Adopted Chicago cat hailed as prolific exterminator of neighborhood rats
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago was recently named the Rattiest City in America for a tenth-straight year, but some residents are fighting back against the rodents with some success.
CBS News Chicago went on the hunt for one Logan Square exterminator who is winning over her neighborhood after 50 rats have been removed.
"Everybody loves Monica so much, and they're asking for updates on her all the time that we thought we should do something for the neighborhood to sort of celebrate her," said John Shultz, who adopted Monica with Caitlin Gath.
That's what led to a big "CongRATS Monica. 50 rats gone!" hanging in the neighborhood.
CBS News Chicago caught up with resident rat catcher Monica while her family was overseas, but one does not have to look far to find the neighborhood's unofficial exterminator.
She was adopted through the "Cats at Work" program from Tree House Humane Society last year as a feral cat who otherwise might not have found a home. She was the perfect fit for a family with a problem: a rat colony living under their HVAC system and damaging their property.
"She definitely set off on her mission to get rid of the rats immediately," said Shultz. "And it was just kind of amazing to see her actually at work. I mean, she's very prolific.
Gath added, "What we didn't expect was definitely that she would kind of become part of the family."
The rats have left the home, but Monica stays hard at work. CBS News Chicago spotted her patrolling through alleys and other properties nearby, including the kinds of infrastructure, nooks and crannies, that make Chicago ideal for rodents.
Monica's family said she sometimes brings back two or three rats a day.
"I've never been more excited to see a gift like that because that means she's happy and she's hunting," said Johanna Bertini, a housesitter for the family.
The sign has been up for only a handful of weeks, but that 50 number is already out of date. Her owners said she is up to 67 at least, and now they are thinking about how they are going to mark 100.
As part of the Cats at Work program, Monica's family provides food and medical care for her. She also has a heated shelter for the winter.
The program has placed 57 cats with homes in 2024 which have varying degrees of socialization but would not have thrived in an indoor setting.