Rats, Blackbirds and Cats
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I discovered a neighbourhood cat was eating most of the food I was leaving out for our local hedgehog so manufactured a simple single-entry feeding station from an old plastic pail. This deterred the cat, who could no longer get in, but not the local blackbirds who I saw running in and out for quick beak-fulls.
So I bought an expensive and well made double entry wooden feeding station with staggered entry points which was too much for the birds and the cats but not for the rat which we saw entering after about a week and cleaning out the feed bowls. Rather than encourage rats I have stopped feeding altogether though much to my regret.
The only rat deterrent possibility I have read on the forum here is that maybe rats won’t eat cat food? Is there anything to that and are there any other suggestions for discouraging a rat? Thank you.
Hi Swampcreature
I love it that the blackbirds were going into the hog box for food! I have sometimes seen birds going into the entrance of mine, but always thought they weren’t there long enough to get any food.
Re. the rat. I have found – so far – that the rats don’t eat kitten biscuits. so cat biscuits, probably likewise. But never say never! Re. deterring it – you will find that rats like to have nearby bolt holes and if you repeatedly fill these in and try to prevent them from redigging, that helps. Also, if you feed birds, make sure that anything they spill is cleared up. Also just keeping an eye out and scaring the rat away. I have found that rats are much more jumpy and sensitive to, for instance, noise than the hogs are, so that a tap on the door (I’m watching from inside) or a turn of the key might scare away a rat, but not a hog. I wouldn’t be tempted to use one of those electronic scarers (other than during daylight) becaused I’m not at all convinced that they don’t effect the hogs as well.
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