War Party

Oh, rats.

No really, RAAAATS!!!

Our property is infested with the fury spawn.  When we moved in, we thought that there might be one, maybe two. Now we know that there are many. My guess is that the inner property, on the people side of the fence, has become a safe-haven for the four-legged vermin because of little to no predation. Our dogs won't chase or eat rats, but they chase and scare away the things that do. So we're left with no natural pest control and poison is too risky to use for the sake of the other animals.

You see, the snakes have it good out in the field, the hawks can't spot the rats through our ivy or structures, and we have no barn cats...until now.

Meet our new crack team of specialized hunters.

Name: Taffy (AKA Mind Bender)
Specialty: Mesmerizing stare - Confuses her prey.

Name: Kit Kat (AKA Rodent Ripper)
Specialty: Rapid bunny kick - Shreds rodents in seconds.

Name: Licorice  (AKA Shadow Death)
Specialty: Invisibility - Can't be seen, even by the keenest eye.

 
Well, you try getting a shot of an invisible cat.

We got our barn cats through an interesting organization who supplies rescued cats to people with vermin problems. These cats come in three types; friendly, part friendly, and feral.

We talked with the owner of the rescue and she recommended three cats for our infestation. Kit Kat is friendly, Taffy is part friendly, and Licorice is feral. I haven't seen Licorice once since she came, though I have heard her, so we know she's around.

The best part about this particular cat rescue is that if anything happens to a cat, they will take it back and care for it. Naturally, they are very selective about who the cats are loaned to.

The cats have a two week waiting period while they adjust to their new surroundings. They're staying in our tack room and coming to know it as home. This is where they will find regular food, water, and shelter so that they don't stray too far and always come back.

Here is the ramp I've built to ensure that they always have quick and easy access to safety and their commodities. I'm sure it will come in handy when Hunter wants to "play" with them. Heaven help that dog if he ever corners one. It would be his first time being mauled.