Barn cats are great for homesteaders, not only do they keep the rodent population down but they also are loving companions for both animals and humans! If you are wondering what they need to be happy then you have come to the right place.
The first thing that your barn cat will need is water.
Water is extremely important for your barn cats, so make sure that you give them access to fresh, clean water at all times.
The second thing that your barn cat will need is shelter
It is super important that you provide your barn cat with some sort of shelter. You want your barn cat to stay out of the elements so make sure that you have some place for them to hide. If you don’t have a shed or barn you can easily make a shelter out of wood, a cooler or even a plastic bin! There are also many places online that make really nice cat houses.
The third thing that your barn cat will need is food
Now depending on how many rodents you have there is a possibility that you can skip this one, but if you don’t have a crazy amount of rodents for them to find then I suggest feeding them a little food. Because your barn cat will most likely hunt for most of their food you only have to feed them a little bit. Just by supplementing your barn cat, it will help them to continue and catch all those rodents!
Things your barn cat doesn’t need-
Your barn cat most likely won’t need a litter box, the only time that they would need to have one is if they are in a confined space and don’t have access to outside.
Another thing that your barn cat doesn’t need is a collar. In my opinion it is not a safe idea to use a collar unless it is a breakaway collar, even then I still probably wouldn’t use one just because they can get stuck in trees or bushes.
Barn cats are one of the easiest and most useful animals that you can have on your homestead!
The 1912 Homestead 