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Adopt

My name is Barn cats ('fixed' feral cats)!

Posted over 9 years ago | Updated over 3 years ago

Adoption process
1

Submit Application

2

Home Check

3

Meet the Pet

4

Take the Pet Home

My basic info

Breed
Domestic Shorthair
Color
Black (Mostly)
Age
Adult
Sex
Female
Pet ID
Hair Length
short

My details

Alert icon Not good with dogs
Checkmark in teal circle Spayed / Neutered

My story

Here's what the humans have to say about me:

*** Adopt-a-pet requires that the fields for breed, sex, colour, and hair length be filled in on this ad, although in reality our barn cats are not all black shorthaired females. Also, corresponding photos to this ad are of feral cats that have come through our system. That particular cat may or may not be available now. Generally, suitable placements receive barn cats of whatever colour we have available. Colour requests can be made, but can't usually be met quickly, if at all. ***

We operate a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for feral cats in the Cowichan Valley, and the 'R' part of that process is very important. We cannot take feral cats away from property owners who don't want to be bothered with looking after them. We fix hundreds of ferals every year, we have no head office or shelter, we are simply a network of volunteers who work out of our own homes, and so all ferals (aside from tiny kittens) must be returned to where they came from, with an agreement with the property owner that he/she will feed them after we have 'fixed' and returned them. That being said, there are rare circumstances where a feral cat cannot go back to where it came from. For example, in 2013 we removed a champagne coloured cat from a construction site where she was living and raising kittens. She was at risk of injury if she stayed there, and after the construction company left there would be no one to continue feeding her. In this way, we are always looking for 'barn homes' where we can place a pair of feral cats to save their lives.

All barn cats are spayed or neutered and have received their first shots. We always send them out in pairs so that they have a friend (and this also helps reduce the chance that they will run away later).

Barn cats can be placed on a farm, acreage, vineyard, warehouse, or even a backyard.

We place them free of charge, but we need to make sure of a few things first. The property owner must agree to give the cat one meal of cat food every day and fresh water, forever. The cats will still take care of the rodents in your yard as you want them to. Starving cats are so desperate for a meal that they don't make good mousers. So a meal a day is essential.

The cats must be able to get out of the wind and the rain. We can provide you with a Styrofoam cat shelter so that they stay snug.

We also need to make sure that the home is not located on a busy road where it is likely that the cats will be run over.

We always ask about dogs, as it is upsetting when we hear that barn cats ran away from their new home on account of a dog's presence (not necessarily because the dog was badly behaved, but simply because feral cats are scared of dogs). Generally, dogs are not suitable to have on the same property as barn cats. A very mellow, sluggish-type dog that is disinterested in cats can be okay.

The cats must be in lockdown in an escape-proof holding space for one month so that they get used to you, their new feeder, and learn that this is their new home and food comes from you. This space can be a workshop, tack room, garage, outbuilding, etc., and if you don't have something along those lines then we can loan you an extra large wire dog kennel to keep the cats in for the month. If the shed or similar space is quite small and the cats are at risk of bolting past when the door is open, the wire kennel will be needed. After the month of lockdown, the cats can be released outside, and they should stick around.

Barn homes are very, very useful to our work. If you can meet the requirements outlined above and are willing to take on a couple of barn cats who will provide you with environmentally friendly, non-toxic rodent control, we would love to hear from you.
Rescue
Cowichan Cat Rescue

Contact info

Pet ID
Contact
Phone
Address
PO Box 677, Duncan, BC V9L 3Y1

Their adoption process

1.

Submit Application

2.

Home Check

3.

Meet the Pet

4.

Take the Pet Home

Additional adoption info

Our kittens are adopted out through meet and greet events by appointment to approved adopters at our local Boselys store where we have a room for social distancing.Please see our Facebook page for more info .Prospective adopters are interviewed by our volunteers and a brief virtual home visit is always conducted prior to adoption completion .Cost is $300. All kittens are vet checked spay/neutered, given their first vaccinations, and treated for parasites before adoption.

Cats and kittens not suitable for adoption through the various events are adopted out directly from the foster homes. Cost may vary depending on the special needs of the kitten.

Adoption application

Go meet their pets

Please see our Facebook page and our web page for upcoming events !

More about this rescue

Cowichan Cat Rescue is a federally registered charity, entirely staffed by volunteers and funded by donations, operating a trap, neuter, and return program (TNR) for feral cats in the Cowichan Valley since 1999. We take in all kittens found young enough to socialize, foster them until they are spayed/neutered and vaccinated, and then adopt them out to forever homes. We also try to find barn and warehouse homes for feral cats which must be relocated due to loss of habitat or problems with property owners.

Find out more about us and our programs on our website at www.cowichancatrescue.org or visit us on our Facebook page.

Other pets at this rescue

There are currently no additional pets at this rescue. Please check back later!