Barn cats

rosemaryhorwood
Jun 21
3 min read

We have two tabby barn cats, both girls, and absolutely adore them. They came to the farm through a friend nearby as sisters from the same litter, and great little hunter kitties. For the first month, we kept them in the barn as they aclimated to the area and sounds of the property. When they started to venture out, they always came home and we made sure they were inside every night, safe and sound.

We originally sought out barn cats to handle a rat situation in our barn. I knew there was a rat in there and I could not capture it by any necessary means save from staking out the barn at night with a flashlight, waiting for it to appear.

Kitties exploring the chicken coop in their first few months on the farm

Within a few weeks of the barn cats being lose in the barn, I found one of the kitties laying in a weird position on the floor one day. I thought it was odd, like something was wrong. And when I looked closer, the dead rat was right beside her and she was showing me what she had accomplished that day. I was so proud and must have given them a can of tuna or something special for dinner that night. Shortly after they came home, we had them vaccinated and spayed as part of a Working Cat program in south western ontario. The vets "tip" their ears to let people know that these cats have been spayed or neutered, and gives neighbors an idea of whether the cats are wild or working.

Both barn cats are tabby, one is a tabby with white. They have unique personalities and lots of fun playing together. They are so cute and they are very generous in providing us offerings of mice, voles, rats and other rodents daily in the summer months. With an older barn, rodents are always finding their way in the crooks and cracks to stay warm for the winter, looking for a meal from our chicken's feed. Our barn cats have dramatically reduced the amount of rodents we have on the farm. Often they will catch more than one a day.

We have noticed how much more food they eat in the winter compared to the summer with their supplemental rodent protein. It's tough to curb emotions when we don't see our barn cats for weeks at a time, makes me feel like the parent of a teenager that comes and goes in their independence when you just want them home so that you can make sure they are ok. But putting all feelings aside, the barn cats have a job to do and it doesn't mean they will be inside or visible all year. What they will always have is a cozy, protected and warm place to sleep in the barn with endless kitty cat food and fresh water for their sustenance.

Our luxe B&B guests have all given them different names which we absolutely love. They have been in pictures with so many of our guests kids and been the highlight of a visit for others. As outdoor cats, it's important that they stay out of the house - they are not potty trained - and they need to be able to get back to the barn for food and water on demand.