A pest infestation is an upsetting experience for homeowners and residents, especially an infestation involving rats since they are unsavoury creatures to many people. What makes this type of invasion even more bothersome is the fact that rodents can disturb other animals, such as dogs and cats, living in the house. Here are some ways that a rat infestation can affect your household pets, as well as some ways that rat pest control in Toronto can assist with getting the situation under control.
Rats Can Sicken Your Pets
Nobody wants to see their beloved pet come down with an illness. Having a sick dog or cat is inconvenient at best and heartwrenching at worst. Because of this, homeowners who have pets should be aware that rats and other rodents can carry certain diseases, including salmonella, hantavirus and more. Some initial signs of these illnesses include but are not limited to, fever, aches and pains and fatigue. In addition to possibly making your pets sick, rats can also transmit diseases directly to humans. This is why it is important to consult a home pest control service to get rid of these rodents, rather than trying to get rid of them yourself as an amateur who may not be familiar with how to stay safe when handling these animals.
Rodents Might Eat Your Pets’ Food
Eating your pets’ food is an equally dangerous and annoying behaviour of rats that enter the home. Two of the main reasons rodents come into a residence is to access warmth and nourishment, and rats eat nearly anything, including most human food as well as dog and cat food. Many pet owners leave dry food out so their pets can munch on it throughout the day. However, this also means that rodents and other pests have full admission to the food as well and will take advantage of the situation. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to help prevent rats from getting into the food or knowing that it is there in the first place, such as:
- Putting away or covering food bowls at night
- Storing surplus food in airtight containers
- Keeping food away from doors, windows and other potential points of entry for rats
Ensuring that pet food is not left out in the open disincentivizes pests from entering the home and helps to ensure that your companion animals are kept happy by not having to share their food with outside inhabitants.
Rats Can Cause Diseases To Travel From Pets to Humans
It is fairly common knowledge that rodents can spread diseases directly to pets and humans. However, it is also worth noting that pets who become infected with an illness from a rat may also spread that pathogen to their human residents. For example, toxoplasmosis is an infection commonly spread by emptying a cat’s litter box and is especially dangerous to those who are pregnant. Roundworms are parasites that spread from infected animals to people via their feces.
Additionally, even if a dog or cat cannot spread a particular disease directly to a human, they might still cause that disease to enter and spread around the house if they play with or otherwise discourage a rodent from exiting the property. Although many people keep cats around their property for their reputation of keeping mice and rats away, hiring a residential pest control service is the most reliable way to ensure that harmful rodents leave and do not come back.
If rats are bothering you and your pets, contact our Truly Nolen Canada team in Toronto and ask about how our residential programs keep rats and other unwanted pests under control.