When most individuals go to Orange County Animal Services in search of a cat, they might go for tame, calm, and cute kitties. But the division additionally has a working barn cats initiative that has helped place animals in houses for years. This program permits unsocial cats to be adopted and assist management rodent infestations in barns or different areas. The initiative saves cats that may seemingly be put down in any other case. Working cats are spayed, neutered, vaccinated, and utterly free to undertake.
In the Orange County Animal Services shelter, cats within the barn cats program are housed individually. They are sometimes not as pleasant, whereas the opposite cats loudly meow at guests. Tenille Fox, the Communications Specialist at Orange County Animal Services, defined why.
“Most of the cats are actually semi-feral or are just cats that are very reactive in a shelter setting,” she mentioned, “meaning that we can’t handle them and we can’t safely let them be on the adoption floor to do meetings.”
These cats cannot be positioned into a traditional home as a result of their habits, mentioned Fox. The barn cat program saves them and, as a substitute of being put down, they’re put to work. The program formally began in 2017 and since then, Fox mentioned animal providers has positioned many cats into environments the place they’ll thrive.
“It’s sort of the progressive and humane approach to pet overpopulation, especially where free roaming cats are concerned,” Fox mentioned. “And our shelter has always tried to be on that side of things. We always want to take the approach that is the best for the animals and all the people involved in our community. And so this was one way to do it. ”
Fox mentioned they encourage folks to start out with their barn cats housed open air. If the cat socializes and bonds with its new house owners then issues can change.
This is Violet, a barn cat up for adoption at Orange County Animal Shelter.
“We’ve got a lot of cats. They’re so happy in their new situation, whether they’re outdoor or indoor. They’ve just really blossomed and become different cats, which is fantastic because what this is taking the place of is older catch and kill methods,” Fox defined.
One success story in this system is Bill Hengstenberg who adopted three cats a couple of years in the past. He has a farm for rescue livestock. The property was stuffed with alpacas, horses, goats, chickens, and, sadly, mice. After collaborating in this system, he mentioned he gained three feline associates and misplaced his mouse inhabitants.
“We yell, ‘here kitty, kitty, kitty,’ and wherever the cats are out in the woods or out across the street or anywhere, they all come running,” mentioned Hengstenberg. “We open up the doors and they all go in. We close the doors and they’re all tucked in at night. That’s a good feeling, just knowing that all the animals are tucked in.”
Over the previous couple of years, the adopted barn cats, Alvin, Simone, and Theodrore, have adjusted properly to life on a farm. Hengenstenberg mentioned they get pleasure from getting rubs and laying with their house owners.
“They want to sit in our laps,” he mentioned. “They love to get pets. Alvin turns over on his back and wants his belly rubbed, which is unusual.”
Sandra Strong is the Director of Animal Services at Orange County Animal Shelter. She works straight with the Barn Cat program. She mentioned selling this system is an enormous a part of its success.
“We do put up flyers around in the community. We have a social media presence. We really rely on word to mouth. We try to work with the community to not bring the cats in the first place but by setting up,” Strong mentioned.
A “Barn Cat” poster on the Orange County Animal Shelter.
The program not solely works with the group however different organizations as nicely. Orange County Animal Shelter has a partnership with Independent Animal Rescue in Durham who helps to spay and neuter the cats. Strong mentioned she is proud of this system and appears ahead to the way it will develop sooner or later.
“This program really reflects the citizens of Orange County trying to make a difference and have a more scientific and humane approach to population control for the animals in the community,” she mentioned.
This is Mary Jane, a barn cat up for adoption at Orange County Animal Shelter.
For extra data on Orange County Animal Services’ barn cat program, go to the division’s web site.
Photos through Orange County Animal Shelter
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