They’re cute, they’re cuddly and they’re helping keep the rodent population in check—they’re barn cats.

A warm barn provides a comfortable residence for rodents that find insulation, electrical wiring, bedding and leather to be tasty treats. Additionally, they can contaminate food sources and harbor parasites and diseases. A cat or two can significantly reduce the number of unwelcomed visitors like mice, rats and possums and the problems that come with them.

When Halifax County Farm Bureau President Ray Garner discovered a cat that unexpectedly appeared at his shop, he figured the cat would linger for a while, but move on when the Christmas holidays rolled around and people weren’t around the shop. Two years later, Shop Cat is a permanent resident. “He’s a real good mouser, and some of the people around here feed him too. Let’s just say that he doesn’t look like he misses many meals,” Garner jokes.

“He always brings his prized catches to the door, so you have to be careful where you step.”

Garner appreciates Shop Cat’s work keeping the mouse population down. “You don’t have to use as much chemical if you have biological control like a cat,” Garner says.

Occasionally, though, it’s the cats that become the unwelcomed guests. “Two or three cats per barn is optimal—20 is not,” says veterinarian Colleen Wallace. “Because cats will rapidly multiply, it is essential that all cats that arrive on the property be promptly spayed or neutered or you will be rapidly overrun with cats you cannot care for properly.”

Some landowners in rural areas find cats are dropped off and abandoned on their property. While the person depositing the cat might have remedied their situation, the new cat owner is left in a pickle.

There are organizations statewide that can help defer the cost of spaying and neutering feral cats.

Kittens must be spayed or neutered before they are six months old, and female cats that have had a litter of kittens can be spayed once weaning is completed. If a barn isn’t in a position to take on more feline tenants, kittens should be taken to the ASPCA or similar adoption organization as close to eight weeks old as possible for the best chance of adoption.

Most barn cats are independent and self-sufficient, but they do need a little helping hand from their human companions on occasion. “Barn cats need shelter, food and veterinary care the same as other livestock,” Wallace says. “Studies show that barn cats fed daily will hunt more than cats that are not. They will hunt for play instead of hunting just enough to feed themselves and conserving their energy as unfed cats do.”

The state of North Carolina mandates that all cats must have a rabies vaccination every three years and it must be administered by a licensed veterinarian. Ideally, outdoor cats should also receive upper respiratory/distemper (FVRCP) vaccines every three years and feline leukemia (FeLV) vaccines yearly.

The more outdoor cats are handled, the easier it will be to manage them when a trip to the vet is necessary.

Wallace notes, “The best barn cats are friendly and have been handled since kittens so they are easy to handle when veterinary care is needed and also provide affection and companionship.”