Outdoor cats for a farm setting
 

We are moving very soon an area MUCH more rural then our current area. It's a cute little house on 2 acres with another house fairly close on one side and some buffalo in a field across the dirt road. A few goats down the way... you get the idea.

We also have a barn which clearly has mice. I opened the door - saw a mouse or two and closed the door.

I can't have an indoor cat for several reasons I won't go into.

I'm wondering though - how about a few outdoor kitties that will help to keep the mouse population in control?

My grandparents had a ranch I'd visit summers growing up and they always had some barn cats lounging around.

We have some feral cats near my office that sometimes get into the factory area, get closed in at night and end up setting off alarms. (They caught one in a wire trap this morning that holds her in the little box without hurting her.) There is a whole family on the other side of the chain link fence and they aren't kittens anymore - but not quite adults either.

What are your thoughts on outdoor kitties in a rural setting?

Wouldn't it be better to have them out on our little property then getting trapped and taken to the pound and probably put to sleep?

What should I know about having outdoor kitties in that setting? I would like to provide them with a nice warm shelter of course that's suitable for outdoor temperatures.

Also - if not the cats near my work - what about a pair from the pound? I would make sure they were not declawed... but I'm concerned about getting a cat that's been indoors and we'd want to have live outdoors.

Honestly? I know they have their place but I see them being prey for owls, coyotes, mountain lions and all those other animals that live outside. So I would say no cats vs. outdoor cats.

I'm not a fan of outdoor cats at all because it is very dangerous for the cats - they ultimately get killed. What about using humane mouse traps to control the population?

That's probably a better option over all. Humane mouse traps kill the mice but in a way that causes them the least amount of pain? Because if it doesn't kill them - what in the heck do you do with them?

I guess my thoughts were more along the lines of the cats near our factory are going to be killed. They will eventually all be caught and picked up by animal control because they are causing problems for the business. And because they are feral, I don't see much of a chance for them being adopted.

Is there any hope if I brought them to the new place they might be okay? Or, in your opinion, is it better that animal control take them and let happen what will happen.

Is my assumption correct that feral cats will most likely be put down?

Be willing to cope emotionally with their random deaths and disappearances.

Be sure everybody is spayed and neutered.

Don't be surprised if you still have mice.

If there are coyotes around, I wouldn't suggest an outdoor cat.

We have had good luck using a Tin Cat



Our mice seem to like peanut butter, we then take them for a hike up the hill and release them.

I'm a big fan of humane traps (it's how we got rid of 3 adorable mice who were living in our apt years ago) but if you have an actual barn, I don't think humane traps will do you much good, because you'll just get more mice. Any open spaces you have nearby will have plenty of mice who will come take their place.

I would prefer getting outdoor cats to getting poison. At least it's a natural setup. I'd agree with Alex - don't get too attached to the cats, and if another animal decides the cat is dinner, it's part of the circle of life for a rural setting. If you'd be horribly upset by a cat that disappears (either by being eaten or running away) then this is not the option for you.

Are there other natural mice killing animals you can look into? A pet owl or hawk would be awesome. ;)

I don't know what kind of predators are around where you live but cats can be pretty resourceful to keep themselves out of trouble. Of course they can be caught by them still, so you'd have to prepare yourself that it's possible to be eaten.

It sounds like you would have a barn that they would have access to, good for shelter from the elements. The females are usually better hunters but my boys can do the job too.

I say if the cats are already feral it can't be any worse than the fate that already awaits them to be farm kitties. Please get them fixed though. I know up here the Feral Cat Coalition will fix them and give first shots for about $25, as long as you promise to feed them.

As you can tell I have a few feral kitties around my place. A few are very friendly now and I can even pet them. They live on my porch and are fed and cared for. A few only show up every so often for food and they want no human contact at all.

You may have to supliment their diet with some cat food and make sure they have access to clean water. They are very resourceful for bedding down but if it's cold and in a barn a few bales of hay might be nice.

You are correct in your assumption that feral cats are usually just put down. They don't have the resources to see if they can be adapted to human contact and it is a long process for a truly feral cat. It took the old man of my clan 3 years before we could pet him. Now Sylvester is the grandpa of the clan and does a wonderful job raising any kittens that show up on our door. All of our cats are fixed btw.

As opposed to getting caught and put down, I'd say try the farm. Just take them to a vet first for shots and fixing.