Do you have a barn, shed, or other large outbuilding? Are you tired of setting up toxic poisons and difficult mouse traps to catch unscrupulous rodents? Get a barn cat; the benefits far outweigh the cost.
Owning a barn cat has many benefits. Barn cats are the best non-toxic method of getting rid of farm rodents and snakes. With a barn cat on the premise, you will finally be able to do away with rat poisons, mouse traps, and dirty rodent droppings.
How do you get a barn cat? There are several feral (wild) cat non-profit organizations available that take homeless or "forgotten" cats and deal them out to farmers in need of rodent control. In general, the only requirements these organizations have is a life-long commitment from the home owners to regularly provide food, water, and medical attention for the barn cats. Though it may seem like a huge commitment, the benefits are worth it, and possibly less expensive in the long run.
What kind of medical attention do barn cats require? All barn cats need to be spayed or neutered. You do not want to have an army of feral cats on your property. Also, barn cats need to have had their major vaccinations completed. These vaccinations include the herpes virus, calichi virus and panleukopenia virus. Also, the rabies vaccine is imperative, because cats in rural areas may easily be exposed to bats, mice, rats, squirrels and other rodents who have the disease. Because barn cats' jobs are to catch and kill pesky rodents, these twitching, dying creatures are bait for pouncing felines at any time.
You will also need to keep up with preventative treatments, such as heart worm and tapeworm treatments, sometimes administering them monthly. Rats and mice are usually carriers of tapeworms; once a feline captures an infected rodent, it will most likely contract the disease, unless they are on preventative medication. Tape worm prevention is not 100% guaranteed, but it certainly provides a large amount of protection. If mosquitoes are common in your area, you will want to give your barn cat's heartworm preventative medication as well.
Besides providing medical attention for barn cats, be sure to run over the premises in which your cat will roam with a keen eye so you can get rid of any hazardous objects that may harm the cat. Corners and nooks and crannies are easy places to forget about. Be sure to check and ensure you do not have any old rat poison or traps lurking around your barn, as these may poison or injure your barn cat. Also, old tractors with batteries or dormant gasoline tanks have the potential to break and leak. The metals contained in the battery, as well as gasoline or anti-freeze are all harmful to a cat if they are ingested. The best way to deal with this risk is by simply removing it.
The life expectancy of a barn cat is generally half that of a indoor cat simply because outdoor cats are exposed to many more dangers and diseases than indoor cats. But, again, you are increasing your barn cat's life by adopting him or her into your farm family when before they were completely wild and without a home. If you get a barn cat, you will be satisfied in knowing that you have helped rescue a cat; and it, in turn, has helped you with keeping your farm rodent free.
Article brought to you by Dog-Fence.org. Visit our site today for information on responsible pet owner duties.
No comments:
Post a Comment