Shelter Me, Inc. helps other licensed rescue groups place their ‘hard-to-adopt’ cats in barns. The “barn” cats  typically fall into two categories-

Strays, semi-feral, ferals. These animals do not/cannot adapt well to indoor life.

Cats that are afraid of people. Scaredy cats.  They are not lap cats. They have a limited tolerance for petting.  

Can individuals surrender cats with behavior problems to Shelter Me, Inc?

·       Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to “vet” cats ourselves and can only take them in from licensed rescue groups. We have helped many different licensed rescue** organizations place their ‘unadoptable’ cats in barn homes. (Many of these groups also have their own barn cat programs.)

     **Animal Rescue League of Boston; Billerica Cat Care Coalition, Charles River Alleycats; Feline Friends of NH; International Animal Rescue; Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society; MSPCA/Methuen; Scituate Animal Shelter; Standish Humane Society; Worcester Animal Rescue League.

Are the barn cats spayed/neutered?

·      Yes. Cats in the barn cat program have papers that certify that they are spayed/neutered, vaccinated for distemper and rabies, and double-negative for FIV/FELV. We give these papers to the barn owners who adopt the cats to ensure they have complete medical records.

How does Shelter Me, Inc. find barns?

·      The barns are not easy to find. Essentially, they find us through equine sites, through the videos on our website, and through word-of-mouth from other barn cat owners.

How we determine what cats go to which barns…

·       The barn may have a cat already established on their property; if it is a male, we have found it is useful to bring in a submissive female and vice versa.

·         In barns with lots of activity, we have found that young cats, especially sibling pairs or bonded pairs, seem to be able to adjust fairly well to challenging new circumstances.

·         Frankly, all kinds of cats have adjusted well in our barn program – as long as they are bonded pairs (or singles that don’t like other cats).  We have not had much luck with unbonded pairs.

·         We specialize in finding barn homes for hard-to-adopt cats, but not cats we know to be actively aggressive toward people.

Can a barn request a specific color or age of cat?

·       It never hurts to ask if we know of a coon cat that needs a barn home or an orange cat, but if someone has a very specific requirement in terms of color – we are not likely to be able to help. We are trying to save cats that have no place to go. The most important things are that they not be aggressive to people and have lived outside before. We place them in barns that have rodent problems with owners who are prepared to provide lifetime care.

What about (feral) barn kittens?

·      We are always very cautious about settling kittens in a barn. Kittens require quite a bit of attention – kittens need to be fed high-protein kitten food until they are six months of age – four times a day.

·      We prefer to place kittens in a barn with lots of animal traffic and humans coming and going to increase the intensity of the acclimation process. We often try to place kittens where there is an established adult cat to ‘show them the ropes,’ so to speak.

There are many more posts in our barn cat series - click any of the following titles for additional information -  acclimating barn cats - releasing the cats - how to apply for a shelter me barn cat - keeping cats warm in winter - providing raccoon proof feeding -  items to purchase for the acclimation cage for the barn cats

Shelter Me, Inc. recommends a 5-week acclimation period.

Shelter Me, Inc. will loan out a large acclimation cage (52 inches x 36 inches x 26 inches).

We deliver the cat(s) to the barn and set-up the cage.

The physical set-up of the barn is important because it determines where to place the cage .

The main considerations are these – The cats need to bond with the new environment; they should be able to see people and farm animals coming and going from the barn. The cat(s) need fresh air and light; their cage should be next to a window or in a center aisle, or a busy tack room.

What do the barns need to provide in the way of supplies?

·         Cat food – dry is essential; wet food is a bonus.

·         Most of the rescue people we know recommend Purina One for dry food and Friskies for wet if you are budget conscious.

·        Large water bowl.

·        Food bowls – separate bowls for wet and dry are ideal.

·        Litter – any kind.

·       Smallest litter pan you can buy. (Shelter Me, Inc. often brings these along because the small ones fit well in the acclimation cage.)

·       Soft blanket or cat bed– cats like soft places.

·         If the cat is feral, definitely a little house for them to hide in; a small cat carrier can fit in the cage. It is also helpful to cover the top of the cage with a blanket

Any other helpful tips about the acclimation process?

·     The cats need to bond with their caretaker.

·      The cats need a regular feeding schedule; morning and night. The litter box needs to be cleaned every day.

·       The water needs to be changed every day.

·       Some people feed their cats wet food—specifically in the evening during the acclimation process and continue that practice after the cage door is open—to help ensure that the cat will return to the barn for the evening feeding and then they close the cats into the barn at night to protect them from predators.

·       The barn owners can usually tell how well the acclimation period is going by how the cats react when they open the door to feed them. If the cats are settling in comfortably, they will brush up against the feeder’s arm. (But this may never happen with really feral cats, even though they may decide to stay in your barn forever.)

·      Even if cats are very skittish, it is often possible to pet them when they are eating – especially when they are eating something they really love – like wet food or tuna juice. If you have very, very skittish cats, try feeding them wet food on the end of a wooden spoon (as a friend-making gesture).

·      Special food like tuna fish or juice is great, but commercial cat food contains nutrients that cats need for their diets.

·       Cats like toys…we usually deliver the cats with a toy or two…but it is really nice for barn owners to buy the kind of rope or feather toys that allow them to interact with/play with the cats.

How do you recommend handling the “release” of the cats?

·         After five weeks (some do less; we recommend five because we have seen it work many, many times), tie open the door of the cage in the morning after feeding the cats.

·         Continue to feed the cats – in feed bowls in the cage – and continue to change the water and the litter regularly.

·         If you have a barn that you can close up at night – please do so – it will help protect your cats from predators.  

Click any of the following titles for additional information Q&A about the Barn Cat Program  How to apply for a shelter me barn cat - Keeping cats warm in winter - Providing raccoon proof feeding  -  items to purchase for the acclimation cage for the barn cats

We have gathered together information we received from our barn owners and from knowledgeable animal professionals who graciously share advice on Masscats.org (sources are cited):

 1a.Differences between hay and straw (advice from Susan on Masscats.org)

·         Lots of people accidentally use the terms “hay” and “straw” interchangably, but they are really two different things with different uses.I use both hay and straw on my farm. The hay is used for food, and the straw for protection from the elements. Ok, also I use the straw at Halloween for scarecrow making! But mostly, I bank bales around the barns and various area to cut down on the cold, and I spread it on the ground to keep my flock from freezing their feet. I also use it in the barn to “bed” the goats and ducks. Straw is totally nutrition less, and thus I can not use it for food.

·         Hay will not provide the insulation feral cats need to help them keep warm. Straw, being hollow, traps the heat from the cat’s body and helps them keep warm. Similar situation when you dress in layers - you create pockets of trapped air that are filled with your body heat. Providing a place for them to get out of the wind/rain/snow, that has some insulation, and preferable where they can snuggle together is ideal.

·         A heated disc warmer under the straw will help them build heat on those really cold nights. The discs do stay warm for a good long time.. . IF you can afford one! They are pretty pricey.

·         That said, if hay is the only option you have, it is better than nothing. Also, you MAY be able to get some bonus straw at places that sell it, such as AGWAY or the Co-Op in Topsfield. Lots of time they get a broken bale, or just loose straw, and if you are willing to bag it, oftentimes they will let you keep it. Just a matter of asking, and explaining what you need it for.

1b.Straw is better than hay for insulation (advice from Dot on Masscats.org)

·         A wonderful thing about straw is that it does not burn; it is naturally fire retardant making it quite safe to use for insulation against a barn, etc.  Hay, on the other hand, especially when wet and confined, can spontaneously combust as many barn-owners have found out, to their misfortune. 

·         There is a wonderful straw house that can even be built which is the ultimate energy-efficient, “green” house.  The kitties will be quite happy with straw, even with out a microwave disc.  Adding a reflective-heat car emergency blanket (about $10) or kitty pad (about $15) is even cheaper than the disc and never needs heating as it is the cat’s body heat reflecting back upon it that warms it. 

1c.  where to buy the straw (advice from John on Masscats.org)

·         Any farm supply or horse supply like agway or natures best farm stand. I build the shelters for ferals and a bale should cost about 7 dollars and it will last a long time. use straw not hay.

 2. Where to buy a snugglesafe Disc (advice from Judy on Masscats.org)

·         You can get the Sugglesafe Disc through http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/product.asp?pf_id=998  This is a better price than Petsmart which has them without the cover for 39.00. 

3. Build your own insulated pet house (courtesy of Rita, a Missouri resident who shared her research with us)

·         http://www.winnipeghumanesociety.ca/PDF … r_cats.pdf

·         http://www.pacthumanesociety.org/core/WinterShelter.htm

4. Inexpensive cat houses built to order by Massachusetts-based carpenter

·         Regardless of whether you have a colony of feral cats or are seeking outdoor housing for one, Jim Miranda is a great resource if you are seeking someone to build outdoor cat houses. We are reprinting this post from Masscats.org

·         The price is made up of the purchased cost of materials plus 20% for gasoline, wastage and labor. I added the 20% after realizing that, after a piece was finished, I had remnants which could not be used on other pieces and had to be discarded. This applies to plywood, studs, shingles and insulation. A $60 piece that takes four hours to build would command a labor cost on the open market of between $80 to $150 so I felt that a nominal cost of $6 for labor was not excessive. Organizations which are registered as 501(c) non-profit, get a 10% discount. I can send you a priced bill of materials which gives, for each structure, the price of the materials for each component.

·         Please view my website at: http://www.catpentry.com
This site includes dimensioned drawings, photographs and pricing

5.FREE MYLAR POUCHES AT PETSMART (advice from Dee on Masscats.org)

·         These are the Insulated Pouches that the fish are shipped in.  They are about 30 x 20 and if you ask the manager of the store to ask the fish dept. to save them for you

·         They get quite a few montlhly.  I pick up about 20-30 a month from our Petsmart store in Salem who would normally toss them in the dumpster.

·         Anyway, we use them all the time for a variety of applications.  Lining outdoor shelters, lining the bottom of cages for nursing moms and kittens, lining cat carriers for transporting cats in the winter, lining the back of my station wagon when I’m transporting ferals in winter to TNR clinics.  People have even used them for putting in their windshield for blocking sun in the summer.

6. Purchase Outdoor pet houses.

·         On occasion, the barn cat owners ask us for recommendations when they do not have time to build one themselves. This particular company makes nice, solid houses for cats and we think they are well priced, although not inexpensive.

http://www.outdoorpethouses.com/basic.html

·         The good news is that we have seen them - one of the barn cat owners purchased one. In fact, you can see it in our video, How to acclimate barn cats (http://www.sheltermeinc.org/wordpress/?page_id=301) If we were going to buy one, we would purchase this basic one along with the insulation. It holds more than one cat.

7.  Where to purchase heated bowels - this comes from SJ on masscats.org - click the links below. 

a. heated bowls on Amazon.com b. heated bowls on best nest c. heated bowls on ebay

Source: http://www.thestopclinic.com/doctor.html

$70 for neutering surgery (males), and $80 for spay surgery (females). These are terrifically low fees and include a physical exam and rabies vaccination with certificate.

Learn more about veterinarian Ann Marie-Roche and her mobile surgical van/service by clicking this link to her website.

 source: http://www.thestopclinic.com/calendar.htm

80 barn cat placements between March 2008 and June 2010

65 have remained in place!

We drove over 2500 miles delivering cats to barns in these locales–

Massachusetts

Abingdon, Ashby, Boxford, Carlisle, Fairhaven, Groton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Littleton, Mattapoisett, Mendon, North Easton, Orleans, Plympton, Sturbridge, Townsend, Upton, West Bridgewater and West Newbury

New Hampshire

Bedford, Contoocook, Derry, Hollis and Mason, NH

Connecticut

Brooklyn and Northfield

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2008

Shelter Me Inc placed 44 “unadoptable” cats in barns

#1-7 are the Gardner Animal Control cats - safe and sound after 9 months (delivered to Upton, Ipswich, Littleton, Boxford, and West Newbury MA);

Felix passed away from illness.

#8-13 came from Second Chance Fund working with Worcester Animal Rescue League (delivered to Fairhaven MA; Orleans MA; and Mason New Hampshire)

2 ran off from the Fairhaven barn almost immediately

#14-17 are the siblings our friend Lori rescued from the Malden Diner basement (delivered to Mendon MA and North Easton MA)

#18-19 were two unrelated feral strays from Billerica Cat Care Coalition and MRFRS that we added to a barn we had previously worked with in Upton MA

2 ran off from the Upton MA barn (We have not had  luck placing unrelated strays together)

#20-27 were ‘unadoptable’ cats from MRFRS in Salisbury (delivered to Groton MA, Plympton MA, Upton MA, and Northfield Connecticut)

2 from the Upton barn (different from the one above) spent a year living together and disappeared at separate times, believed to have been taken by coyotes.

#28-30 Male & female from MRFRS to Bedford, New Hampshire and male to Contoocook,NH.

The male in Contoocook disappeared after six months, believed to have been taken by coyotes.

#31-32 were cats that were returned to MSPCA Methuen because of litter box problems (delivered to Sturbridge MA)

2 cats moved out of the barn and ‘went wild’ on the property.

#33-35 were kittens that our president Sara Carlisle rescued and paid to neuter (delivered to Groton MA)

#36 was a feral kitten that Morene took home from her vet (delivered to Upton MA)

#37 was a stray cat who ended up at the MSPCA in Methuen after Shelter Me paid to neuter him (delivered to Abington MA)

#38-39 were two black female kittens that Kitty Kats rescued from the streets of Brighton, MA (delivered to Upton MA)

#40-41 were two orange male kittens that Kitty Kats rescued from a dumpster in Rosalindale, MA (delivered to Boxford MA)

#42-43 were a grey and a black male kitten that KittyKats rescued from the dumpster in Roslindale (delivered to Ashby, MA)

#44 was a tortie female that Billerica Cat Care Coalition rescued - we placed her with the grey and black male kitten (delivered to Ashby MA)

2009

Shelter Me Inc placed 35 “unadoptable” cats in barns

#45-46 were a black & white male named Don and a calico female named Butterfly that were trapped in Acton, an area we cover, and brought in by a neighbor. Delivered to Berlin, MA

#47-48-49 were an orange female and her two orange female kittens rescued by KittyKats from a DPW site south of Dorchester, MA. Delivered to Newbury, MA

#50-51 - 2 orange cats male and female rescued by Charles River Alleycats. Delivered to Derry, NH.

#52 - a male black and white cat rescued from the streets of Charlestown by KittyKats  and placed on the farm that has Tiny, Felix and the Calico in Upton, MA.

#53-54- a male orange cat named Marmalade and a black cat named Nira trapped by KittyKats in the South End and Dorchester.Renamed Sonny and Buddy by their new owners.

#55-56 - Found a barn for two cats,  a grey male and a black female, both long-hair and 1 year old. Trapped by Standish Humane Society in Plympton after the barn they were living in was closed down and cleaned out. Placed in Billerica.

#57-58 - Placed Petunia, a 5 yr old Calico with Kiki, a 1 yr old black cat, both females picked up by Animal Rescue League. They had been in the shelter for more than 2 months and were not likely to be adopted for behavioral reasons.

#59 - placed a 1 yr old black cat Violet. She has been in the shelter at ARL and was returned for attacking her owner. We attempted to place her with Petunia and Kiki but she growled so much, we took her back and on the way home to pick up  a cage, another barn owner took pity on her and gave her a home. We had a heck of a time getting Violet out of the carrier and finally gave up and put it (with her in it) inside the cage.

Violet sadly disappeared  and was believed to have been taken by a coyote

#60-61 - Placed two orange male cats, both named Garfield, unrelated but very fond of one another. They were not being adopted at the Animal Rescue League for behavioral reasons.

#62-63 - Placed 2 females, a feral white cat and a feral tortie cat,  captured on the streets of Everett by Cindy Dever of Charles River Alleycats, in a barn in Auburn, NH.

#64 -Placed a black & white female cat named Shasta in a barn that houses two very friendly goats and a couple horses. She had been at the Animal Rescue League in Boston since early March when we placed her on June 6th in a barn in West Bridgewater.

#65 - Placed a grey cat named Elmo in the barn next door to Shasta’s place. She also had been at Animal Rescue League for several months. She lucked out big-time in her new home.

#66 Placed a black & white female cat named Precious - saved by Laurence Van Atten of International Animal Rescue on behalf of WARL - in Hollis, NH.

Precious is believed to have been taken by a coyote.

#67 Placed Melborn, a 3 year old male grey tabby (13 pounds) saved by Laurence Van Atten, Delivered to  a barn in Cape Cod. He was featured in the Cape Cod Times in a story titled, “Shelter Me gives stray cats a fresh start.”

Melborn is believed to have been taken by a coyote.

#68-69  Kimball & Bushy - 1 3yr old orange male and 1 grey tabby from ARL to Carlisle, MA

Bushy ran off after the acclimation period.

#70-71 Thelma & Louis - siblings black & white - 1 five month old female and 1 five  month old male. They were too timid for ARL to adopt out - they could be petted but preferred to hide from humans. Delivered to Ashby, MA

#72-73 Sierra  Echo - 1 yr old grey female and 1 yr old gray tabby male -delivered to us by Jill Sullivan, a volunteer at Scituate Animal Shelter and taken to Ashby, MA

#74 Muriel - female black & white 1 yr old female saved by Jill Sullivan, volunteer for Scituate Animal Shelter and taken to Ashby, MA

#75-76 -two 1 1/2 year old calico kittens, Fiesta and Stella, saved by Julia at Standish Humane Society who delivered the cats to a farm we found for them in Cape Cod.

#77-78 - 2 female siblings - 4 1/2 months old, an orange female (unusual) and a tortie given to us by Jill Sullivan who got them from Quincy Animal Shelter. We placed them in Lunenberg, MA.

 

One cat became ill and died several months after placement. 

 

#79 - 1 female black & white cat - 6-7 months old rescued  from the streets of Worcester by Laurence Van Atten of International Animal Rescue. Delivered to Lunenberg.

 

2010

#80 - 1 black & white male - 3 yrs old former stray  - adopted once and returned to ARL Boston- delivered to Haverhill, MA

 

 

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