Adopt a 'Barn' Cat from a Local Shelter Program

When you think about adopting a cat, you intend to have a loving, playful housecat. You may check the local shelter for a cat that will purr and rub against you. Most people won't look twice at a cat that hisses and backs away from them. Those "not so friendly" cats will live out their lives in a shelter, or worse if the shelter is a "kill" shelter that must euthanize to make room for the more desirable cats.

Animal Shelters Recognize the Need for Barn Cats

Anyone who lives in the country usually has cats that roam freely around their property. These cats sleep in barns and sheds and earn their keep by keeping away the mice, snakes and other critters that sneak in and destroy things. Some of the cats may be friendly and will allow a bit of petting, but others will run from any human contact.

Many shelters have started what they are calling "Barn Cat Programs" as a last resort to find homes for their less than friendly kitties. Cats that are not suitable to be indoor pets are placed into these programs as a way to find homes for them. These cats may be friendly, yet have such an air of independence that they do not like being indoors. Some of these cats refuse to use litter boxes for one reason or the other.

"Barn cats" are all healthy and up to date on shots and are readily adoptable to come live in and around your barn, shed or property. Some shelters even deliver the cats and show you how to acclimate them to their new surroundings. There is a small adoption fee and you are expected to keep up the cats medical needs and also supply food and water.

People Shy Away from the Term "Feral" Cat

Do you think of the term "feral" as a cat that has a disease or that is mean and may attack? Some people actually do think that a feral cat has some sort of contagious disease. According to the ASPCA, the term feral basically means "returned to the wild." Cats used to be wild creatures, until man domesticated them into pets.

Feral means that the cat, for some reason, has returned to his or her roots and would rather live as a wild animal with little or no human contact. Perhaps the cat was abandoned or born to an abandoned mother and has never known any human kindness. These cats are very good hunters and will clear your property of any unwanted mice, rats or snakes.

Remember, that these barn cats are put into this program by the shelter as a last ditch effort to find them a home where they can live out there lives and roam freely without fear. Just because they are not as friendly as a domesticated house cat doesn't mean they deserve to be caged in a shelter or worse.

People Who Live in Small Communities Have Outside Cats

I live in a very small community and many of us have outside cats that roam the neighborhood or our yards. My outside cats lounge around in my fenced back yard and sleep in a small shed beside the house. I tried to make house cats out of them when they were kittens, but they refused to use a litter box and preferred to be outside. They are all fed and taken care of daily and they lead a pretty good life.

If you get a "barn" cat from a shelter, he or she will already be spayed or neutered so you don't have to worry about increasing the barn cat population even more. If you live in an area where a cat could enjoy your barns or sheds, consider contacting a local shelter to see if they have a barn cat program.

They may ask that you take at least 2 so they can have company, but you will reap many rewards watching them play or just lounge in the sunshine, grateful that they have a home. Who knows? You may even get to pet them occasionally.