The UK is returning to its filthy, Victorian past, with fatal pollution levels, a record number of malnourished people, and now the cat-sized rat even making a comeback.
Left unattended, rats can sometimes grow to enormous sizes. When the genetics hit just right, along with huge amounts of food, they can become massive. They live in sewers and feast on whatever they can get their paws on.
In the UK, a gigantic cat-sized rat has been killed in someone’s home in North Yorkshire, England. There are even pictures of the huge rodent, which measures 22 inches from nose to tail.
“It’s almost the size of a small cat. And it’s not a one-off,” they posted to Facebook. “Rats are being spotted more and more around our area.”
Growing Rat Problem More Than Just Their Size
In the UK, there is a growing rat problem as food waste begins to pile up, winters get warmer, and pest control declines. More councils aren’t funding the highly necessary regulations that cull rat populations. And, as a result, people are finding cat-sized rats in their homes.
The post addresses the problem with the rodents. “Redcar & Cleveland Council no longer handles domestic rat infestations. They may offer advice, but if you’ve got rats in your home, garden, or alley, you’re expected to pay privately to deal with them.”
Rats are a huge problem when left unchecked. They are carriers of many fatal diseases and can quickly cause outbreaks. Rats can get almost anywhere, and they are almost impossible to guard against. The only solution is to kill them all.
This is a costly process. Typically, it is up to governments and councils to stay on top of it. After all, if a government of council can’t take care of its constituents’ health, then what is its purpose? But, now, in the UK, it is being left to individuals to fund these expensive exterminations.
Rats like the cat-sized ones will also live in drains, sewers, and no man’s land. This is the council’s responsibility to clear, but to save money, they will often ignore the problem. Two areas in the UK saw a 90% increase in rat infestations in 2023. It’ll only get worse.