Is it bad to leave our crawl space open?

Make some kind of cover, even screened, for the hole. It will keep the rats and urinating/shitting cats out.

Raccoons.

We occasionally get rats in our back garden due to the ill-kept chicken coop at the neighbors behind us. My advice is to secure the home as best as possible against a rat invasion. They can crawl through the tiniest of areas.

Cats maybe helpful in controlling the rat population, yet they poop and pee where it is unwanted.

We bought a trap and have caught two. My partner also purchased a pellet rifle and enjoys shooting the rats from the guest bedroom window.

@kritiper I actually already bought new screens. Just debating to put them on or just let the cats have their space.

Yeah, ideally our crawl space wouldn’t be used as a litterbox. But if it helps give the cats some shade from the heat, is that so bad?

@filmfann Raccoons eating cats? Yeesh!

@Pied_Pfeffer We haven’t had an issue with rats in the house so far. (Knock on wood.) But I’m wondering if that’s in part to all the cats hanging around our house? It’s like free rat control.

Vector control also did a walk around pointing out where we should shove some iron wool just to be on the safe side.

@raum I guess you have never fully experienced the raw, eye watering stench of cat pee and shit. Plant a tree if you want to give the cats some shade.

@raum My recommendation is to do whatever they suggest. The cats may help, but they aren’t in your yard all of the time.

I would do everything I could to keep them out. A hideaway for free rat control is nice but it is unreliable and might result in other problems down the road, like many more feral, bird-killing critters.

If cats and raccoons can crawl in there, so can kidnappers and criminals. And young kids.

Keep it closed.

It’s not just cats and rats. You may be inviting skunks who also like a nice shaded place to rest.

Rat and mice proofing requires a very tight mesh screen. Get it done by professionals who can seal off any other vectors for the rats.

Thanks, all!

Sorry, cats.
Fluther has spoken.

I’m with@kritiper, you can’t get the cat urine off all underneath and it will reek.
Not to mention the babies or sick ones you’ll get eventually. Some diseases like ringworm can transfer to humans.
Love them outside, you’ll all be happier.

Oh man. I hadn’t even considered the babies or sick ones we might end up getting.

@raum I learned the hard way because I love animals. Taking care of multiples is not easy.

@KNOWITALL I still remember the heartbreak of taking in a stray kitten that had feline leukemia. Can’t imagine that times a whole litter. :(

@raum Working TNR for feral colonies was horrible. Rhat’s why we never encourage ‘rest stops’ or ‘feeders’ because without proper care, it can get very bad for the animals and humans both.

@KNOWITALL Is feeding feral colonies bad? I know several people that leave out food for some of the feral cat colonies around here.

And, not cats, but you mentioning feeders made me think of this.

Well ideally TNR recommends not feeding unless you get them fixed. It stops the reproduction cycle so the colony is more healthy.
The world needs more responsible feeders though, for sure. But part of it has to be prevention.