Its Saturday - Lets find some barn cats a home! A barn cat is any cat that is deemed to be not adoptable as an indoor pet. Most often the cats are feral, which means they were born and raised in the wild with little or no human contact. Others are hard strays, cats that were once domestic but reverted to unsocialized behavior after long periods of surviving outdoors on their own. Still others are indoor/outdoor cats that may be friendly but have issues using a litter box due to medical conditions or other problems, or they may continue to spray inside even after neutering. In addition to placing tame cats and kittens, TOCP occasionally needs to find homes for feral and unsocialized cats that cannot live as house pets and cannot be returned to the area from where they were rescued. The cats are healthy, sterilized, and desperately need new outdoor homes. Also, tame cats with behavioral issues can be placed as barn cats when they may be at risk for being euthanized because they are not considered adoptable. This program was established to place feral cats from colonies that would otherwise starve or be euthanized. Our barn cat program reaches out in search of a working barn or safe, heated outbuilding. In taking in barn cats, you are providing a wonderful and generous gift to these animals that need a safe and warm place to live out their lives. Barn cats will earn their keep by suppressing rodent and snake populations and keep them out of your buildings and barns. The cats will help control rodents in grain and storage areas. This prevents rodents from destroying structures and protecting feed and grain supplies. The barn cats will help the property owner, while the property owner provides the cats with a safe place to live and quality nourishment. The cats can also provide companionship for horses and other livestock. Please help us provide safe and much-needed homes for these special cats so they can continue to live out their lives! If you own property or have permission for long-term placement and would like to learn more about this program, please contact us. We are currently limited in the area we can cover to approximately 100 miles from the Portland metropolitan area. We hope to expand our coverage in the future as more agencies join our network. We do not adopt cats that are suitable to be house pets to barns, only cats without other options. This is the last chance for these cats; they have nowhere else to go All potential adopters must fill out an application. Barn cats are placed in groups of 2 or more which provides, safety, companionship, and retention. Upon approval and adoption of the cats, the adoptee must sign an adoption contract. This agreement states that a cat must be properly cared for (daily nutritious food and water and yearly vaccinations), stating the cat must be returned to the agency should any problems arise with the adoptive home. We want to place them in a permanent situation where they can still earn their keep and be an asset to the barn owner without reproducing. All cats available for adoption to barns are spayed/neutered and vaccinated. When barn cats are adopted, TOCP volunteers will go over how to acclimate the new cat(s) to the barn and make them feel at home. TOCP will also conduct a follow-up assessment to ensure that everything is going smoothly with the placement. TOCP does not charge for barn cats, but a donation is very much appreciated. Donations assist in defraying the considerable costs of spaying/neutering, veterinary care and supplies such as medication or temporary shelter. Donations are tax deductible. We ask that you take two or more cats because they provide each other with companionship and snuggle together to keep warm. Like all animals adopted through agencies, barn cats must be spayed or neutered Confinement Period Cats need to be confined initially in their new home for at least four weeks in order to familiarize the cats with their new environment, so that they will remain on the premises. Even though there are instances of cats remaining when they have escaped upon arrival, this is rare and most cats will take off, never to be seen again. Other than being dangerous for the cat, this can be traumatic for the rescuer who has usually put a lot of time, energy, money, and care into the rescue. Some people see confinement as cruel, but a short confinement period is a very necessary part of the relocation project. Not confining the cats and having them run off could mean a far worse fate for the cats. During the first day or two, the cats may struggle to find a way out. Most cats settle down in the cage after a day or two when they realize that no harm will come to them. Be careful of dogs at the new home Although it may not be a problem, the new caretakers must be willing to introduce the dogs to the new cats slowly and not allow the cats to be chased, or they will leave.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 14:00:35 +0000
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