There are roof rats in our neighborhood. A few of our neighbors have undergone extensive and expensive pest control to remove them. So far (knock on wood), we’ve been lucky.

I believe that is partly due to our symbiotic relationship with the few feral cats in our neighborhood.

It started with a dish of water, mainly to slow down the egress of lost dogs through our neighborhood (we live very close to a major interstate and 2 busy roads) in the hopes of catching them and returning them home.

It evolved into a pigeon watering hole which was great on the bug control front but a pain on our pool.

Then we noticed a cat. It was on our roof after the coyotes patrolled (which keeps the population down of cats and dogs)

So we put out a little dish of hard food (which also feeds the birds) and a few cats showed up. Our neighbor noticed and mentioned that she traps and spays/neuters them before returning them to the streets.

Now, the only one of the ferals to still be around has decided we are okay and is gifting us with a pigeon wing here and there. Of course, there is a statute of limitations on his generosity and so if we don’t accept such a gift, he gobbles it down and leaves only the feathers. Yesterday, there was a whole bird (minus the belly) by my truck.

I guess since we’re feeding them; they’re willing to share their food with us. I’m just happy for them to keep the rats away from my property. Those crunchies are a lot cheaper than the exterminator.:D

Until next time.