Editing Rat-catcher (section)

{{Short description|Type of professional in pest control}}
{{Other uses|}}
{{for|the film|Ratcatcher (film)}}
[[File:Jack Black.jpg|thumb|[[Jack Black (rat catcher)|Jack Black]], rat-catcher, 1851]]
A '''rat-catcher''' is a person who kills or captures [[rat]]s as a [[Employment|professional]] form of [[pest control]]. Keeping the rat population under control was practiced in Europe to prevent the spread of [[disease]]s, most notoriously the [[Black Death]], and to prevent damage to food supplies. In modern developed countries, such a professional is otherwise known as a [[pest control]] operative or pest exterminator.