I never had cats until we had one start showing up at our doorstep a couple years ago. She was apparently born in the outdoors and had learned to fend for herself. Since she came around, I have had ZERO rat/mouse problems. She brings all kinds of stuff to the doorstep. Wish she would quit killing the "good" birds, but otherwise, she has been a Godsend.

Before I had a cat, I had trouble with rats. They are smart bastards. If you catch one with a given style of trap/bait, it will usually be the last. You have to change up your tactics frequently to take out a small colony. You can choose to have fun with the war (can be maddening), hire an exterminator (will be expensive, but probably not as expensive as a cat over time), or get yourself a FEMALE cat (males tend to be lazy).