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Someone looking for a barn cat to fend for itself.


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I think the people in the link are just a little to quick to condemn this person! I agree that she did not write the best of posts and should have explained things better, she obviously thought people would understand what she meant by barn cats!

Yes barn cat do exist! but before I go any further well fed cats (not overfed cats) will catch more mice and rabbits and that is well known.

We bought an old farm in 1980 and with it came 4 'barn cats' 2 males 2 females non of which were handled and would scoot away every time they saw a person, we were young and had two small children and not much money and were not in a position to catch and take 4 cats to be spayed, so the following spring out of the hay came 4 more little faces all wild and cute, we did manage to tame the new kittens and they were handled but never the parents, the cat numbers would rise and fall the most we had was 9, all used to come to the back door once every evening when the dogs had been put to bed and they would share a large baking tin of scraps , bread and milk and soaked dog biscuits, never anything left the next morning, the rest of the time they were not seen, we had 2 of the kittens spayed but they were never really tame and would never enter the house.

When we moved to the place we have now in 1993 we only had 2 of the kittens left 1 girl and 1 boy, we thought they would never stay as they were not house cats the female stayed and died here aged 18 but the boy came and went for 2 years and finally disappeared never saw him again.

We had our first house cat in 1995 a great big ginger neuted (sp) tom and he is still with us now.

So wild cats can live happily untouched by humans quite happily but I always fed mine.

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I know this is a tricky subject because many people view cats as nuisance and/or pest control. In fact, I was quite shocked to find out some friends had this view but it really was ignorance and it was in response to a neighbour farmer that suggested it to them.

Edit: Just saw your post Jaquiu, I meant my friends had the view of getting a couple of kittens and letting them fend for themselves. No feeding or vet care which really shocked me!

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Back in the UK, where our stables and land were seperate from our house, we got two "barn" (what I would call stable) cats fromt the Cats' Protection League.  They were quite happy that these cats were not destined to be house cats, as they always needed homes for cats who were not tame.  It didn't stop us from feeding them and looking after them properly and two cats got a good  home.  Don't let it worry you too much, WJT, there are worse futures for animals, and in fact it's a very natural way for cats to live.[:)]
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I think the responses to the whole thread are completley nuts!  Having been around stables and horses pretty much all of my life I can say that the practice of having cats which are semi-feral is completley normal and happens in every yard I have visted. 

All of the cats I've encountered are totally happy living this way, it's a natural life for a cat.  They get attention when people are on the yard, they get fed but they have no other restriction on their life.  They have a real role to play in keeping the mice down and are appreciated, wihtout them what could you do, resort to posion??

I have much more of a problem with someone having a house cat that never goes out and working 8 hours a day leaving the cat alone and shut inside, what a horrible life for a creature who likes to stalk about and hunt!  I had a neighbour with such a cat in the UK and it looked fat and miserable when ever I saw it.

Panda

 

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Well thanks, Panda.  I'm not sure that my response was completely nuts.  In fact I don't think it was all that different from yours in essense.

 

I agree with you, Steve.  I'd love to be a cat (well, mine, anyway!).  Great life.   Free board and lodging and total freedom.  And they don't give a stuff about the exchange rate....

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Yes!.  You might say "it's a dog's life" but you don't hear anyone say, "it's a cat's life, do you"?

I love the way cats train their owners and how everything they do (including cuddles with the owner) is always on their terms.  They don't compromise much, do they?

Only thing is, Coops, they can't drive; so they won't be on-line looking for their new car as you are doing (or soon will be)!

All the best, Coops, keep practising walking and keep posting here so's we know you're "around" with us, won't you?

 

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Yes, barn cats have always existed. The only worry I have is those animals not being taken to the vet for their jabs.

And of course they must be spayed !!

I have a 12 year old cat who s always been a house cat, especially now he s getting old and he s diabetic, but when he was younger and I lived at the chateau, god, he was such a good hunter! he brought back pigeons, moles, a young ragondin once !! mice, rats etc.. yet, he was our baby in the house, just free to choose whether he wanted to sleep on the sofa next to the fireplace, or just roam outside.

 

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[quote user="Frenchie"] The only worry I have is those animals not being taken to the vet for their jabs. And of course they must be spayed !![/quote]

Frenchie  None of the cats we have or had have ever had jabs, and come to think of it neither are any of our dogs (except for rabies so they can go to France) I do not  agree with the need or expense! We live in the country and have very little contact with other pets.

My biggest worry for semi wild cats would be the worming, as I know our present cat hunts every day and if he isn't wormed every 2/3 months he has signs of worms on his bottom [+o(] We used to worm our 'barn' cats about 2-3 times a year with the same wormer that we gave the sheep! 'Panacur' same ingredient, just had to work out the dose and put it in the food, easy really, we could worm 9 cats for the same dose as a sheep! we did once or twice tried to 'wrap' the cats in a towel  [:-))]but it was very dangerous and painful  (for us).

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[quote user="Jo"]Whoever suggested you could restrain a cat ( and all it's pointy bits..) in a towel, had...

a) Never tried it        

and

b) Hates cat owners

[:-))]
[/quote]

Actually thats exactly how we worm our present cat [:-))] and it works a treat no one not even the cat gets hurt and the pills go down a treat, first you lay a large towel across his back just below the ears when he is standing up normally, quickly wrap the towel around the front legs while picking him up and wrap him fairly tightly so no nasty little claws poke out, when he is snugly wrapped and confined in his straight jacket  I sit down and turn him on his back and my hubby quickly drops the pills down his mouth, he then gets a great big cuddle and off he goes. He has had this done to him for 14 years and he accepts it very well, but we have tried with out the wrapping and its impossible!

Would you like me to explain how I single handily shear my sheep? [:D] 

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[quote user="cooperlola"]

Well thanks, Panda.  I'm not sure that my response was completely nuts.  In fact I don't think it was all that different from yours in essense.

 

I agree with you, Steve.  I'd love to be a cat (well, mine, anyway!).  Great life.   Free board and lodging and total freedom.  And they don't give a stuff about the exchange rate....

[/quote]

Ha, only just read this and I meant the thread on AI not here, should have been clearer, who would dare to suggest you were nuts? 

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[quote user="Panda"][quote user="cooperlola"]

Well thanks, Panda.  I'm not sure that my response was completely nuts.  In fact I don't think it was all that different from yours in essense.

 

I agree with you, Steve.  I'd love to be a cat (well, mine, anyway!).  Great life.   Free board and lodging and total freedom.  And they don't give a stuff about the exchange rate....

[/quote]

who would dare to suggest you were nuts? 

[/quote][:D]
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