Barn cats/kittens

[toletiquesbysam]

For a barn cat, would you recommend getting kittens vs 1yr old cats because the kittens would tend to stay around more than the 1yr old ones? Also how long before I'd need to fix the girl kitten so we could avoid a barn full of kittens?
I'm thinking 2 kittens and they are male/female brother sister.

 

[jerseygirl1]

I've always gotten stray kittens (then spayed the mom) they tend to be more adaptable than older cats

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Either would work. Just need to teach them where home is. The kittens might be more malable. Vets are spaying females pretty early these days so check with the vet. I think about 2 months old. I would also fix the male. Less problems with spraying, behavior, and running off after females.

Imp- So what's the problem with a barn full of kittens?

 

[horsejody]

I always get the girls spayed before they are 6 month old. Females tend to be better mousers than males and it helps if their mamas fed them mice. If you get an older one, it's better to get one that was previously employed as a barn cat, rather than somebody's unwanted house cat. I like to get kittens from the grain elevator. They are used to eating mice and being around people.

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

This past summer we got two kittens and we kept them in a shed for awhile feeding them and providing a litter box....and then we started letting them out during the day and locking them up at night now they are free to go anywhere but they hang around everynight going into that shed to sleep and feed...dont know if they caught any mice yest as our dogs will "play" with them ....

 

[MagsC]

When my family did this, for us it worked out better to get a couple older kittens (four to six months).

 

[paddock36]

I would go to your local animal pound/shelter. You can buy them there that would be spayed/neutered, with their shots, and would be cheaper than taking them to the vet and getting them spayed/neutered yourself. Plus you would be saving them from certain death.

 

[Kacey's Krazee's]

I put up a sign in the post office in my little town, and was able to get a brother and sister, about 3 months old. They were the youngsters of their outside barn cat. They were handled by the family, somewhat, so they were not total feral type. We put them in our office/computer room in our house, and spent time with them daily. We kept them in the house for about 2-3 weeks. Then took them to the vet and had them both fixed, and after the stitches were out, so were they. I felt pretty good about them being able to handle themselves outside, as they were taught very well by their momma.

They are both little lovers now.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

Plus I know certain shelters give you a discount on adopting cats or older kittens that aren't suited for indoor life, but would make fine barn cats. Males need to be neutered too. They are half of the equation of the over-population problem.

 

[bagendhens]

im not a big fan of pediatric spay but in barn kitties id spay and neuter as young as your vets comofrtable, around here thats 8 weeks, for me thats a little young, but a female can go into heat as young as 4 months old and a 4month old male CAN impregnate...
if it was an indoor only kitty waiting isnt a problem but with a barn kitty id aim for a spay at 4 months...

adults will adapt under the right circumstances, spay/neuter will limit need to wander, start out by locking them in their "safe space" for the first few days, feed them in there in a prominent place, in the same place...once they realize thats where there warm and fed they will continue to return.
the nice thing with young adults is you know by about 12 moths if the kitty is going to be a good mouser...
i cant tell you how many kittens bought for mousing purposes just dont turn out to be good hunters lol