Dear editor,
Recently I woke up to find my cat very ill. He had been our natural rodent control for 15 years. Apparently a few days before, he ate a rodent poisoned by a bait trap set out by one of my neighbours (vicinity of 19th St and Stewart Ave). His retinas detached as a result of water buildup in his skull. The pupils were fully dilated and there was no iris visible at all. It was like looking into clear glass marbles. He had also lost control of his limbs and could not stand up. He could only drink by syringe.
Tragic accidents like this happen when people using rat poisons do not realize that the effects can be far-reaching. They may be careful where they put the bait station but don’t think about what happens between the time the rodent eats it and when they die. Rat poison does not always kill immediately. It can take several days for the animal to die (a horrible death – increasing dehydration, edema in the skull and loss of control of their limbs). As they become ill, disoriented and unable to walk, the rodent becomes an easy catch and toxic bomb for any predator that eats them. In our neighbourhood, we have domestic pets and a range of wildlife including crows, ravens, eagles, raccoons and a nesting colony of great blue herons – all of which eat rodents.
It would have been good to know that poison traps were being set so everyone living nearby would be on the lookout for poisoned rodents appearing on their property. If you must use poison, at least educate yourself on how long it takes to work and let people know how long it will be out.
Pam Young,
Courtenay