We use the term "barn cat" to refer to any cat that is not adoptable as an indoor pet. We classify these cats into the following categories:
- Feral: they were born and raised outside with little or no human contact. You will not get to touch these cats, and you may not even see them.
- Semi-Feral: they may have been domestic pets at one point but have survived on their own for long periods of time. Sometimes these cats will let you touch them, usually at feeding time, but they rarely will let you pick them up and may avoid you at non-feeding times.
- Friendlier Indoor-Outdoor: they may be friendly enough to pet and pick up and play with. Usually, they have issues that prevent them from being an indoor pet, such as failure to use the litter box, spraying, too high-energy, or other behavioral issues.
One very valuable contribution all barn cats provide is “green” rodent control. - It's an environmentally friendly way to will keep a barn free of rodents, snakes, and other unwanted critters. Note that barn cats cannot survive on the rodents they catch – they must have a balanced cat food diet and fresh water to remain healthy and strong. If a cat is starving it will not have the energy to hunt for rodents.
Important: Read this article for more information about our Barn Cat Placement Program