Animal charity appeals for homes for nervous farm cats

The project aims to find homes for farm cats and other nervous felines who need less human interaction than a typical domestic cat.

Alice Potter, cat welfare officer, said: "Farm cats are often nervous around people but still need someone to provide food, water, shelter and veterinary care when needed. As the name suggests, they would most likely be best suited to a farm, smallholding, or riding stables but some have even found quirky homes such as a model village, an orchard and a gazebo company.

She said potential owners don’t necessarily need to have a farm or riding stable to rehome a cat who enjoys the great outdoors, the charity is looking for homes of all different types to match the variety of different cats the charity has.

To mark International Cat Day this weekend the RSPCA reveals it rehomes over 20,000 cats a year and the work continued even during the pandemic - 18,274 cats were rehomed in 2020.

A recent survey found that 90 per cent of centres and branches find it harder to find suitable homes for outdoorsy cats than other, more sociable, cats.

Alice Potter, RSPCA’s cat welfare expert, said: “One of the most interesting things about cats is just how varied each of them are. No one set home is going to fit all cats. Cats’ personalities are a varied spectrum with an affectionate, lap cat, an ‘inbetweener’ cat who needs less but still some interaction, and all the way to a feral cat who will happily live independently from humans.

"There are all sorts of reasons why some cats need this type of lifestyle. They may have lived for a long time as a stray and aren’t familiar or comfortable being close to people or it may relate to their early experiences or genetics. Whatever the reason, we try to find the perfect home for them.

“We know that our centres and branches often struggle to find homes for our farm or outdoor cats and often one of the reasons cited is that there is a lack of awareness amongst the general public that these cats exist and that they will be much happier living an outdoorsy lifestyle.

“Many people think of a cat curled up on the sofa, popping in and out of the cat flap for fuss but actually the kind of cats we’re talking about here may never come inside the home, they may never come for fuss but they need someone to look out for them and provide them with year-round shelter such as a shed, barn, stable or even a treehouse where they can sleep at night. They’ll also need constant access to water, to be fed daily and to receive veterinary care whenever needed.

“This is why we have launched this rehoming campaign for farm cats on International Cat Day to help raise awareness of the different homes these independent cats need.”

Massey, a male tabby cat, was adopted from Bryn Y Maen in May and since then he has grown in confidence. His owner, Helen Lacey, had a yard cat for years but when they sadly passed away she got back in touch with the RSPCA centre to see if there were any other cats looking for a similar home. He now sleeps and eats in the shed and the hay barn and although he is still quite elusive, Helen sets up a camera in the shed so she can check on him and he seems very content with life.

Helen said: “It’s a great life for a cat like Massey, he has the freedom to roam, a warm, safe environment away from traffic, and a good supply of food and water.”

Wanda and Glynn are two nervous cats currently looking for a perfect home at a stables, yard or smallholding. They are both under-socialised cats being cared for at RSPCA Bryn Y Maen Animal Centre who find cattery life quite stressful.

Glyn was found as an injured stray in June before being rescued and Wanda was signed over due to a welfare concern in April. She was pregnant at the time and gave birth to kittens in RSPCA care but is now ready to be rehomed herself.

They will need a home with plenty of land to explore where they can keep a safe distance from people should they choose to.

Depending on the set-up and the space available to them, they could live with another cat, a dog and children.

If you can offer one of these lovely cats a shed or barn to call home, please complete an application form and email to brynymaen@rspca.org.uk

How to adopt a Farm Cat

Taking on a farm cat gives them a second chance in the type of home where they can live their best life. Seeing them roaming free, dozing in the sun and exploring to their heart's content can be really rewarding.

All the cats will be in good health, neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, where appropriate and treated for fleas and worms.

The minimum requirement for an adopter will be to provide a weatherproofed shelter, food and water at least daily and to keep an eye on the health of the cat and seek veterinary help when needed. They will also need access to land to roam, and vegetation such as woodland, fields or gardens.

As well as hoping to find homes for cats currently in their care, many RSPCA branches and centres aim to build-up a directory of potential adopters so that when a freedom feline comes into their care they can quickly rehome them without the stress of being confined in a cattery.

For more information on adopting a Farm Cat visit: https://www.rspca.org.uk/findapet/rehomeapet/process/rehomeacat/farmcat

A new filter has been added to the RSPCA’s rehoming website so that potential owners can search for farm cats online, please visit: www.rspca.org.uk/findapet

To register your interest in becoming a farm cat adopter, contact your nearest centre or branch.

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