A new pilot program being launched in suburban Niles will utilize the hunting skills of cats to take care of rats and other pests, officials announced this week.

According to a press release, Niles Police is partnering with animal control to spearhead the program, which is scheduled to last for approximately two months.

A resident on Nordica Avenue volunteered to provide food and shelter for a total of five feral cats, according to the press release. Those cats will also be spayed and neutered to prevent uncontrolled breeding, officials said.

Those cats will be released in the 7800 block of Nordica Avenue in an effort to curb complaints about rats and other pests.

Police and other officials will then evaluate the number of pest complaints received during that time, and if the program is successful, they could expand it to other areas of the city.