yard cat advice?

NeverSayNever

NeverSayNever

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we have a lot of rodent activity plus an explosion of rabbits and Im tempted by a yard/stable cat. I know there are some feral types needing homes through CPL and someone locally is also advertising older kittens. How would you go about settling in a yard cat , especially if feral, without it just running off? thanks :D
 
Youd need to lock them away for several weeks then slowly start letting it out for short supervised peroids which you can extend over time, then just locked in at night etc. Our yard did it recently kept them in a stable with the top door shut, left them a few toys and hay to play in but just make sure its somewhere pretty secure as they're very good at climbing over doors etc even when theyre little. Might be an idea to get two as they'll keep each other company. If your not getting them through a charity though early nutering should also help to stop them wandering and also stop you being overrun! The kittens our yard got were 8 weeks old are now fully settled never readlly stray.... well at least if they do go for a walk they come back! Id say it took about 6- weeks before they were free full time just cant remember exaclty how long
 
I always get kittens purely because, as said, they need to be locked away for weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeks. Kittens are too small and stupid to feel bad about locking them away. I keep mine in a stable (which happens to be my hay stable) and keep the door closed. i let them out every day to walk about with me for a while and then when they can jump out they are free lol
 
thanks all :) stupid question but would you need a shelf for a cat bed in stable or will they sleep on floor level? Bearing in mind there will no doubt be a pony in there at some point.
 
No, you can't have them both at the same time. If you are 100% getting a pony get a ratter out or wait until the cats freely roaming and get it a cat box to sleep in. Cats light to be high. Mine sleeps in the tractor.
 
I have 2 yard cats and they are now 17 years old.

I got them from the CPL as young kittens. When I first got them ,like others I shut them in one of my stables. There was straw on the floor and a couple of straw bales too. They had a dirt tray and I made sure they could not get between the stables by putting some plastic netting up. They were in there for about six weeks before I let them out. There is plenty of open land around the stables and they have never wondered.

As for them being good mousers well they have caught some but in the early days it was my Springer Spaniel that caught the rats and recently we have had a fox cub who seems to have been doings good job.
 
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