Bird Feeders

I think it is generally better if both parties discuss their reasons with each other first, so the reasons are known.
However, while it is nice to feed the birds, if rats and mice have become problematical then the general advice is often to stop feeding temporarily, even if no other actions are taken, like poisoned bait or traps, as the rodents will often move on if the regular food disappears. So, I'm not surprised by the request. Once the rodents have gone, you can normally start feeding again, but try to resolve any issues that might have led to the infestation, eg was too much food left on ground feeders? Rats are a common problem around bird feeders and normally the birds won't come to any harm if you stop feeding temporarily, especially now when the insects are coming out and many small birds will visit feeders less anyway.