DOG DAYS OF RAT CATCHING

Transcription

1 Vet Times The website for the veterinary profession DOG DAYS OF RAT CATCHING Author : PIPPA ELLIOTT Categories : Vets Date : July 28, 2014 PIPPA ELLIOTT BVMS, MRCVS discusses how a rat-catcher could attract celebrity status in Victorian Britain, and why we could need them again if tabloid predictions are to be believed RATS have been making the news lately, with attention-grabbing headlines such as Invasion of the mutant killer rats (Daily Star) and Super rats immune to poison growing big as cats (The Telegraph online). This is because of work done by Dougie Clarke of the University of Huddersfield that proves modern rats are becoming immune to common rodenticides, such as difenacoum and bromadiolone. Dr Clarke obtained DNA from rats tails and used gel electrophoresis and PCR techniques to sequence the samples, then looked for mutations. He then cross-referenced this with alterations in the gene code for rats known to be immune to rodenticides. Data from rats across Britain showed all 17 counties sampled had some super rats among their population. In six counties, including Berkshire, Hampshire, and Surrey, all the rats tested were tolerant to the most frequently used rodenticides. Regarding the super size of the rats, anecdotal reports from pest control officers report the average rat is getting bigger. This is put down to easy access to food waste, especially near fastfood outlets, for rats to gorge on. Flooding also drove rats out of sewers and on to the city streets. Of course, rat infestations are nothing new, and it was only in the 18th century the larger, more aggressive brown rat made it to British shores, usurping the smaller, native black rat. Fuelled by 1 / 5

2 the comments of 19th century naturalists, the brown rat soon earned itself a fearsome reputation as a voracious carnivore. In 1813, naturalist Charles Fothergill said: The male rat has an insatiable thirst for the blood of his own offspring; the female, being aware of this passion, hides her young in such secret places as she supposes likely to escape discovery. Indeed, Mr Fothergill postulated it was only the brown rats cannibalism that stopped a population explosion of biblical proportions: the whole surface of the earth a barren and hideous waste against which man himself would contend in vain. Horrifying scenario Contemporary records exist of the horrifying scenario of rats attacking children, such as in this account by the famous Victorian rat catcher, Jack Black, who said: One night in August the night of a very heavy storm I was sent for by a medical gent as lived opposite the Load of Hay, Hampstead, whose two children had been attacked by rats while they was sleeping in their little cots. Mr Black went on to recount how he followed a trail of blood back to the rats den, and caught the miscreants with blood still on their whiskers. In everyday 19th century society, people were more accepting of rat catchers. Mr Black was Rat and mole catcher to the Queen, and regularly welcomed at Buckingham Palace. Admittedly, Mr Black had a gift for publicity and was something of a celebrity in Victorian Britain. He understood the importance of marketing and wore an instantly recognisable uniform of green jacket, red waistcoat and a wide leather belt embossed with cast-iron rats. The famous journalist Henry Mayhew recounted a meeting with Jack. The first time I ever saw Mr Black was in the streets of London where he was exhibiting the rapid effects of his rat poison, by placing some of it in the mouth of a living animal, he said. He had a cart then, with rats painted on the panels, and on the tailboard, where he stood lecturing. Mr Black s lectures included putting live, wild rats inside his clothing, making the ladies scream. Mr Black was a true entrepreneur because not only was he employed to catch rats, but he also made money selling them on. He had two diverse outlets: one was supplying the rat pits, and the other was selling unusuallooking rats to well-bred young ladies to keep in squirrel cages. How fickle that the fate of the rat depended on its looks. However, the majority didn t end up as pets, but met a distressing end in a rat pit. Rat pits were gambling dens where bets were taken on the dog that could kill the most rats in the shortest time. Billie and Jacko were two famous dogs that could reputedly kill a rat every 2.5 to six 2 / 5

3 seconds, for several minutes at a time. In October 1822, Sporting Life reported: The place was crowded. The famous dog Billy, of ratkilling notoriety, 26lb, was wagered for 20 sovereigns to kill one hundred rats in 12 minutes. The rats were turned out loose at once in 12-feet square, and the floor whitened so the rats might be visible to all. Gambling industry At the beginning of the 19th century, London had 70 rat pits to feed the gambling industry. Later in the century, Victorian sensibilities caught up with rat baiting. Although the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 made animal baiting illegal, the law was not enforced for rats. By the middle of Queen Victoria s reign, public opinion turned against rat pits not because of cruelty to the rats, but to the dogs. Breeders of good ratting dogs were held in high esteem, and another string to Mr Black s talent was selling puppies from his prize ratting dogs. His most successful ratter was a black and tan terrier, also called Billy. One of Billy s offspring could sell for a guinea or more, and Mr Black sold one pup to the Austrian ambassador for 14 the equivalent in Victorian times to about 1,500. It became fashionable to own one of Billy s progeny. So, when it comes to rats, what goes around comes around, and once again we are facing a problem with an increasing rat population. With less-effective poisons, it could be argued we are overdue another celebrity rat-catcher after all, with rats the size of cats on the streets, there s plenty of scope for heroics. 3 / 5

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