Barn/feral cats

[Lammy]

I'm very excited as on the weekend I'll be picking up 2 semi-feral kittens who are around 4 months old max. They'll be living solely at the stables and will be in the feed room for 4 weeks. The feed room is actually two old Shetland stables converted but the partition is still in there so they will be housed in the unused side.

They are apparently quite brave but also pretty feisty!! Though they have been very good and when people step into their large pen at the sanctuary they don't try to bolt. So I have a few questions that I will ask the lady on the weekend but id like to hear a wide range of opinions.

Firstly their "bed" is a cardboard box with an old stable rug folded inside it looks warm and cosy but will this be enough? I plan on getting one of those microwaveable heat pads and a blanket for when the temps really drop if they need it.

I also don't really know how much they'll eat, I'll get food for them on the weekend before I get them but they look like pretty big kittens already. And I'll get both dry and wet food, even if I just give them the wet food until they're accustomed and used to the place/me. I want their "wet" food to be mice eventually!!

Does anybody else have barn cats? Experiences? Has anyone "tamed" any? I'm so excited! I've never had cats!!

 

[Carlosmum]

Our farm cats are pretty good at regulating themselves food wise. I use dried food & top up their bowls 2xday. sometimes the bowls are empty & sometimes not. For 3 cats they are getting about 1 - 1 1/2 mugs of munchies /day. Keep the kittens shut in for a good few days so they can associate where 'home/bed' is. The old farmers wives used to say 'put butter on their paws' which basically meant allow them time to look around whilst cleaning their paws of butter. Handle them well to start with & you will always have cats you can catch for any necessary trips to the vet or for worming etc. Will they be neutered? This is very important as cats breed like rabbits!
Enjoy

 

[Lammy]

I think in terms of handling they are still pretty scatty around people but I'll do what I can with them. I don't expect to be hugging them ever!

And yes they were neutered yesterday so no problems in that department!!

 

[splashgirl45]

I wouldn't think they would need babying regarding heated bedding....we used a cardboard box and cut a cat sized hole in the front so they can get in and out but be completely enclosed so it keeps draughts out....we sometimes used straw in the boxes when we took the blankets home to wash, and they were quite happy... we also only fed dry food and fed them twice daily...don't keep them short of food , it doesn't make them hunt more. we had 2 girls and 2 boys and the girls were much more interested in hunting than the boys...don't know if that is usual, ours were about a year old when we got them and 3 of them became quite friendly and we could put them in the cat carrier if needed,but one of the females was always really nervous of us and would rub round our legs at meal times but we couldn't even bend down and stroke her..the more you can gently fuss them the better...good luck and we will def need piccies!!!!

 

[Lammy]

Thanks for that, I was worrying a bit that they'd be cold!! And they'll always have dry food available I just didn't want to spending a fortune on pouches as well if they didn't need it

I've just found out I've got a male and a female and the time is all sorted for Sunday, very excited now! Pics aplenty when they've arrived and they'll need names too!

 

[JillA]

Tip from me. Don't handle them too much or teach them to like people - I did that with a pair of kittens I got over 10 years ago and when we left the yard they went looking for human company. One was run over on the nearby road and the other has been my house cat ever since.
I am arranging to take on some ferals as soon as we can sort out how to contain them for the couple of weeks for them to establish - anyone got a decent sized dog run I could borrow? None of my stables are partitioned up to the roof and none have got decent top doors. I second keeping them well fed - malnourished cats can't hunt. Mine will get a big bowl full of cat kibble and it will be kept topped up so they can eat ad lib.

 

[Fiona]

We were adopted by a male feral kitten about three years ago.....

He lives either in the hayshed or in a covered bed we made for him (with old rugs) under the overhang at the front of the stables. He is fed on dry food only.

At first we couldn't even touch him, but he got better with time. Last year I managed to get him into a cat box and tak him to the vets for neutering, and since then he is much friendlier and also doesn't come home with fight wounds all over him so win/win now

He is a huge big all black handsome boy...

Best of luck

Fiona

 

[Fiona]

He also 'protects' our two elderly female (mainly) inside cats from wandering toms, so for that especially I am very grateful to him...

Fiona

 

[peaceandquiet1]

The friendliest and most loving cats I have ever had were two "untameable" feral brothers.......the loyalty of a tamed feral is incredible

 

[Suelin]

We have two yard cats. They live in the hay through the coldest winters and are always warm as toast. We feed them a breakfast of meat and then they have ad lib biscuit and a bowl of water. We don't over fuss them and they are as happy as sandboys. Good luck with yours. We never ever see a rodent on the yard, they are brilliant at their job.

 

[thewonderhorse]

duplicate

 

[thewonderhorse]

That should be fine. You can get plastic kennel type things too cheaply enough which may be better in the long run as it wont get damp.

They will still catch and eat mice regardless of if they have wet food or not. Its handy to give them wet food as its a good way of getting wormer down them which they will need if they are catching mice etc.

I have 3 cats and a feral cat who now lives in the house but wont be touched. Cats are much easier if you can handle them, stroke them if necessary, say if one of them needs the vet so the more they can be handled the better. It wont make them soft. The biggest hunter I have is a longhaired girl and she will kill anything! Stoats, magpies, adult rabbits, yet she is as soft as tripe and will cuddle up on my knee. Hand feeding treats will help them to trust you a bit. In my opinion totally feral cats have a bit of a rough time as its very stressful for them and you if they do need to handled for any reason. Much better all round if they are at least a little friendly