Rare Ringtail “Cat” Found in Scottsdale Resident’s Attic

What one homeowner thought was rats in their attic turned out to be something else altogether. After installing the usual rat traps to no avail, Burns Pest Elimination’s camera installation inside the homeowner’s attic found a very rarely seen Ringtail.

Burns Pest Elimination‘s Residential Account Manager of 10 years Mike Boyle said “This is the first I’ve ever seen one and our local manager has only seen them twice in 20 years.”

While very rare, the Burns team said the Ringtail is not endangered. While often called a Ringtail cat, it is actually a mammal of the raccoon family native to dry, desert regions of North America.

According to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, “Ringtail are excellent climbers capable of ascending vertical walls, trees, rocky cliffs and even cacti. They will den in tree hollows, rock crevices, other animals’ abandoned burrows, mine shafts, abandoned buildings and some are even known to find their way into attics of occupied homes.”

After figuring out the cause of the homeowners worry, Boyle said “We didn’t trap it. We just put up exclusion products so it safely moved on to a new area and the homeowners could seal any openings in their attic.”

Fun fact: in August 1986 the ringtail became the State Mammal of Arizona.

For more information on rodents, pests and the ways to keep your home safe, visit www.burnspestelimation.com.