Admirable alliances between "cat lovers" and "bird lovers" to knock rats
After over three months of servicing lines in the rat pilot operational trial, the field team have got to know the locals quite well. Always up for a yarn, team member Dylan Hinchey has got to know not just the residents in his area, but their pets too, getting the scoop on the ratters of the island.
"After a couple of months of strutting the Tahi and Erua beat, the greatest rat hunters of the street, possibly all of Waiheke have been found," he proclaims. The top two nominations are felines Monkey and Pussy.
Monkey was a rescue from WISCA, adopted by Mike, a local diesel mechanic and engineer. From the get-go, Monkey was a super friendly cat even being partial to the company of dogs. Monkey's pleasant demeanour hid a talent for great stealth, prowess and delivering the death blow. According to his adoring owner, Mike, the backyard was "like a morgue for rats. Mike is also aware that other species fall prey to Monkey but mitigates this with good food including sliced up chicken wings and keeping him indoors when Monkey has the killing itch. Now with the rat pilot operational trial in Ostend, Mike says that Monkey is bored and expects to be entertained to which Mike duly obeys.
Ivan and Karen London, proud owners of Pussy, speak of his great feats. One winter the rat catch tally reached 42 before the Londons' stopped counting. Pussy would also bring live rats to the bedroom at night which led to chaotic scenes with Pussy and Ivan brandishing a stick and chasing rats outside, as Karen rolled around with laughter. It's not been entirely one-sided. This old Warhorse has cost the Londons about four thousand dollars in surgeries from injuries sustained battling rats. Since Te Korowai o Waiheke has been working the beat, only one mouse and one rat have been brought to the table this Winter.
Relationships between "cat lovers" and "bird lovers" (not mutually exclusive) have not always been easy. But in undertaking a gargantuan task, admirable alliances have been forged because if we wanna knock these rats off the motu it requires a collaborative effort. As a field worker, I enjoy hearing the feedback from cat owners contributing to our monitoring program as we aren't hunting lots of rats, but rather, the last rat. Gratitude to Monkey and Pussy for purrmitting us to do our mahi on their turf."
