cats v. rats

[Squash64]

Yet another probably definitely stupid question from me -
do cats kill rats?

We have quite a few feral cats at the allotments, there seem to be more this year than other years.  This week I've seen two rats running into people's compost heaps.

I was just wondering if cats can kill them, or are the rats too big (and quick)

[Squash64]

[Poppy Mole]

My cats often killed small rats & squirrels when we backed onto a small copse & a farm.

[asbean]

YES THEY DO  :o :o :o ::) ::) ::)

[lewic]

My sister's cats do. And fully grown rabbits..

BTW I have seen a kitten with a squirrel, it came up to me in a park with its prey in its mouth, wanting some praise!

[Deb P]

My toms have killed rats, mice, and I even caught one running along with a fully grown Magpie in its mouth...with its mate dive bombing him and making a right racket! I told him to let go and he did and it flew off, he looked most crestfallen...he was bringing me a present! ::)

[Squash64]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Since I asked the question, I have been told about a feral cat which lives in our local park.  It attacked a small dog and when the dog's owner picked it
up it leapt up and tried to grab the dog's legs!

[1066]

Hi Squash, I haven't seen any of my cats over the years with rats (they've had all manner of other things - pigeons, squirells, rabbits etc), so don't know, but I have had a cat who attacked a local dog when I was growing up by jumping onto its back and digging its claws in etc. That dog never bothered me or our cat ever again!!!

[muddylou]

They certainly do, my cat has brought dead mice, rats, poor little chicks from the nest (which I wasn't happy about), fights foxes and bullies a female cat who lives in the flat underneath us. To mirror Deb P's post, I arrived home one night from the pub to find the kitchen looking like something out of the "Texas Chain Saw Massacre", blood and feathers all over the fridge, floor, work surfaces and windows. On inspecting further I found a dead Magpie in the sink. Thankfully at 11yo he seems to have calmed down and hasn't brought anything back for around 8 months.   

[non-stick]

Years ago our cat (who was soft as proverbial usually) contrived to leave us a dead blackbird in the downstairs loo!!

I can remember my mum's old cat launching herself off a window ledge at a dog that was having a go at her. She was tiny but wouldn't take any truck from anything :-)