Rat problem, cat as a deterrent?

Some cat rescues deal with relocating feral cats. You do need somewhere big enough to shut them in for a few weeks though eg shed/outbuilding so they stay in the area when realised. Rats are also harder to catch than mice so you probably need a cat that's on the big size and quite smart... possibly two.

A cat that will take on a rat could pose a threat to chickens, particularly small breeds/youngsters.

You'll need to find a way to catch and neuter - otherwise babies come along quickly and even if boys they need doing. They'll be happy outside, but you may need to invest in a trap incase they get unwell and need vets treatment (your local cats protection maybe able to do it in emergencies). They probably will be good hunters, but you can never guarantee this by size of cat or how brought up - like I said my best hunter is my littlest female who is a total housecat until she is gets in her evening hunting mood. And as chickadee said you cant combine rat poison once you have the cats so it's really worth thinking which method you would prefer.

On a positive note, they may now be very feral cats, but they will learn to trust you to some extent and they will become attched in their own ways to you. One of my ferals is nearly tame now and lets me stroke her. The other knows that I feed him and that its safe in the house and shed for him, but wont let me within 3 foot just incase I decide to grab him  Lots of people on here have cats as well so there will always be help if you need it when you get them.

I am sure that cats are a deterrent, young male cats are probably your best bet.  We have two male cats just 6 months old, both good hunters and have caught lots of mice, voles, frogs and a big rat.   However, the best thing we have found is to remove all the things that the rats like.

We started by removing the compost heap, put the wood pile  2 feet off the ground, burned all the garden waste and put weld mesh all round the bottom of the fence where the rats were digging under.  I  take the chickens food away in the afternoon so they eat up all the food that gets dropped onto ground and put it back up in the morning.  In addition we put the hen house up on bricks 18" off the ground so the rats can't hide under it.  DH and DS both urinate  around the area to ward off foxes and rats.

I know there were rats about before we got the chucks, next door have pigeons, and  they must still be around but we have not seen any evidence since we started the new rat offensive! so fingers crossed.

Have you used those electric traps, Lizzie ?   Do they work ?

My neighbour and I shot and trapped just under a hundred last winter in our back gardens and they are not big gardens.
They breed continually and without the uise of poison, which I will not use ever, we have to resort to more natural means. I suspect ferret keepinging might become a hobby when I have more time