Politician proposes unleashing 500,000 cats to combat Roman rat invasion

Cats vie for food. (Reuters)

A politician in Rome is letting the cat out of the bag – 500,000 cats, that is.

Mayoral candidate Antonio Razzi announced plans Tuesday to deploy an army of hungry felines to solve the city’s rat infestation, The Local reports.

Razzi claims “time is running out” to battle the “rat invasion,” the media outlet reports. "Every day there are more and more."

The cats would be imported from Asia and be deployed in strategic areas throughout Rome to target the rodents.

While the cats would get free reign of the city streets, Razzi assures there’s little risk of a feral feline takeover. In fact, the politician has a heartwarming and cost-effective proposition to keep the cats in check.

"They could live with Rome's lovely old cat ladies. We could even offer a subsidiary for taking them in," Razzi said.

Rome has been a hub for cats since ancient times, but the population has fallen dramatically over the past three decades following a neutering policy for the city’s feral cats and dogs.

Since the law’s enactment, Rome’s rat population has skyrocketed. Experts now estimate there are more than two rats for each of the city’s 2.6 million residents.