Are Cats Effective Rat Predators?

Are cats effective at exterminating rats? Contrary to popular belief, a unique research paper published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution reveals that cats may not be as proficient at rat hunting as commonly assumed. In this study, conducted by four researchers, a more nuanced understanding of the feline-rat dynamic emerges, shedding light on the extent of cats’ rat-killing abilities.

“Why do cats struggle to effectively catch and kill rats?” This question has puzzled many observers like Parsons, who described the feline pursuit as a hesitant, start-and-stop dance. When the rat pauses, the cat follows suit. One possible explanation for the surprisingly low success rate in cat-rat interactions may lie in the formidable size and fierceness of urban rats, as noted by Tanya Loos in her article for Cosmos, published on September 28, 2018. These larger and more aggressive city rats pose a unique challenge for domestic cats, which could account for their difficulty in successfully hunting them.

What happens when 6 cats successfully eliminate 6 rats? To understand this scenario, let’s break it down. If 6 cats manage to catch and eliminate 6 rats within a span of 6 minutes, it implies that, collectively, these 6 cats can catch one rat every minute. If we project this over a longer duration, such as 50 minutes, those 6 cats would be able to eliminate a total of 50 rats. However, to double this number and eliminate 100 rats, you would require twice as many cats, which means you’d need 12 cats for the task. So, in essence, if 6 cats can take care of 6 rats in 6 minutes, it would take 12 cats to handle 100 rats effectively. This insight was discussed on June 14, 2021.