All About Barn Cats
What is a Barn Cat?
Barn Cats often fall into one of two categories:
Cats who tolerate the company of people but are not suited to live in close contact with them
Cats who are shy or fearful of people and prefer the company of other cats and animals
Please note we do not adopt cats suitable to be household companions to barns.
Why Adopt A Barn Cat?
Although Barn Cats may not be able to be companions for humans, they deserve the safety and care that a dedicated home provides. By adopting a Barn Cat, you are helping cats who have nowhere else to go. Barn Cats also help control the rodent population in your barn or other outdoor structures, so it’s a win-win. The cats adopted into outdoor homes by RAL are spayed/neutered, ear-tipped, and vaccinated.
Where can a barn cat go to work for you? Here are some examples:
Barns
Stables
Guest Cottages
Workshops
Outbuildings
Warehouses
Wineries
Breweries
What Do You Provide?
Shelter in a barn, workshop, warehouse, outbuilding, stable, warehouse, winery, or brewery.
Daily food and water (cats cannot live on mice alone).
Long-term veterinary care.
A secure place to keep the cat for the first couple of weeks while they acclimate to their new setting. This should be an enclosure like a tack or feed room. We can loan you an introduction cage if you need one.
If you are adopting a barn/working cat during the months of October through April, you will need to provide a heated area until the cold months are over.
Adopting a Barn Cat
To find a barn cat, keep an eye on the pet listings on our website (barn cats will be labeled).
Adoption fees are waived for barn cats.
If you’re interested in adopting a Barn Cat, email adopt@ral.org.
Helping Your Barn Cat Adjust
Wherever the new outdoor home will be, you must have a place to confine the cat. This can be a tack room in your barn, a kitted-out gardening shed, or even a pet cage like you would find at the shelters. Ideally, you would have a feral cat den so the cat can hide in it, and you can close it up for the safety of you and the cat to clean the cage or move them if the cat is not friendly. If you don’t have one (or can’t afford one), you will probably want to cover all or part of the cage to ensure they don’t feel exposed, especially if the kitty is scared.
The confinement period will mean you need a litter box and food dishes. Maybe a cat cave if you are confining them in a tack room or similar. Scared cats love to hide, so provide a covered cage area, cat caves, or even a sideways Rubbermaid tote.
The length of time you have to confine the cat will depend on their level of socialization. Friendly cats need around two weeks as they more readily bond to you in their new home. Feral cats, however, need about 4 weeks. It’s recommended to err on the side of caution, and it is better to confine for a tad longer than too short a period.
Confinement Period:
Feral Cats – 4 weeks
Friendly Cats – 2 weeks
You do not want to confine the feral cats much longer than this as it can cause undue stress, leading to health issues.
During confinement, you want to get the cat used to you as their new caregiver. Get them used to your voice, pet them if they’re friendly, and bring yummy food on a schedule you plan to feed them once they are released.
You also want to be sure the kitty can see and smell his new home. If you’re relocating a pair of cats from a colony, please confine them in the same area (together if possible!), so they have company and companionship. Domestic cats may be solitary hunters and independent but are more social animals.
Bonding With the New Kitty
You absolutely want to take the time to bond with the new kitty during their confinement period.
Talk to the new kitty during feeding time or any time you interact with the cat.
Feed yummy wet food, and treats, and stick to a feeding schedule, so the cat knows when it is dinner time! Two times a day is optimal.
Play! Play is a huge bonding exercise, though this might not work with some cats. A wand toy is ideal as it lets you interact with the kitty without putting your hands in danger of scratches.
Petting and touch, if friendly. You don’t want to stress the cat too much by forcing your touch on them. If they’re not accepting of your touch, don’t push it more than a couple of seconds at a time. Plus, you could end up getting hurt, badly, trying to force a cat who is caged (and thus feels trapped) to accept your touch. Petting should only be done with those cats that are open to it. Don’t force it.
Yes, you can bond with unsocialized cats. Just because they don’t come close to you does not mean they won’t understand you’re good people, and they can get food from you, and thus, decide to stick around this strange new home where they have now found themselves.
Slowly Release!
After the confinement period, you will want to open the confinement areas and allow the cat to come out on their own. Do this as quietly and calmly as possible while the cats learn to explore the new area. Leave the area open as a kind of ‘safe spot’ for the cat to retreat if they feel threatened or too scared.
Do NOT:
Force the cat out of their cage or confinement area.
Do not shut the door to the cage or confinement area after the cat has left.
Run loud machines or release cats into large activity areas.
Leave the area exactly like it is for the cats to have room to hide there until all the cats are adjusted to the new home. This can take a few days. If feral, they may avoid you except for feeding, but once the cats aren’t running scared back to their ‘safe spot,” they are often found sleeping or relaxing in other areas.
