Rat-baiting

thumb|Jack Black (rat catcher)|Jack Black, rat-catcher, 1851 A rat-catcher is a person who kills or captures rats as a professional form of pest control. Keeping the rat population under control was practiced in Europe to prevent the spread of diseases, 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.

thumb|right|350px

rat catcher and mole destroyer (1900–1900)