RATS in Seattle (Starbuck: camps, inspection, live in)

[MJ5150]

I spend every Saturday afternoon/evening in downtown Seattle, near Westlake. I've been doing this for the past 12 months.
My exact travels include parking in the US Bank Centre parking garage, walking to 3rd and Pine, walking around that general area, then walking back to the parking garage to leave.
I have never once seen a rat.

-Mike

[bloom]

the Mayor resigned

[Olympian2]

There are rats in Bellevue too. If you want to go rat watching, they live in a protected natural area and then feed off the dumpsters of these two hotels.

[Ruth4Truth]

Why don't other cities have this problem? If it's a dumpster issue, every city would have the problem.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Why don't other cities have this problem? If it's a dumpster issue, every city would have the problem.

They do, people just don't see them unless out and about in the dark. I see them sometimes at 5am run across 228th in Sammamish, near Eastlake HS entrance, and in some neighborhoods where people put out seed for the birds. That's more of a cause than dumpsters, that are usually closed tight in suburbs. In Seattle dumpster divers leave them open, or they get too full to close. The rats, in turn (and rabbits) here attract the coyotes. I once saw a raccoon in front of the World Trade Center East on Elliot in Seattle. With recent new development, there are rats around the new million dollar homes. I have also seen them in Issaquah Highlands when I go to I90 that way. Maybe I'm just more observant because in our neighborhood there are so many creatures out at 5am now, opossums, coyotes, rabbits deer and even an occasional bear. Probably with the dry weather they go to more populated areas looking for food and water.

https://patch.com/washington/sammami...se-king-county

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-...rat-sightings/

[homesinseattle]

Many of us are committed composters in Seattle. Compost piles are rat heaven. We just use the bins, clever rats will even find them if left open. I think rats are in any city. My sister in law lives Upper West Side in one of the most coveted spots in NYC. I've seen huge rats just down the block from her place.

[mhays25]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

I do not see any stray dogs, but I do see many attached by leash to owners walking them, pretty much all day, especially along the waterfront on Alaskan Way. This is an old article but then, at least, in Seattle dogs outnumbered children by quite a lot.

I didn't mean stray dogs.

Actually the leashes are part of the problem. So many idiots out there...count the number of 12-foot leashes out there, with the people totally clueless about being in people's way.

[pnwguy2]

Rats!!! I'm sure there are areas within the big city that they exist. I lived in the northend from 1959-1990 and never saw one. I doubt many in this area have either. Now if you want to talk racoons, that is another thread.

That being said, Seattle is a big city and yes there are rats anywhere with a dense population and garbage that is not properly being picked up. Seattle is not immune to this problem. But I seriously doubt the problem is as great as most cities of its size.

[ohhwanderlust]

Originally Posted by DutchessCottonPuff

It was me who started the thread about the rats after my husband , daughter and a friend left the Van's Warped Tour from the Clink ( Century Link Field) late at night and only some, I think, took me seriously . He said there were 3 who at first he thought were cats they were so big and healthy and shiny ( their words) and then 5 then finally by the time they got to their bus stop they were running around like loose pets in the street - they all said hundreds but again this was late at night downtown .

Oh my lord. That is beyond disgusting.

[CrazyDonkey]

That area is not far from where the City cleared a number of significant homeless encampments (The Jungle, etc.). Results of unauthorized encampments: refuse and rats.