Having just relocated three street cats to a safer environment on a local ranch, I am reminded that these barn cats (or “mousers” as they are referred to) need basic care if they are to do their job properly and survive more than a couple of years. This might seem odd to you as they rid your outbuildings of vermin and surely get plenty to eat.

Let me quote from a no-nonsense handbook for farmers published in 1851 on the proper pampering of farm cats:

“The Farmer’s Guide to Scientific and Practical Agriculture Detailing the Labors of the Farmer in All Their Variety, and Adapting Them to the Seasons of the Year As They Successively Occur:

“Let each cat receive daily, at its own particular place, and at a stated hour, say 11 o’clock AM, a mess of new milk and porridge, when it will attend to receive it as the hour arrives; and let each have a soft, warm, comfortable bed made for it in some quiet spot… there is no way of scaring rats and mice from a steading so effectively as cats… a regularly-fed cat…being in stout condition, from its daily wholesome food, feels itself strong enough to encounter any vermin and will destroy numbers in the course of a day.”

While we no longer encourage the offering of milk and porridge to cats, as they are lactose intolerant and gluten is not good for them, the basic advice of regular meals and warm beds still holds true. The one thing we always add is a safe place to be during the night when coyotes and bobcats are out hunting.

Cats are very ritualistic. Don’t your indoor kitties always begin assembling in the kitchen each day as feeding time approaches? If you don’t show up to fill their dishes, they come looking for you. It is the same with mousers, which makes it easy to call them in every night for food and lock-up. Felines hunt for pleasure, not just sustenance, so providing a stable food source encourages them to stick around.

Never just leave a large bowl of kibble (but water always, of course) out for these cats as you will end up feeding more than just your working felines. Establishing a nightly feeding routine will go a long way to ensure that your mousers live long productive lives. As they gather you will be able to check for illness or injury and, as they become friendlier, treat for fleas and other parasites. Take a few moments to interact with them before the door is locked for the night.

We typically relocate feral adult cats to barns. Sprung from the “unadoptable” cages at the shelters, it saves them from certain death by way of the needle. These animals also come from our trappings around Santa Barbara County when they cannot be released back to their territories for various reasons. Catalyst for Cats has a vested interest in giving these cats a chance at life.

Any mouser-to-be is sterilized, vaccinated against Distemper and Rabies and treated for parasites before it’s released into your care. A relocation cage is brought to your barn where it is set up for the initial two-three week confinement required for the animal to settle into its new surroundings before release. The temporary cages are needed to house the cats and allow them to become accustomed to the sights, sounds, people and animals where they will be set free. This establishes their new surroundings as home.

The cats we chose for these situations are usually short-haired and dark. Hair length is important with all the foxtails and burrs out there. Coloring is even more important in terms of survival. A light-colored cat is a beacon at night for coyotes, bobcats and owls; during the day, hawks. Pink pigment on nose, ears and pads are susceptible to skin cancers.

It is TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) season and if you have need for some good mousers, please call us today as we have cats waiting. It will be a quadruple win as it saves lives, helps us, the community and your rodent problem. There is no cost for barn cats, but donations are always welcome.

Also call us immediately if you spot kittens. We need to catch them young in order to tame them and also to prevent their breeding as they mature.