Posted on 03/13/2014 11:37:04 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows
Animal shelters often place domesticated cats and dogs in homes. Now, Santa Fe Animal Shelter based in New Mexico, is working to give feral felines a second chance at life as well. According to the Santa Fe CBS affiliate KRQE, 30 semi-feral and feral cats were seized from the home of an elderly woman when she contacted Animal Control for help. Some of the younger felines were able to be socialized and adopted out. Ten feral cats described as being unfriendly and unsocialized were slated for adoption as well.
These animals are part of the shelter's barn cat program. Some people are in need of animals to combat their pest control problems and felines present a nontoxic solution.
"The barn cat program offers feral, semi-feral and some non-feral cats a second chance," Savannah Sweatt, organizer of the barn cat program at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter, told the source. "It's better than just letting a cat loose in the wild."
The barn cats will receive shelter, veterinary care, food and water, yet will get more freedom to roam around then their indoor cat counterparts.
Barn Cats, Inc. out of Lewisville, Texas, runs a similar program, which strives to help feral cats while providing a safe pest control solution.
I adopted a barn kitten when he was 2 months old. That cat would catch elk if he could!
If only I lived nearby to take one (or two)
For a for ever home
I hear ya.
My sister adopted a barn kitten. When she got him in the house, he detected and killed a mouse within a half hour of his arrival.
Very cute but I think Louie pictures himself on the cover of American Hunter!
They’re hardwired to kill. Glad they’re small or they might scare me!
Glad to hear about this, but it is not in my state.
I have two barn cats I am currently trying to place. All they need is shelter and a little food and water.
I think my two spoiled rotten, indoor-only kittehs would hide from a live mouse, but, BOY, are they fierce spider killerz! ;o)
Best of luck in placing them. Have you considered petfinder.com?
I actually tamed a feral tomcat.
Took me almost a year, finally he would jump into my lap for some lovin....he loved to be picked up and petted.
I was the only person he would allow such contact with though.
I never thought it would be possible.
Congratulations! I’m sure it was worth the effort.
I was adopted by a barn kitten that looked almost exactly like the one in the photo. I called him Tigger, for the rings on his tail.
I was on my porch the day Mama first brought the kittens out from the neighbors barn. This little orange furball decided to climb the steps to see if it should fight me, or eat me. After I while, it fell asleep in my lap, and he stayed there the next ten years.
He never acclimated to the wife or daughter, and was sometimes even hostile with them.
I was traveling a LOT in those days, and after I would leave, he’d park himself in my office desk chair, and only come downstairs for food. Within a couple of hours of arriving home, on no set schedule, he would leap from the chair, and just wait by the front door for me to arrive. After that, it was kitty playtime again.
I do miss the little guy, a lot.
LOL! Thank you!
I had a feral Siamese cat that I brought home. He knew where he could find shelter and lick his wounds but he still had to go out almost every day to roam.
He gave up trying to sharpen his claws on the furniture, fallen tree bark provided better materials.
He brought my mom a baby rabbit home as tribute once.
There’s another kitty out there waiting for you, if you want to find it.
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