Barn Cats

Need a barn cat?

Although the majority of cats can easily live as indoor house pets, sometimes we have cats whose only alternative is to live as a barn cat. Cats in our Barn program fall into one of these three categories:

  • Feral cats (who have been born in the wild and are not used to being around humans)
  • Cats whose litter box habits make them unsuitable to live in the house
  • Cats who were outdoor cats prior to surrender and cannot acclimate to an indoor home

Please note that we do not adopt cats who are suitable to be household companions to barns. Most cats who have lived inside with humans come to depend on human companionship and do not enjoy being outside cats. In most cases they will always want to be inside with you. Adopting a barn cat can help you control a rodent population in your barn. If you do not have other barn cats, you may want to consider adopting a pair of barn cats through our program.

When you adopt a cat through our barn cat program, the cat will be spayed or neutered

What you provide:

  • The barn owner who adopts a cat through our barn cat program should be prepared to provide:
  • Shelter in a barn, outbuilding, or stable, away from high traffic streets
  • Daily food and water
  • A secure place to keep the cat for the first month, while the cat acclimates to your barn. This can be a tack room or an indoor enclosure that they cannot escape from. In some cases we may be able to lend you a crate or cage for the introductory period.

Things to consider:

Adopting a cat through the barn cat program can help save the life of a cat who may not have other options.However, the care of a barn cat is still a responsibility. You will be assuming care for the cat for its entire lifetime. In exchange for providing the essentials of food & water and shelter, your barn cat will earn its keep by helping to control the rodent population in your barn.

We do not ask for adoption fees for barn cats. We do not always have barn cats available so if you are interested we can put your name on a list. Contact info@nwas.ca