes the animals will intimidate, catch or kill the influx of rodents.

Through a program called Cats at Work, the Tree House Humane Society on the North Side began placing two to three cats outside of homes and businesses that had the largest rat problem. All felines were spayed, neutered and vaccinated.

Cats at Work's website said this is a last resort for animals that wouldn't "thrive in a shelter or home environment." Instead of euthanizing the animals or holding them in a crowded long-term shelter, the nonprofit lets them live in the alleyways of the city.

The initiative started in 2012 and slowly grew. About 1,000 cats have been released in the past nine years, according to WGN.

Local residents can sign up to have a cat placed outside their area, but the program currently has a long waitlist. Because the first option is always to place a stray cat into a loving home, it may take a while to determine if an animal would be better on the streets, officials from the nonprofit said.

Once a place has been given a wild cat, the business or resident will be responsible for providing food and outdoor shelter for the animal during the winter months or to have a home base where the cat can return.

Chicagoans shouldn't worry about dead rats littering their areas, Sarah Liss of Tree House told WGN9. Cats can catch and kill the rats, but it's more common that the presence of felines will scare the rodents away.

"They are actually deterring them with their pheromones," Liss told WGN 9. "That's enough to keep the rats away."

A poll conducted by pest control company Orkin has placed Chicago at the top of the "rattiest city" list for six straight years. Initiatives such as rat-proof garbage bins and chemical deterrents have yet to solve the problem.

Tree House Humane Society said using cats is a "long-term" and safer solution than potentially harmful chemicals.

"Working cats are natural predators, which provide a reliable, permanent solution and a win-win for both humans and cats," said the shelter in a statement.