However, a lesser known fact is that one reason for the bubonic plague spreading so virulently was largely due to an increasing Christian ideology and practice at the time. “Witches” were burned at the stake and because cats were associated with witches, the village cats were killed along with all the witches.
These hideous acts of cruelty came back to haunt the unwitting perpetrators as without the rat’s natural predator—the rat population exploded and the rest, as they say, is history. While the bubonic plague does not pose significant health risks today, the destruction of rat environments attracts rats to urban areas where there a few natural predators.
Once again, we see unchecked rat populations that can grow exponentially—in a similar way as it did back in the Middle Ages. Rat populations continue to exist today due to the way we live our modern lives and structure our environments. However, with improved understanding and methods, it is possible to stay safe from rats and the diseases they carry.