For many people, the pets they own are companions that spend the majority of time indoors, playing and cuddling with the family. Whether your pet lives in a cage or has free range in the home, they are creatures that enjoy spending time indoors with everyone. You may know all there is to know about pet ownership, from the best breeds for your lifestyle, the highest quality foods to help them thrive, and even the benefits of CBD for your furry friend.
If you are an avid home gardener or even a homesteader, another pet can thrive with you – a barn cat. Barn cats have a lot to offer, and while they may never set foot in your house or take a nap with you on a rainy day, their benefits are immense. Keep reading for all the ways a barn cat could benefit your garden.
Free Pest Control
You may think that bringing on another pet is an expense for which you’re not ready, but barn cats pay for themselves in spades regarding pest control. Not only do these felines take care of bugs that can be bothering your plants and veggies, but they can also take out larger pests.
Cats are natural and skilled hunters, especially cats that aren’t as tame as a traditional house cat. Barn cats are more than happy to eliminate pests as small as a mouse or rats to as large as snakes. The only payment they request? A safe place to sleep outdoors and vet care in emergencies. Of course, your barn cat needs to be fed kibble and water by you, but their appetites are big enough to be your garden exterminators too!
Less Maintenance
When searching for a pet indoors, there is more to consider than when you’re adopting barn cats. Typical pets require considerations like whether they are good with children. What is the largest house cat size that your home can accommodate? Will you spay or neuter? Can you provide enough human companionship? When you adopt a feral cat, some of these questions are unnecessary. Even though people form strong bonds with their barn cats, the commitment isn’t as intense as a regular house cat, which is a huge bonus for many.
Companionship
Though they require less attention and maintenance than a house cat, barn cats make excellent companions in the garden. Not only will your barn cats come up and brush against you while you’re gardening, but they will also interact with other pets you have in the yard. Barn cats are more likely to be social with other animals, from dogs, rabbits, and even goats! They may not be as cuddly as your indoor cat, but they have plenty of personalities and play.
Giving Life a Chance
Adopting a barn cat or two can benefit you in many ways, as mentioned above, but it benefits the cat too! So many animals are born each year homeless, and shelters quickly fill up; it’s a problem in every city in the country. By adopting cats to fulfill the role of barn cat, you are giving these sweet creatures a second chance at life. Cats are naturally wild animals and will adapt easily to the barn lifestyle if you provide a safe environment and outdoor shelter for them.
Barn cats are a low-maintenance addition to any homestead or garden. They require just a few annual shots to keep them disease-free, making them more cost-effective than an indoor pet. All barn cats should be spayed and neutered to reduce the chance of even more homeless animals being born. In addition to vaccinating and neutering your barn cat, there are other important things to consider before adopting one. You’ll want to give them a flea preventative to keep them comfortable and always provide food and water to supplement their wild diet.
Additionally, cats are very curious. You’ll want to keep toxic chemicals that may be in your barn or shed stored safely in a place they can’t access. Caring for a barn cat is easier than a house pet and offers many more benefits. Perhaps the above-mentioned ways they could help you are enough to have you headed to the shelter today!