Kia Benson, DVM
Associate Veterinarian, Clinical Toxicology
Pet Poison Helpline®
Some groups estimate that close to 900,000 cats in the United States are euthanized yearly. Many are killed because they are deemed to be “un-adoptable”. Such cats are either poorly socialized or behaviorally challenged, and may have even been feral. They cannot be or are not content to be indoor/outdoor cats living with people. These cats are too shy, too fearful or have too many behavioral (i.e. not medically related) litter box issues to successfully live indoors. 
A few years ago, many humane societies and shelters started to develop Barn Cat aka Working Cat programs. The programs are designed to re-home these less than adoptable cats to facilities where they can act as working cats. Barns, stables, factories, wineries, feed storehouses, ranches, and warehouses are all places that can act as homes for working cats.
How are these programs different from the reality of barn cat life for many cats already? Most “regular” barn cats are never spayed/neutered or vaccinated, resulting in high overpopulation rates plus a high death rate in these cats from infectious illness. In contrast, cats who come into a Barn Cat program through a humane society or shelter are fully vetted. They are checked/treated for fleas and ear mites, spayed or neutered, micro-chipped, dewormed, tested for infectious diseases, and up to date on necessary vaccines.
Adoption of a homeless barn cat through a shelter program also means that the human adopter has committed to provide a warm and dry shelter (insulated in cold months), litter box, daily food and water, and veterinary care for the adopted cats. Some of these “unadoptable” barn cats have even gone on to become house pets after they have acclimated to their caretakers.
While the primary job of these re-homed barn cats is to control the mice and rat population at their new home, they still need to be given food and water daily. Working Cats cannot maintain their optimum health by eating rodents alone – many hunts and much energy usually needs to be expended in order for a cat to land even a single rodent meal. Since most cats are just following their instinct when they hunt for mice and rats, withholding meals will not mean that the re-homed barn cats will catch more mice. Plus, feeding helps keep the re-home barn cat from wandering too far, or from finding another home that offers food.
Barn Cat Adoption/Working Cat programs are an environmentally-safe alternative to poisonous pest controls. These programs save lives – both the lives of the cats in the programs, AND the lives of wild animals who are no longer exposed to modern rodenticides.
Barn cats, the original form of pest control. What was old is now new again, but with better health care and working environments for the employed cats!
