Barn Cat Program

Contributed by:

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society
163 Montague Road
Leverett, Massachusetts 01054
(413) 548-9898
http://www.dpvhs.org/

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society sometimes has cats who cannot live as house pets. Cats in their barn cat program fall into three categories:

• Cats whose litterbox habits make them unsuitable for house pets
• Cats who are just too independent to appreciate being cooped up in cages in the shelter
• Cats who are shy/fearful of people, and prefer the company of other cats and animals

They do not adopt cats who are suitable to be house pets to barns, only cats without other options. This is the last chance for these cats; they have nowhere else to go - and for some, time is limited.

The barn cat program reaches out to those with a working barn or safe, heated outbuilding. Having a barn cat or cats will help keep down the rodent population. The cats will be helping the property owner, while the property owner provides the cats with a safe place to live. And, because these cats are already spayed/neutered, the property owner won't have to worry about endless litters of kittens appearing!

What Dakin Provides

All cats available for adoption to barns are spayed/neutered and vaccinated. When a barn cat(s) is adopted, Dakin staff will go over how to acclimate the new cat(s) to the barn and make them feel at home.

The $30 adoption fee for barn cats helps Dakin cover some of their medical costs. Since many of these cats thrive on the company of other cats, Dakin offers a $10 discount off the total when adopting more than one barn cat at one time.

What You’ll Need

A farm or barn owner who will adopt the cats and agree to give them:

• Shelter in barns, buildings, or stables
• Daily food and water - cats cannot live on mousing alone
• Long-term veterinary care, as needed (they're neutered and vaccinated at adoption)
• A secure place to keep them for the first 2-3 weeks, while they acclimate to the barn. This can be a tack room, or any secure indoor enclosure that they cannot escape from. (The shelter lend you an introduction cage if no secure area is available.)

Visit the ASPCA Online Store for more Great Shelter Ideas.