Another woman reportedly told Bravo that “rats were sunning themselves outside her screen door” every day, forcing the woman to “bang on the glass every morning just to leave the house.”
WATCH: Invasive species cost $1.3 trillion to world economy over nearly a half centuryNot just a Toronto problem
While Toronto may be the “rattiest city in Canada,” it’s not the only one seeing a surge. Cities like Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver are also experiencing more infestations—something experts warn could become the new normal as climate patterns shift.
“Ottawa is dealing with this right now… I got a request for an interview from Radio Canada in Montreal. They’re also looking at this,” Bravo says. “This isn’t a problem that’s going to go away. It’s a problem that’s only going to grow.”
To wit, a U.S.-based study published in early 2025 found “significant increasing trends in rat numbers” in 11 of 16 major cities worldwide. Toronto came in at spot number three with a faster-growing rat problem than Amsterdam, Buenos Aires and even New York City.
“Increasing rat numbers in cities are linked to climate warming, urbanization, and human population,” declare the study’s authors.
“Warming temperatures and more people living in cities may be expanding the seasonal activity periods and food availability for urban rats. Cities will have to integrate the biological impacts of these variables into future management strategies.”