What's involved with having a barn cat?
July 21, 2010 9:09 AM Subscribe
I've had house cats, but never a barn cat. Do people have cats that strictly live outside in their barn in New England?
When I got married 6 years ago, my days of having a cat in the house ended along with my other bachelor ways (my wife is not a pet person, don't worry my brother has my last cat). I live in a semi-rural area, and my cats were always indoor/outdoor cats. Some naturally lasted longer than others.
So do people have strictly outdoor cats as pets in Massachusetts?
I have a two-stall horse barn, a stand alone garage/workshop and a few sheds, I'm assuming if I bought one of those collar activated cat doors I could install them in the barn and garage so they have shelter. Letting the cat in the house (even the basement) in winter would be a total impossibility. It's the winter months I worry about the most (especially February).
The second part of the question would then be, how do you pick out a cat for this lifestyle? Do you leave food out in a similar fashion? How much interaction does the cat require so it doesn't turn completely feral? I want a pet I can still play with (just not in the house) but also would like the benefit of a mouser because I do have plenty of field mice to contend with on my property.
I know I'm probably over thinking this, since I know most farms just "have" cats.
When I got married 6 years ago, my days of having a cat in the house ended along with my other bachelor ways (my wife is not a pet person, don't worry my brother has my last cat). I live in a semi-rural area, and my cats were always indoor/outdoor cats. Some naturally lasted longer than others.
So do people have strictly outdoor cats as pets in Massachusetts?
I have a two-stall horse barn, a stand alone garage/workshop and a few sheds, I'm assuming if I bought one of those collar activated cat doors I could install them in the barn and garage so they have shelter. Letting the cat in the house (even the basement) in winter would be a total impossibility. It's the winter months I worry about the most (especially February).
The second part of the question would then be, how do you pick out a cat for this lifestyle? Do you leave food out in a similar fashion? How much interaction does the cat require so it doesn't turn completely feral? I want a pet I can still play with (just not in the house) but also would like the benefit of a mouser because I do have plenty of field mice to contend with on my property.
I know I'm probably over thinking this, since I know most farms just "have" cats.
When I was growing up we had outdoor farm cats in northwest Missouri, which can have pretty brutal winters. My dad put a little doghouse full of straw for them inside the barn to provide some extra warmth. They did fine.
posted by something something at 9:23 AM on July 21, 2010
posted by something something at 9:23 AM on July 21, 2010
Absolutely common around here. A lot of the time they're mostly feral, but vary widely in how much human contact they will put with. Some of the ones I know are basically house cats that live in the barn, and some of them just use the barn when it is cold out and will otherwise have nothing to do with people.
If you get your cat as a kitten and do all the normal socializing things you'd normally do, i'd think it would turn out alright.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 9:24 AM on July 21, 2010
If you get your cat as a kitten and do all the normal socializing things you'd normally do, i'd think it would turn out alright.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 9:24 AM on July 21, 2010
Growing up in rural Idaho, we had barn cats. We didn't even bother to name them, apart from the inventively-titled "Mama Cat," who was apparently the go-to cat for impregnation. They were largely feral, but would at their whim suffer a little head-scratching or playing around. We would occasionally toss out table scraps outside the barn for them to munch on, but left on their own, they were just fine, and God help the luckless mouse that decided to dick around anywhere near that place.
posted by Skot at 9:36 AM on July 21, 2010
posted by Skot at 9:36 AM on July 21, 2010
I can't answer the Massachusetts part of the question, but I knew a few people who had barn cats when I was growing up in the Midwest.
The second part of the question would then be, how do you pick out a cat for this lifestyle? Do you leave food out in a similar fashion?
In the cases I know of, they didn't really pick out a cat. They either had cats having kittens on their property, or they just adopted a cat that wandered into their area.
How much interaction does the cat require so it doesn't turn completely feral? I want a pet I can still play with (just not in the house) but also would like the benefit of a mouser because I do have plenty of field mice to contend with on my property.
It depends a lot on the individual cat, there are some barn cats that absolutely want nothing to do with people, and some that are very friendly, even among ones that grew up together as kittens. Some of the meanest cats I've ever come into contact with were barn cats (one particularly aggressive male would attack literally anyone who came near him) but most of them spent most of the day lounging around like every cat does and when they were relaxed you could pet them or play with them or whatever.
posted by burnmp3s at 9:37 AM on July 21, 2010
The second part of the question would then be, how do you pick out a cat for this lifestyle? Do you leave food out in a similar fashion?
In the cases I know of, they didn't really pick out a cat. They either had cats having kittens on their property, or they just adopted a cat that wandered into their area.
How much interaction does the cat require so it doesn't turn completely feral? I want a pet I can still play with (just not in the house) but also would like the benefit of a mouser because I do have plenty of field mice to contend with on my property.
It depends a lot on the individual cat, there are some barn cats that absolutely want nothing to do with people, and some that are very friendly, even among ones that grew up together as kittens. Some of the meanest cats I've ever come into contact with were barn cats (one particularly aggressive male would attack literally anyone who came near him) but most of them spent most of the day lounging around like every cat does and when they were relaxed you could pet them or play with them or whatever.
posted by burnmp3s at 9:37 AM on July 21, 2010
My parents (in a semi-rural area) have acquired four cats simply by having an open hand with Meow Mix on the porch. The last cat literally just walked up to the door as if to say, "Hi, I'm here for the 'cat' position." You may have success in getting cats this way, or getting them from people who have and can't keep them.
They live in Mississippi, so although the weather isn't brutal in the winter, it does get too cold for sleeping outside. There's a Dogloo outside with a plugged-in heating pad for them, and that works fine. I think if you put that in your garage, with a cat flap, the cat would quickly adapt in the winter.
I strongly suggest checking your town's website for any laws / ordinances regarding the keeping of cats outdoors, however. There are some such laws overseas, and MA towns may have adopted some. My folks' cats are very happy and content, but safe? Only out of laziness. One of the cats disappeared -- coyotes are a danger, and in MA, perhaps bears, depending on your location. You will get a lot of GRAR for having an outdoor cat, possibly in this thread, although I wouldn't dish it out. (Just fix 'em and get 'em shots, is all!)
posted by Countess Elena at 9:39 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
They live in Mississippi, so although the weather isn't brutal in the winter, it does get too cold for sleeping outside. There's a Dogloo outside with a plugged-in heating pad for them, and that works fine. I think if you put that in your garage, with a cat flap, the cat would quickly adapt in the winter.
I strongly suggest checking your town's website for any laws / ordinances regarding the keeping of cats outdoors, however. There are some such laws overseas, and MA towns may have adopted some. My folks' cats are very happy and content, but safe? Only out of laziness. One of the cats disappeared -- coyotes are a danger, and in MA, perhaps bears, depending on your location. You will get a lot of GRAR for having an outdoor cat, possibly in this thread, although I wouldn't dish it out. (Just fix 'em and get 'em shots, is all!)
posted by Countess Elena at 9:39 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ok, so the cold winter sounds like it isn't an issue. I guess the bigger question is then how would I start? A six or eight week old kitten in a barn by itself with the ability to go where it pleases sounds like it would be a recipe for a tasty coyote dinner.
posted by inthe80s at 9:41 AM on July 21, 2010
posted by inthe80s at 9:41 AM on July 21, 2010
Barn cats are perfectly common accessories on farms. That said, I don't know anyone who actually went out and got a cat for the job. Barn cats just sort of...happen. They tend to be strays or semi-feral cats who show-up and take-up residence on the farm. They become the local mousers and work to control vermin in the barn.
AS long as the barn has plenty of shelter, the cat (or cats) will winter perfectly fine. You might want to leave a little food and water in the barn for them.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:42 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
AS long as the barn has plenty of shelter, the cat (or cats) will winter perfectly fine. You might want to leave a little food and water in the barn for them.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:42 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
So do people have strictly outdoor cats as pets in Massachusetts?
I had barn cats growing up in VT and new york state.
How do you pick out a cat for this lifestyle? Do you leave food out in a similar fashion? How much interaction does the cat require so it doesn't turn completely feral?
Usually they found us but sometimes a farmer would drop a few kittens off. Talk to a local farmer.. or at least someone with a barn. They probably have some they want to get rid of. As for food, I think my dad would feed them. However, they absolutely would not tolerate being touched.
I want a pet I can still play with (just not in the house) but also would like the benefit of a mouser because I do have plenty of field mice to contend with on my property.
I think if you handle the kitten from a young age and socialize it as you would an indoor cat, it would be fine. Most barn cats spend their "kittenhood", well, in a barn.
posted by pintapicasso at 9:46 AM on July 21, 2010
I had barn cats growing up in VT and new york state.
How do you pick out a cat for this lifestyle? Do you leave food out in a similar fashion? How much interaction does the cat require so it doesn't turn completely feral?
Usually they found us but sometimes a farmer would drop a few kittens off. Talk to a local farmer.. or at least someone with a barn. They probably have some they want to get rid of. As for food, I think my dad would feed them. However, they absolutely would not tolerate being touched.
I want a pet I can still play with (just not in the house) but also would like the benefit of a mouser because I do have plenty of field mice to contend with on my property.
I think if you handle the kitten from a young age and socialize it as you would an indoor cat, it would be fine. Most barn cats spend their "kittenhood", well, in a barn.
posted by pintapicasso at 9:46 AM on July 21, 2010
Barn cats just sort of...happen.
Yeah, this. You can't seed them like tomatoes. They'll just sort of show up, because hey, shelter and stupid complacent mice! So many times I'd be out in the barn feeding the horses and there'd be some new fucking cat I'd never seen before staring at me. "Hey, you, where did you come from?" I'd witlessly call. It would yowl and run away, and somewhere, Mama Cat would roll her eyes and wonder how I could possibly manage to live.
posted by Skot at 9:51 AM on July 21, 2010 [6 favorites]
Yeah, this. You can't seed them like tomatoes. They'll just sort of show up, because hey, shelter and stupid complacent mice! So many times I'd be out in the barn feeding the horses and there'd be some new fucking cat I'd never seen before staring at me. "Hey, you, where did you come from?" I'd witlessly call. It would yowl and run away, and somewhere, Mama Cat would roll her eyes and wonder how I could possibly manage to live.
posted by Skot at 9:51 AM on July 21, 2010 [6 favorites]
Growing up on a dairy farm in Bedford, NH, we usually had an outside cat or two.
Currently, my father has been taking care of a stray cat that we’ve named ‘Louie Louie’. It just showed up last summer and decided to move into one of the hay barns. The hay insulates the barn in the winter, but during the cold spell last year my father placed an old blanket in loose hay for Louie Louie’s bed. The cat is given food and water every afternoon, with any uneaten food collected in the evening (so to not attract other animals).
I know that local shelters have ‘un-adoptable’ cats that they place as barn cats. I’d contact a shelter in your location to see if they have a similar program.
posted by bCat at 9:53 AM on July 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
Currently, my father has been taking care of a stray cat that we’ve named ‘Louie Louie’. It just showed up last summer and decided to move into one of the hay barns. The hay insulates the barn in the winter, but during the cold spell last year my father placed an old blanket in loose hay for Louie Louie’s bed. The cat is given food and water every afternoon, with any uneaten food collected in the evening (so to not attract other animals).
I know that local shelters have ‘un-adoptable’ cats that they place as barn cats. I’d contact a shelter in your location to see if they have a similar program.
posted by bCat at 9:53 AM on July 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
If a feral cat "adopts" you please make sure you have it spayed or neutered, you do not want to contribute to the breeding population.
posted by BobbyDigital at 10:03 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by BobbyDigital at 10:03 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
A friend has several outdoor cats. He's taken to leaving a couple of heater blanket elements inside a couple of those tube cat towers. Gives them a place to congregate and warm up a bit. Just be sure to run them off a GFCI outlet, and try to place them where they're not going to get wet. It's also great advice to avoid leaving out any excess food. If there's that much food that the cats aren't eating it then they're likely to shirk their rodent control duties too.
posted by wkearney99 at 10:10 AM on July 21, 2010
posted by wkearney99 at 10:10 AM on July 21, 2010
Cat rescue organizations often end up with cats that can't really be adopted into a house with people because, well, they're ornery for some reason -- neglected/abused when young, just too aggressive or afraid for people, etc. There are probably specific rules or problems with each organization, but I'd try contacting one of them (be sure to mention that you personally would prefer to have an indoor cat and are cognizant of the dangers involved) and offer your barn as a home of last resort if they have some difficult-to-place cat(s).
Some cats are happy with other cats, so think about how many you'd like -- if you want more than one, mention that so you don't get one super-antisocial cat who will beat up everyone else. If you get a cat through a rescue organization, it will probably be spayed or neutered already (which is good).
posted by amtho at 10:12 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Some cats are happy with other cats, so think about how many you'd like -- if you want more than one, mention that so you don't get one super-antisocial cat who will beat up everyone else. If you get a cat through a rescue organization, it will probably be spayed or neutered already (which is good).
posted by amtho at 10:12 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
I know someone who has a bunch of outdoor-only barn cats that are also incredibly friendly and happy. They live in western PA where it gets just as cold, and they are the semi-hairless kind so someone must have gone out and acquired them somehow. So there's one anecdote saying it can be done. If you're going to get some cats I would get a bunch so they can snuggle and do it now while it's warm and get very young adults.
posted by amethysts at 10:13 AM on July 21, 2010
posted by amethysts at 10:13 AM on July 21, 2010
Central IL, my family has always had "garage cats". They have a cat door they can go in and out, but my mom frequently locks the cats in the garage at night when she's heard the coyotes outside.
See feeds them dry food twice a day, and has water set out everywhere. And then whatever they can catch. I think she is overfeeding them since they all end up rather plump. They all have "beds" which are just low sided boxes with cushions or blankets in them.
During the winter we set up a cat litter box so they don't have to go outside. We also have a 100W (incandescent spotlight bulb) work lamp about two feet over their beds (well secured). Provides some extra heat for when its cold. The cats don't always use it though.
posted by sbutler at 10:40 AM on July 21, 2010
See feeds them dry food twice a day, and has water set out everywhere. And then whatever they can catch. I think she is overfeeding them since they all end up rather plump. They all have "beds" which are just low sided boxes with cushions or blankets in them.
During the winter we set up a cat litter box so they don't have to go outside. We also have a 100W (incandescent spotlight bulb) work lamp about two feet over their beds (well secured). Provides some extra heat for when its cold. The cats don't always use it though.
posted by sbutler at 10:40 AM on July 21, 2010
Seconding amtho. I adopted a cat from the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society a few years ago, and I remember that they always had cats that weren't suited to being indoor cats for one reason or another that they were looking to adopt out as barn cats. Here is their page about barn cats, and the adoption page says that there are always barn cats available.
There may be somewhere closer to you that does something similar, but it looks like this place is only about an hour away, so I thought I'd link to it anyway. I'd think about getting two cats so that they can keep each other company, if you can.
posted by rosethorn at 10:48 AM on July 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
There may be somewhere closer to you that does something similar, but it looks like this place is only about an hour away, so I thought I'd link to it anyway. I'd think about getting two cats so that they can keep each other company, if you can.
posted by rosethorn at 10:48 AM on July 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
I don't know about Massachusetts, but I have a friend who grew up on a small family farm in mid-Illinois, and her parents have barn cats. They basically just roam around together and occasionally spawn kittens—they try to make sure all their cats are fixed, but they're getting older, so it's tough to keep up with all of 'em. A lot of those cats also carry ringworm, which is a hazard for people, especially since the cats, while pretty independent, are domestic enough to like being petted. Barn cats tend to be sweet and very smart—my friend claimed one as a house cat, and I've been impressed by its intelligence—but they can get out of hand if you're not careful!
posted by limeonaire at 11:09 AM on July 21, 2010
posted by limeonaire at 11:09 AM on July 21, 2010
Our town has a bad feral cat problem as the result of stupid college kids adopting a cat during the school year then just abandoning when summer rolls around. The local humane society traps them, spays/neuters them, then adopts them out as barn cats.
We have a garage cat (what a coincidence, it's a cat abandoned by a college student in the rental next door, grrrr). My husband is allergic but a big cat lover. He's got a nice setup for her out there--a cat door to get into the garage, then a cardboard box lined with old wool sweaters, and a heat lamp on a timer. She's been living like that for 15 years now. She's perfectly tame and virtually never ventures out of our yard. I suspect that if you socialize them as kittens, you don't have to worry about them going feral later on.
posted by HotToddy at 11:09 AM on July 21, 2010
We have a garage cat (what a coincidence, it's a cat abandoned by a college student in the rental next door, grrrr). My husband is allergic but a big cat lover. He's got a nice setup for her out there--a cat door to get into the garage, then a cardboard box lined with old wool sweaters, and a heat lamp on a timer. She's been living like that for 15 years now. She's perfectly tame and virtually never ventures out of our yard. I suspect that if you socialize them as kittens, you don't have to worry about them going feral later on.
posted by HotToddy at 11:09 AM on July 21, 2010
Best answer: At Nevins Farm in Methuen we do have a barn cat program. Scroll down the page to meet Finn, a former friend of mine who ended up being a barn cat. The mouse in the picture actually got away. Don't get a kitten, get an adult cat that is unadoptable but social. Some cats really don't want to be confined and kept indoors or there might be other issues, like litterbox problems.
posted by Ferrari328 at 11:37 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Ferrari328 at 11:37 AM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do you have any other animals in the barn? Usually, the heat from several animals is what makes the barn OK for kitties over winter. (You could also put dry ice in the barn to make it warmer on the coldest nights, or a space heater, I suppose.)
Nthing the recommendation to contact a rescue org - there are many cats that are perfectly lovely except for the (not insignificant in a house cat) fault of not being litter-trainable. Barn cats don't really need litter boxes.
posted by Kurichina at 11:45 AM on July 21, 2010
Nthing the recommendation to contact a rescue org - there are many cats that are perfectly lovely except for the (not insignificant in a house cat) fault of not being litter-trainable. Barn cats don't really need litter boxes.
posted by Kurichina at 11:45 AM on July 21, 2010
I worked on a large farm in Canada with various barn cats, and as Kurichina says, fresh manure heat from horse or cattle is what keeps barns habitable on cold winter nights.
Please note that like feral cats, barn cats tend to have a much shorter natural life-span than house cats.
posted by ovvl at 12:09 PM on July 21, 2010
Please note that like feral cats, barn cats tend to have a much shorter natural life-span than house cats.
posted by ovvl at 12:09 PM on July 21, 2010
Barn cats just sort of...happen.
This was my experience as well when studying the barn cats at my wife's grandparents mid-Wisconsin dairy farm. There always seemed to be a handful of grubby kittens in the process of being de-wormed, no matter when I visited. And there was a collection of colors and hair lengths which suggested that the collection came from far and wide.
They lived in the barn year round and were not considered pets as such, so much as pest control; they survived mostly on what they could catch (though I suspect that her grandfather brought them food as well.)
They did also have a mostly indoor cat that was probably there to maintain the basement (and lord over his front porchly domain).
posted by quin at 12:19 PM on July 21, 2010
This was my experience as well when studying the barn cats at my wife's grandparents mid-Wisconsin dairy farm. There always seemed to be a handful of grubby kittens in the process of being de-wormed, no matter when I visited. And there was a collection of colors and hair lengths which suggested that the collection came from far and wide.
They lived in the barn year round and were not considered pets as such, so much as pest control; they survived mostly on what they could catch (though I suspect that her grandfather brought them food as well.)
They did also have a mostly indoor cat that was probably there to maintain the basement (and lord over his front porchly domain).
posted by quin at 12:19 PM on July 21, 2010
Barn cats just sort of... happen.
That could be in most cases, but my sister and her family recently acquired 3 kittens expressly for the purpose of being barn kitties.
And I can attest that here in the midwest, I've seen many many barns with cats that live in them and seem to lead fairly happy independent lives.
posted by kingbenny at 12:30 PM on July 21, 2010
That could be in most cases, but my sister and her family recently acquired 3 kittens expressly for the purpose of being barn kitties.
And I can attest that here in the midwest, I've seen many many barns with cats that live in them and seem to lead fairly happy independent lives.
posted by kingbenny at 12:30 PM on July 21, 2010
Bear in mind that well-fed cats are better mousers than starving ones, so you should feed the barn cats.
posted by jeather at 12:57 PM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by jeather at 12:57 PM on July 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: No animals currently in the barn (except the field mouse I saw in there the other day).
It sounds like the best answer is to go to one of the rescue society shelters near my house and ask for a barn cat that isn't too old, and isn't too young (saw six months old) that has some people skills. Then feed a little and do the regular vet type checkup stuff (spay/neuter, watch for worms & fleas).
posted by inthe80s at 1:02 PM on July 21, 2010
It sounds like the best answer is to go to one of the rescue society shelters near my house and ask for a barn cat that isn't too old, and isn't too young (saw six months old) that has some people skills. Then feed a little and do the regular vet type checkup stuff (spay/neuter, watch for worms & fleas).
posted by inthe80s at 1:02 PM on July 21, 2010
You could also put the word out to the neighbors that you are looking for a barn cat and they will probably know of at least one family with kitties ready to be weened.
posted by gjc at 3:37 AM on July 22, 2010
posted by gjc at 3:37 AM on July 22, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I also once stayed on a farm in rural South Dakota where the temperatures can get way below zero with windchill, and the atmosphere was fairly desolate - I'm not sure there was even much in the way of mice in the winter. Anyway, the guy there had a barn cat. The cat would curl up in the dog kennel at night (the dogs also lived outside, but with the kennel). During the day, the cat would sometimes sleep on top of the mule! It seemed to be a mutually beneficial and warming experience.
posted by serazin at 9:22 AM on July 21, 2010