Farm cat thread

[scats]

I took some nice pictures of Lily tonight so thought I’d share.
Lily arrived a few years ago having been found locally as a pregnant stray. We took her in after she’d had her kittens (all kittens found homes).
She is my shadow and follows me everywhere- to the muck heap, to bring the girls in, to poo pick… She even sits by the manège and watches me ride.

Feel free to add your farm cats

 

[Sussexbythesea]

This is Moley our yard cat he’s 15yrs old. He’s an absolutely wonderful cat, so friendly. He loves my dog Chance.

He turned up at the yard 13yrs ago and despite the owner coming to get him he kept coming back and crossing a busy dual carriage way. So she decided to leave him.

The yard is closing down now so I’m taking him home when I leave. He’s been home for visits when he’s needed medical attention.



Home for a few days recently for vet check up.

 

[Equi]

This is Bob who has never been called Bob in his life. He is pushing 13 now and (as I just stated in another thread) is the only cat that has never left me. He went for about 2 weeks one time and came home skinny and feral, and literally has never left since. Terrible at vermin control, terrible at chasing away feral strays, terrified of the chickens and won’t sleep in any of the cat beds. His favourite trick at the vets is playing dead meaning they struggle to get him back into the cat carrier (which is actually a dog crate cause he is nearly 7kg ) so I’ve had to show them how to fold him in

He is also the most unphotogenic cat I’ve ever seen and I have never gotten a nice photo of him. He’s just a great guy!

 

[Ratface]

This is Moley our yard cat he’s 15yrs old. He’s an absolutely wonderful cat, so friendly. He loves my dog Chance.

He turned up at the yard 13yrs ago and despite the owner coming to get him he kept coming back and crossing a busy dual carriage way. So she decided to leave him.

The yard is closing down now so I’m taking him home when I leave. He’s been home for visits when he’s needed medical attention.
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View attachment 140179
Home for a few days recently for vet check up.
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That's a pure "Don't You Know Who I Am? " expression. Better hop to whatever His Lordship wants, and quick about it!

 

[Sussexbythesea]

That's a pure "Don't You Know Who I Am? " expression. Better hop to whatever His Lordship wants, and quick about it!

He’s now moved permanently in. He wakes me up in the morning to feed him by patting me on the face. I’m trying to teach him that I’m not getting up at 5am to do it!

 

[FieldOrnaments]

Black cats

Black cats and tabby cats are the best cats

 

[Ratface]

He’s now moved permanently in. He wakes me up in the morning to feed him by patting me on the face. I’m trying to teach him that I’m not getting up at 5am to do it!
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I suggest that you give up on that idea. Just do whatever is required and then all will be serene. For a while.
Rodriguez Catto has perfected the art of First Breakfast at 0500hrs and Second Breakfast at 0900hrs. After that, as long as he has some dry food to graze on, he's content.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

My retired yard cat enjoyed a duvet day today. I don’t think he missed being a yard cat in today’s awful weather.

 

[Peglo]

I am begrudgingly adding The Fluff to the barn cats as she is supposed to be a house cat. She has decided to be an outdoor cat. She comes inside, eats and leaves again. We installed a cat flap into the shed and that is her permanently moved out she is a very sweet cat which makes it all the worse she isn’t in my house

 

[scats]

I’m having a coffee before I tackle the beds, so Lily is watching over me (I’m on a sun lounger, minus the sun )

 

[webble]

Loving all the farm cat pics. They all look so chunky and happy

 

[Rumtytum]

Loving all the farm cat pics. They all look so chunky and happy

I am too!

 

[honetpot]

I think a lot of 'house' cats would rather live outdoors. My daughter had got a siamise kitten, and for the first eighteen months it never went out, then she moved to a flat and the cat got restless, so she let it out and it ended up under a car bonnet yowling. It came to us for the summer, hunts all day, but its like a weather vane, does not go out if going to be cold, and catchs at least two mice a day.
She hunts along the drainage ditchs banks and in the sheds, and even after five years I do a double take when I see her, it just looks odd. Last years ragdollx kitten is outside for days on end, they have to come in for food, its the only time I see her. She is going through the teenage scrawny stage, lost most of her fluff from going through and up the hawthorne hedges, so now looks nothing like her stately dad.

 

[Equi]

Just back from my holiday to a poorly cat dad said he hasn’t been eating much and he’s a bit lethargic. He ate the treats and milk I gave him (I know bad for them but he was dehydrated and I needed to see if he was taking anything as he wouldn’t eat the cat food or water)

So will be ringing my own vets first thing in the morning. He’s not registered with vets for pets and I hear some bad stories about them for prices etc but if he gets any worse today I’ll take him to the local one of that.

 

[Equi]

He’s eating chicken in small doses and drank the kitty milk (which was 80% water) seems a little stronger but not “normal” but I think better to wait for his own vet tomorrow as she’s the one who’s seen him through the years so knows him.

 

[FitzyFitz]

I've got two 'feral yard cats' called Scylla and Charybdis. It's in quotes because despite being picked up from a pile of half wild cats in a ratty old barn, these two have decided that humans are great actually!
Scylla (tabby) is an excellent hunter despite only having one working eye and is super friendly, loves to ride on your shoulders and will often wander around the yard meowing to find someone for a fuss. Sounds like a human imitating a cat, very odd.
Charybdis (black) is a complete brain donor, can't catch anything except rocks and feathers, follows us around for farm chores like a dog but constantly has to be rescued out from under the wheels of the tractor. Likes to be carried under one arm like a clutch purse

 

[Moobli]

What a bunch of beautiful looking cats (and I'm a dyed in the wool dog person).
I hope your lovely mog is okay Equi, always a worry when they are under the weather.
Sbts - glad to see yours has settled in to home life well and doesn't now take dangerous trips back to the yard.
Please keep the farm cat photos coming. I would quite like one to keep the rat and mouse population in check but it sounds like quite a few farm cats prefer to act like a purring dog than be employed

 

[blood_magik]

we currently have 3 - brother and sister Milan and Paris (more commonly referred to as Miss Hiss) and Shooie.

I had also taken in a stray but he’s decided he prefers my neighbour and is yet to be tempted back

 

[Equi]

Sitting waiting on the vet opening. It’s not going to be good I’m just going to put him out of suffering great way to come back from holiday.

 

[Equi]

He’s gone. RIP Bob cat it was great knowing you

 

[Rumtytum]

He’s gone. RIP Bob cat it was great knowing you

Am so sorry Equi, even though it was the right thing to do it just hurts so much

 

[Asha]

So sorry Equi , RIP Bob

 

[Kunoichi73]

So sorry to hear about Bob. You did your best for him though.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

He’s gone. RIP Bob cat it was great knowing you

I'm so sorry for your loss.

He sounded like such a typical, big cat character, refusing to sleep in the comfy cat beds etc. I loved this photo which you posted of him in an earlier reply, I think it looks as if he's laughing at something.

{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}

 

[Moobli]

He’s gone. RIP Bob cat it was great knowing you

I’m so sorry

 

[Equi]

Thanks everyone. There something special about big gingers! I’ll be on the lookout for another soon but can’t decide if a kitten is best or something a bit older. The issue I’ve always had is there is a dairy farm next door with a colony of farm cats and I loose a lot of young cats to it despite them being desexed and fed well here. Bob was the only cat who ever actually stayed here.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Thanks everyone. There something special about big gingers! I’ll be on the lookout for another soon but can’t decide if a kitten is best or something a bit older. The issue I’ve always had is there is a dairy farm next door with a colony of farm cats and I loose a lot of young cats to it despite them being desexed and fed well here. Bob was the only cat who ever actually stayed here.

If I where in your situation, I'd probably try with one or two a little bit older cats. There's no guarantees of course, but playful, energetic kittens/young cats are more likely to gravitate towards other young cats (or dogs) which they can play with, and if the colony of cats on the dairy farm next door is large enough, there's probably enough other young playful cats for potential newbies to play with, that they can avoid getting chased away by the older cats in the colony.

 

[Gloi]

 

[Gloi]

 

[Equi]

If I where in your situation, I'd probably try with one or two a little bit older cats. There's no guarantees of course, but playful, energetic kittens/young cats are more likely to gravitate towards other young cats (or dogs) which they can play with, and if the colony of cats on the dairy farm next door is large enough, there's probably enough other young playful cats for potential newbies to play with, that they can avoid getting chased away by the older cats in the colony.

Yes my thought were similar. I’ve seen a lovely boy on cats protection but I don’t know if they would rehome to 100% outside living lol