Homeowner seeks legal action after neighbor grapples with 'disgusting' infestation: 'You could hear them in the walls'

A Toronto neighborhood is up in arms after one resident's unfortunate habit has had damaging and expensive consequences for everyone else.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that residents in Leaside, northeast of downtown, are reeling from a rat infestation. To their considerable chagrin, the infestation appears to have been caused by a neighbor feeding them.

One resident who had to hire an exterminator fumed: "It's disgusting. You could hear them in the walls." 

Since the passage of a bylaw in April 2023, feeding wild animals is prohibited on public and private property, with an exception made for songbirds. Since the law came into effect, thousands of complaints have been lodged.

While few would argue against feeding vermin, it's a terrible idea to feed any wild animal for multiple reasons. For one, human food is nutritionally unsuitable for animals, and feeding animals can lead to food conditioning, where animals could lose their fear of people. 

There's another element to the problem that goes beyond a careless neighbor. One consequence of the heat-trapping pollution from dirty energy is an explosion in the rat population in cities worldwide. Toronto's winters are getting milder, so more rats are surviving with a longer breeding season.

Additionally, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events can drive rats into populated areas with terrible consequences for public health. Rats are a top vector of zoonotic disease, and once established, they're tough to get rid of. It's also just plain unsettling to see rats scurrying around a home. 

The uptick in rats has prompted the city to take local actions to contain the infestations. The newly created rat response plan will go into effect in 2026. The task force will use a blend of public engagement, prevention, and targeted "rat blitzes" to contain outbreaks. 

The article's comments had some unexpected, if not terribly helpful, suggestions.

One reader joked: "Contact the authorities in Hamelin, Germany - they have a piper that is very effective at this."

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Others spoke of their own experiences dealing with rodents.

"To deter mice, I got a cat. Unfortunately, the cat got lazy," said another tongue-in-cheek comment.

Another suggested a better species for the task: "Jack Russel terrier, or any terrier breed, borrow one, free food." The aptly named rat terrier is probably the best bet for going down the natural route.

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