Northern Mexican state recruits cats to fight rats

[Kadie]

Northern Mexican state recruits cats to fight rats

OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, September 28, 2004


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(09-28) 13:46 PDT MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) --

Rats of Atascaderos note: The tough city cats of Chihauhua are coming -- and they are hungry.

Chihuahua state officials say they hope to collect an army of 700 felines for a frontal attack on Atascaderos, an isolated farm village in the rugged Tarahumara mountains, a region where officials estimate the rat population at half a million.

The cats are being collected in Chihuahua city, capital of the northern Mexican state of the same name, where they will be vaccinated and checked for rabies and then shipped by truck to Atascaderos, about 300 miles to the south, said Roberto Gallegos, a health official who is overseeing the recruitment of the cats.

"So far we don't have any cats, but an animal control agency already promised to donate 50," Gallegos said. "Our goal is to stop the rats from reproducing and that's how we hope the cats can help."


more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/09/28/international1510EDT6964.DTL

[TX-RAT]

1. Drive them, "Hell"

They should herd them.

[skygazer]

2. I wish them luck

Last night, I was kept awake for several hours by the mice playing tag in the walls of my bedroom. My cat was sleeping peacefully at my feet. Useless creature! He does hunt and hunts well but he seems to confine his depredations on the critters that live outside. Perhaps he has a misplaced fellow feeling for the house dwellers, thinking them just another pet. ~sigh~

[meow2u3]

3. Anyone wanna donate American-bred Maine Coons?

The bigger the cat, the deader the rat!

[liontamer]

4. they would do better to reintroduce snakes

cat's aren't the best at rat control. They're more likely to attack birds or cry to humans for food

[flvegan]

5. Yikes

Hope they spay/neuter those cats, or 1 year from now the headline will be "Northern Mexican State Recruits Dogs to Fight Cats". Then, it'll be "Northern Mexican State Recruits Bears to Fight Dogs". Then, "Northern Mexican State Recruits Lions to Fight Bears". Naturally, that will be followed by "Northern Mexican State Recruits Elephants to Fight Lions". It'll be full circle, then, with "Northern Mexican State Recruits Mice to Fight Elephants".