The tipping point came the morning she turned ov
er the hay bale and found the rat’s nest. Rodents are almost a fact of life in buildings where feed is kept for livestock. She understood that. Still … rats! Realizing that even her immaculate grain room—pristine by most barn standards—wasn’t immune to rodents, she started the process of acquiring a pair of barn cats.
Now a barn cat is a different “breed” of cat, and fortunately, there are rescue organizations that recognize this and are dedicated to finding safe, comfortable homes for animals that can’t be house cats. The barn cat adoption program gives these former feline misfits a way to be productive, working members of society.
Some cats just aren’t cut out to be house pets. Maybe they’re not people-friendly and are resistant to any therapies attempting to change that attitude. Maybe they are formerly feral and too used to living on their own terms. Maybe their litterbox habits make them unsuitable housemates. Or maybe they’re just too darned independent for civilized society. Still, these cats do benefit from some human support. Even though they expect to catch their own food, they thrive better when their diets are supplemented if hunting yields slim pickings. They need reliable shelter—a snug, safe place to call home. And they may occasionally require medical attention.
Barn cat programs around the country have found a way to provide cats with the things they need and in return, the adopted cats supply a specialized service of keen value to barn owners. These cats can keep grain and food storage areas free of pests. By using barn cats for pest reduction, barn owners are able to better ensure the health of their livestock while preserving their food supplies. And since most barn owners are animal lovers anyway, they also have the satisfaction of providing special-needs animals with homes.
Barn cats are spayed or neutered and vaccinated before they are placed, and the adopting barn owners agree to abide by the rules of the particular rescue group. Typically, owners contract to supply food, water and the shelter of their barns or outbuildings. Most placement programs require cats to be adopted in pairs for companionship and for shared warmth in winter. New owners must also agree to the “terms of adjustment”. The cats must be confined for a period of at least two weeks so they cannot escape; during this period, they become accustomed to their new surroundings and to regular feedings. When they are released to patrol the barns on their own, the feeding schedule continues, but they are not overfed, since mousing, which is part of the cats’ natural hunting instinct, is part of the aim.
Barn cat adoption programs exist in all parts of the country. Research them on Google, or learn more by following these resources.
http://www.peaceablekingdom.info/barncats.html
www.dakinshelter.org/barn_cats.html
Merrimack River Feline Society ferals program.
Tags: barn cat programs, barn cats, cat adoption, ferals rescue
new law may outlaw barn cats
You are going to love this piece of crap legislation that will no longer allow farms to have dogs or cats roaming around…scroll on down towards the bottom….i got this from nonais.org about the latest legislation that will “protect” us from our food!?!?!?!
very important new article on NewsWithViews. It’s long but take the time to read it. One important excerpt:
In the OIE’s “Guide to Good Farming Practices” the management of a livestock facility are clearly spelled out. Some of these recommendations that would become defacto law in the US under agency rule-making on passage of HR2749 (GGFP delineates international guidelines for food safety at the farm level) are:
- For each animal…Require and keep all commercial and health documents enabling their exact itinerary to be traced from their farm or establishment to their final destination…
[NAIS in a nutshell. -WJ]
- Keep a record of all persons entering the farm…..
[Impossible. We are already unable to deal with all the tresspassers on foot, ATVs, snowmobiles, trucks and dirt bikes. It is impossible to stop them (and I do try) never mind track the trespassers. Those who I have caught are often insolent and refuse to give me their names. Cameras do work. What does the government expect us to do? Hire armed guards and put up razor wire? -WJ]
- Keep medical certificates of persons working with the animals……
[Huh?!? That’s confidential information that nobody should be able to demand of said persons. Other laws prevent employers from access to this information. Conflicting laws just to make sure we can’t meet the requirements? -WJ]
- Keep documents proving the water you give to the animals meets specific criteria
[Many farms use natural springs, wells and rain water. This would mean constant sampling and testing. Impossible to achieve and economical ruin for small farms. -WJ]
- Keep samples of all feed given to the animals
[Impossible to accomplish. Samples of all pastures each season? Every batch of whey we get? Every batch of any feed? How many samples do they want of the insects eaten by free ranging pastured chickens? How much storage space and time is this absurdity going to take? -WJ]
- Keep all documents from official inspections
- Keep records of treatment and procedures on all animals (castration, disbudding, calving, medications, etc.)
[More paperwork and wasted file cabinet space. -WJ]
- Prevent domestic animals (cats and dogs) from roaming in and around livestock buildings
[So no more livestock guardian dogs. This will make small scale farming impossible due to the predators killing off our livestock. Perhaps this is the government’s intention. -WJ]
- Place all these documents at the disposal of the competent authority (Veterinary Services) when it conducts farm visits.
[Warrant-less searches. One of the prime problems with NAIS rears its ugly head again. -WJ]
-Doreen Hannes NewsWithViews.com
There is a lot more that is bad about HR 2749. It is disgusting that our political leaders used trickery to pass this on a second cheating vote.
Contact your Senators to fight the next step of passage of HR 2749.
Our nonprofit has a pretty popular barn cat program – essentially we help other rescue organizations place unadoptable cats in barns, and produce before-and-after videotapes about the placements. The url above features our latest video, How to acclimate barn cats. And by the way, you write beautifully. sb
Hey I came across your webpage by chance on ask while hunting for something completely obscure but I am truly pleased that I did, You have just snagged yourself another subscriber.