I’ve got a cat and my neighbors have four, for some strange reason since I started no dig / mulch on the surface gardening, the cats have not crapped in my veg garden. How ever I have a load of sandy gravel stored in the garden, this they have destroyed.
My take on the rats . I make hot compost heaps, while there may be a risk of rats while the compost has fresh material in it once composted there is no food left so no attraction , I mature my finished compost for at least three months so I expect nature will break down any deposits before I put it on the beds.
This may interest you Dealing with Rats in the compost .
