Working Cats
Your Next Employee of the Month
When community cats — i.e., cats who live outdoors and are sometimes cared for by community members — are unable to be returned to their previous outdoor home and aren't good candidates for traditional adoption programs, they might become what we lovingly call "working cats." They're part of a group of community cats who don't live in homes as pet cats.
Working cats are healthy, independent cats who act as natural pest deterrents in businesses and other properties. They go by many names, including:
• Barn cats
• Farm cats
• Bodega cats
• Ship cats
• Warehouse cats
• Brewery cats
• Shop cats
• Porch cats
• Firehouse cats
• Library cats
While some working cats are friendly with people, many are not entirely comfortable with human interaction, though they can be happy living in close proximity to people.
Caring for working cats is easy. After a proper acclimation period, you simply let them roam in their space and give them food and water.
Working cat adoption details
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All working cats will be sterilized and ear tipped. Ear tipping — a procedure wherein the last ¼ inch of the left ear is removed with a straight-line surgical cut — is the universal sign that a cat who does not live in a home has been sterilized. This is performed during the spay/neuter surgery while the cat is under anesthesia.
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The nature of these cats’ behavior does not allow for visitation in our shelters. Adopters will not be allowed to visit or handle these cats prior to adoption.
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Barns and other large spaces can often successfully house more than one cat at a time. Multiple-cat adoptions are encouraged, but not required.
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Working cat adopters must agree to provide:
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Consistent access to warm, safe shelter like a barn or shop to provide protection from the elements
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Food and clean water every day
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Future medical care
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A room or space to keep the cat confined for 2-3 weeks with a litterbox and soft places to lie down, hide, and sleep, in order to acclimate to new surroundings
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Adoption fees are waived for working cats.
If you are interest in adopting a working cat please give us a call and we can help you find your new employee.