We have a new inhabitant in the hay loft. It is Izzy. She’s a red tabby barn cat that we adopted from a ranch down the road. She has been a barn cat there for 4 years but their dog has been getting more aggressive with her, and they feared for her safety. I miss our barn cat Missy terribly and have noticed the rodent population increasing in the barn. I realized that not every cat can be a barn cat, as witnessed by our other 4 cats that are seemingly worthless in this department. So we couldn’t adopted any old cat. We did go to the pound, but you cannot tell in that environment who can live in a barn successfully with the other critters. But then I saw a Craigslist ad for
“3 Farm Cats. 2 Females and 1 neutered male. Litter Mates. 4 years old. Very effective mousers, with other rodents and birds.
Raised around dogs, children, horses, and cow. Outside cats. Very personable, but earn their keep.”
I had to convince Tom of the necessity of yet another critter, but he did consent. It turned out they live just down the road so we got to meet our neighbors. One other cat was spoken for and they decided to keep the male named Woodrow Wilson because he could stand up to the dog. We gladly took Izzy to our hay loft from theirs. She is enjoying it, staying at the very top of the hay pile near the hay elevators. We have food, water and a kennel with blankets. We pet her each day and tell her what a great barn cat she is. Hopefully she will enjoy it here.
In other news, we had one day of no rain and then today it became gloomy and rained all day. Here’s the view from the hay loft window.
Here’s the resulting mud.
And here’s the sound of the rain on the barn roof.
I have a cat named Izy, too – well Isadora is her full name. She’s a great mouser too. I have a huge mouse problem brewing under my chicken coop, which is right next to my new barn, and have been thinking about what to do. As you said, not any cat will do. I need a cat who will not harm any chickens or rabbits etc.. I have decided to take Izy and my other two cats down there once it warms up (since they mostly hang around the house), just for the early evening, and see if they’ll be of any use. If not – I will, too, be searching for the perfect barn cat. Congrats on your great find! May she eat many mice.
Thanks Monique. I hope you can find the perfect barn cat too!
Izzy looks like quite the barn cat! My “barn” cat hasn’t been out of the house for about four years now. He’s a great mouser in the house, but he has allergies!
She is quite the barn car but friendly too, which I like. She doesn’t like sudden noises or movements though so hopefully she doesn’t get spooked away from her new home/barn. A barn cat with allergies- that’s funny! We did have a mouse in our house once. When we woke up in the morning there’s was blood splatter all over the walls and floor. So our indoor cat is a mouser, but she could have been a little less messy about it!
What a beautiful kitty! How lucky that you found such a nice barn cat and lucky for Izzy that she found a good home. May your relationship be long and mutually satisfying.
I just gotta say: it’s supposed to be close to 20 degrees below zero here tonight, but I’d rather have this than your CONSTANT RAIN!!! How depressing…
Hang in there. Just think of how lush and green everything will be in just a few, short months!
Thanks Nancy! She is pretty, and we are lucky. The prospect of getting a pound cat and hoping it worked out in the barn (and then acquiring even more house cats) was not appealing. I am thrilled to have a new cat in the loft. Let the rodents beware- their days living off the chicken feed are numbered!
Twenty below isn’t fun either, but the constant grey, rain and mud does get really tiresome. How many more months?
Congratulations on the new orange cat. Looks like Izzy will be a good one. I love orange cats. We have 2, but they aren’t official barn cats. they do spend a lot of time in there but come in the house too. During the winter they prefer to be house cats. Our chickens are great mousers. i frequently see them running around with a mouse in their beaks. it’s a brutal way to go though.
Jackie
Thanks Jackie! We have another orange cat that was an outside at but he has recently moved indoors. I have never seen our chickens with a mouse.
I really enjoyed this post, barn cats are so true to themselves – independent but they will let you help them.
I am glad you enjoyed it. Barn cats do live on their own terms.
there is nothing as valuable, and as necessary, as a couple of good barn cats. our King of Barncats, Shine, would bring down deer if he could catch them. we dont have to worry about rodents with Shine on the job.
That’s great you have such a great farm cat! I hope Izzy is nearly as good.