Cat question

[ducks4you]

My cat, "Clever" (male) also kills frogs...and birds...and baby rabbits. His sister, "Favorite", pretty much sticks to just mice. HOWEVER, the dogs have been finding wild bunny nests and sharing with the cats.

Favorite and Clever, 2006 (sister and brother)
She was the only tabby, looked like her mother, hence, she was the "favorite".

 

[Javamama]

Handsome cats!

I'm hoping ours will keep down the population of all the wild critters. Squirrels, chipmunks, birds, mice... Or at least be a deterrent to them nesting around the house. Our dog is useless - she wants to mother any babies she comes across No kill instinct at all. I think she invites the wild in

 

[ORChick]

As already mentioned, not all cats hunt. In my experience the girls are more likely to, but I'm sure that isn't universally true. Of my present 5 cats, the 2 girls are the hunters. Also, not all males will spray - if they are neutered young there is less chance of it. But they might anyway, so it is really just luck of the draw. On the other hand, one of my girls started spraying once when she was under stress.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Definitely have to spay/neuter. One neighbor had four females give birth to litters at the same time, and across the street two litters at almost the same time. Six litters! It made for A LOT of cute kittens running around the area for a while. One of the moms showed up with a kitten to teach stalking ... My guineas!!!

I kinda considered getting a couple for my huge barn. I can afford to feed them and spay/neuter. But other vet issues I don't want to commit to if it becomes necessary. Besides, the mama cats pretty much keep my barn clean anyway, not even being my cats.

 

[inchworm]

Personally, I would get a male and a female. I've had more problems with males getting territorial and fighting

 

[freemotion]

I have had great success with two females I got from a rescue. They were mostly feral and survived on their own for some time before capture. They could not be rehabbed to be house pets, so I got them FREE, with no adoption fee....fixed, all shots, etc. And I got two cats that knew how to survive traffic and predators and to hunt.

My instructions were to contain them for 10-14 days in the barn (that was challenging but worth it) with a litter box with Feline Pine or the newspaper one...Yesterday's News? A neutral, non-clay, non-clumping litter. I fed them a premium dry food, Evo. I wanted them sleek and strong and healthy. They had two weeks to get used to the sights and sounds of my property and become comfortable with it. I saved all the soiled litter up. When the day came to let them out, I sprinkled the soiled litter around the perimeter of the property where I wanted them to stay, basically marking the territory for them. Hence the specific types of litter...clay won't break down, those two brands will.

I still feed them the Evo. Not too many cats will choose dry kibble over fresh mice, rats, chimpmunks, and squirrels.

I've never had an altered cat spray. I have had altered cats get cystitis and think that the litterbox was the source of their pain upon urination, so they look for other places to pee. That isn't marking, but could be mistaken for it. Both males and females will do this.

My vermin problem sharply reduced since the cats arrival. I really like having the feral ones. There is no angst about bringing them in the house, and they don't follow me, bugging me to come in or get fed. I just see a quick little shadow at dusk if I surprise one while it is eating the kibble.

 

[FarmerChick]

I've had millions of barn cats

just don't feed them alot

I fed my dry catfood only and not too much of it but they were never thin

mine were great hunters
also my netuered males DID spray some I saw doing it, others I never saw doing it lol depends on the cat lol

at the end now I only spay the females I can't afford constant vet bills so I just spay the gals and leave the boys to do their own thing

my guys don't spray "that" much that I can tell cause they do not come up to the house, I do feed them in the barn and they stay their and do their hunting

my guys don't fight much with each other, they tolerate each other definitely

I have 2 cats that are "more" pets they come up to the house and are treated like "real" pets


good luck

 

[Beekissed]

I've never had a neutered tom spray but I've had other toms come to the house and spray because I have a neutered tom living there.

I feed dry food but not too so much that they won't hunt...I've had no mice in this house in the four years I've lived here.

These are my mousers, both males. The older one is now 4 years old, stone cold killer of all small game, especially rabbits.

This is Spike, sweet pet, outside barn cat, porch lover and just a great cat...he doesn't look it but he is death on four paws! He was neutered the mountain way...with a lamb band.

This is my mouser in training, Percy Jackson. He hasn't had a kill besides bugs right now but he is trying....he'll get it soon, I'm sure. If he survives the road out front for a year, I will spring for a vet neutering.

 

[ORChick]

I don't think its been mentioned yet, and perhaps *non-cat* people aren't aware of it, but, even if a neutered male does spray, the spray doesn't smell to the degree that it does from an intact male. As the OP's proposed barn cats won't be in the house, even if they do spray it shouldn't be a huge prooblem.

 

[ORChick]

Bee, I love the photos of your cats. Percy on the pumpkin especially. I love black cats - 2 of my 5 are black.