Our Barn Cat Program

Sometimes we have cats who cannot live as house pets. Cats in our barn cat program fall into three categories;

• Cats whose litterbox habits make them unsuitable for house pets
• Cats who are just too independent to appreciate being cooped up in cages here at the Shelter!
• Cats who are shy/fearful of people, and prefer the company of other cats and animals

We do not adopt cats who 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 - and for some, time is limited.

If you have a working barn or safe, heated outbuilding, there are cats who need you. Having a barn cat or cats will help keep down the rodent population. The cats will be helping you, while you provide them a safe place to live.

And, because these cats are already spayed/neutered, you won't have to worry about endless litters of kittens appearing!

What we provide

All cats available for adoption to barns are spayed/neutered and vaccinated. When you adopt a barn cat(s), we will go over with you how to acclimate your new cat(s) to the barn and make them feel at home.

The $30 adoption fee for barn cats helps us cover some of their medical costs. Since many of these cats thrive on the company of other cats, we offer a $10 discount off the total when adopting more than one barn cat at one time.

What you need

The farm or barn owners who adopt the cats agree to give them:

• shelter in barns, buildings, or stables
• daily food and water - cats cannot live on mousing alone
• long-term veterinary care, as needed (they're neutered and vaccinated now)
• a secure place to keep them for the first 2-3 weeks, while they acclimate to your barn. This can be a tack room, or any secure indoor enclosure that they cannot escape from. We can lend you an introduction cage if no secure area is available.

If you have a working barn or safe, heated outbuilding, there are cats who need you. Save a life - adopt a barn cat today! To find out what barn cats we have available, please call us at 413-548-9898, or email to info@dakinshelter.org.