Many people want to be compassionate with animals, even ones we wish were not in our houses. This is true of those who have rats in their Rochester homes. They want the rats out, but they don't necessarily want to see them hurt or killed in anyway. They simply want them out of the house.



This is perfectly understandable. Rats are vile creatures that can cause a lot of damage and carry many diseases with them. No one wants to have something like that in their New York home. It is unsafe for their family and their pets. These New York critters have to go. For many, the option for getting rid of these animals is to trap them and release them in another location. They see this as a much more humane option that gives the Rochester rat a chance at survival, without that survival having to be in their home. It is a beautiful show of compassion for another life form, but truthfully it may not be as kind-hearted as you may think.

The truth of the matter is that in many studies conducted by researchers that study Rochester rats, they have found that in the vast majority of cases that they have studied that the rat's survival is greatly decreased once it is taken from its “home” and moved to a new location. The reasons behind this actually make a lot of sense. When the New York animal is moved to a new location it does not know the terrain or the habitat. It does not know where to find safe shelter for it and it does not know where to find food. It is having the start from scratch, and that may mean that it finds neither shelter nor food. This will instantly decrease its chances of survival and plays a significant factor in what can happen with it.

However, this is not the only factor. Being out of your home and into the “wild” adds a whole set of new predators who would see the New York rat as a great treat to go after. Owls, hawks, foxes, coyotes, and snakes are just a few of the many animals that would go after the Rochester rat once they saw it in the open. The rat is unfamiliar with the environment and may have no idea where to avoid predators, making it a sitting duck for these other animals. Your compassion should be rewarded, it is just that in this case you may not find that it is working in the way that you had hoped.

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