Dozens of Chicago residents are taking in feral cats in an effort to rid their homes and neighborhoods of rats. The Tree House Humane Society launched its Cats at Work program in 2011 after the nonprofit's feral cats cleared out a Cicero business's rat problem. Now there are 500 feral cats involved in the program, with a waiting list of two to four weeks to adopt them.
Planned demolition projects and warm winter weather have caused concerns over an explosion in the rodent population.
As of Thursday, more than 7,600 rat complaints had been filed this year, compared with about 4,705 over the same period last year. Residents hope feral cats can address the rising number of rat complaints.
