"ON Rats" was chosen because it is a bit more sophisticated than "OH Rats!" or "EEK Rats!" and it likely reminds you more of an essay by Montaigne than Mulcahy. But, the exclamatory titles are more appropriate and the point being made here is that there are now a lot of rats. If you have read my unflattering posts about Toronto you will know that I was not surprised to learn that Toronto has lots of them.
If I had acted more quickly I could have provided you with "Breaking News" which is now more valuable than the regular kind. I would have told you early on about the Ratscallions, if I had known that rats were going to become "a thing." The Ratscallions operate in Washington, which like Toronto, has many rats and again, I wasn't surprised to learn this. The advance news about the rapidly growing rat population in the D.C. area is from this article which begins with an Editor's warning: "This story contains descriptions and images of dogs hunting rats that could upset some readers.". Actually the title should be enough for you: ""Washington is Full of Rats: These Dogs Are Happy to Help With That: On Certain Nights, Behind Some of Your Favorite Restaurants, Roving Groups of Dog Owners Set Their Posse of Pooches Loose on Urban Rodents," Maur Judkis and Jabin Botsford, Washington Post, Sept. 13, 2024.
This is now old news so I will not develop this story further and simply provide sources for those of you who may have missed this development while spending too much time reading about the other rats in Washington. The major points are that the rat population is booming and increases in the number of people and the temperature are mainly responsible.
THE SOURCE which all the journalists depended upon is this one: "Increasing Rat Numbers in Cities Are Linked to Climate Warming, Urbanization, and Human Population," Science Advances, Jan. 31, 2025.
"Urban rats are commensal pests that thrive in cities by exploiting the resources accompanying large human populations. Identifying long-term trends in rat numbers and how they are shaped by environmental changes is critical for understanding their ecology, and projecting future vulnerabilities and mitigation needs."
The story was reported in Washington where obviously the Ratscallions have not been able cull sufficient numbers: "Urban Rats are Booming Around the World Due in Large Part to Rising Average Temperatures, According to an Analysis of 16 Cities Published Friday: The trend is most pronounced in Washington, D.C., followed by San Francisco, Toronto and New York," Washington Post, Jan. 31, 2025.
Boston has more than Brahmins and Bruins: "Boston's Warming Climate Leads to More Rats, Study Says," The Boston Globe, Feb. 18, 2025.
"A study published in the journal Science on Jan. 31, said biologists using Boston’s 311 call data estimated that between 2011 and 2021, the city’s rat population increased by 53 percent..."
Here is yet another reason to avoid Toronto: "Rats! Why Toronto’s Rat Population is Growing, and Will Likely Continue To Do So," By Alex Arsenych, Cp24.com, February 12, 2025.
It made the National news: "How Canada's Cities Got So Repulsively Ratty: Canadians Are in an All-out War with Rats For Dominion Over our Urban Centers: It's Time to Take Them Back," Jadine Ngan, Maceans, Dec. 9, 2025.
The problem is an International one: "Cat-sized Rats Are Attacking Our Cars," Rob Mayer, BBC, Feb.28, 2025. These rats are in Birmingham.
No, this does not give you an excuse to buy another cat. As you can see from the headline right above, these 21st century rats can be large. As well, if there are many of them, your cat may be outmatched. I recently was looking again at The Great War and Modern Memory and in it, found this passage:
"The famous rats also gave us constant trouble. They were big and black with wet, muddy hair….Their hunger, vigor, intelligence, and courage are recalled in numerous anecdotes. One officer notes from the Ypres Salient: “We are fairly plagued with rats. They have eaten nearly everything in the mess, including the table-cloth and the operations orders! We borrowed a large cat and shut it up at night to exterminate them, and found the place empty the next morning. The rats must have eaten it up, bones, fur, and all and dragged it to their holes.” p.49 The Great War and Modern Memory, Paul Fussell.
On a more positive note, there's always Alberta: "'Rat on Rats': Alberta Launches Campaign to Keep Province Rat-free," Steven Dyer, CTV News, Nov.5, 2024.
"For more than 70 years, Alberta has been designated rat-free by keeping rats from establishing a permanent population and dealing with any new infestations, the province said in a release."
The Bonus:
For additional, sophisticated "ON" posts, see, for example:
"ON Ophiology"
"ON Worms"
"ON Barfing"
