BARN CAT BUDDIES
advocating for all felines
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I have a barn and am looking for cats to control mice; do you supply cats for people in my situation?
A. YES. You have come to the right place! We have many cats needing a home such as a barn, and controlling the rodent population is one of the things they do best! If you own a barn, warehouse, or plant nursery and can offer safe haven to a pair of under- socialized and sometimes 'friendly' felines, please go to our adoption page, or call 540-238-5549 and leave us a message.
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Q. I don’t have a barn but I still want a cat; is that ok?
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A. Absolutely! We often find cats that are social and are in need of a regular home. We also work closely with Pet Supplies Plus and they always have our loving cats waiting to call your house home!
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Q. Are the cats healthy? Safe to handle?
A. The cats are quite healthy. For cats that have never had human contact, we ask you to sign an agreement saying you understand direct contact in the way of handling is not safe. All cats will be spayed or neutered and rabies vaccinated before going to their new barn-type homes. For the friendly (social) kitties, this, of course, will not be an issue. We are very good at matching up cats to homes and your needs as well as the cats’ will be fully discussed before adoptions are finalized.
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Q. Can I pick which cats I want, or do you decide for me?
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A. Absolutely you can pick your own cat. We keep a current list of animals needing barn or pet cat homes. You are free to choose the cat you think is best for your situation, however, we pride ourselves in being great ‘matchmakers’ and will guide you along the process.
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Q. There is a stray cat that comes by where I live; can you find it a home?
A. See # 8 below. If you need to trap the stray, we have humane traps we can provide to you. All the animals on our list to re-home have been spayed or neutered and rabies vaccinated. For low-cost clinics and more detailed info; please contact us.
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Q. Can cats survive on their own ‘in the wild’?
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A. For a while, they could, but without food and water and being open to any kind of predator it’s going to be a short and miserable life. If the kitty is un-sterilized, add to that list, more unsocial animals without a home to go to and misery. Barn kitties are a great compromise between the two, giving the cats the freedom we know they crave while still getting the shelter and food needed to help them make it to a long and happy life in those double digits.
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Q. What if a cat I get from you needs veterinary care? Do you take care of that?
A. We are very careful to place only healthy cats in non-traditional pet cat homes. As an adopter and new owner, your cat would need to be taken to your own private veterinarian or clinic. In any emergency, immediately take your cat to your vet or after hours to the Emergency Veterinary Clinic located on Peters Creek Road in Roanoke.
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Q. I have a cat that I can’t keep; can you take it?
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A. Sadly we cannot. We are a networking and referral agency and have no physical shelter. Should we have room, we place friendly kittens or cats in foster homes and due to a shortage of foster volunteers, they are usually packed to the gills. Putting a flyer together with a sweet headshot and cute description from the cats’ point of view is a good marketing technique. In addition, emailing the flyer to friends and family and posting on your Facebook page is another venue.
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Below are some additional things you can do to market your kitty:
Print off flyers from the FORMS & FLYERS page and post them up far and wide.
The more flyers that are seen, the more potential for finding a home. Some ideas for locations to post flyers are Feed and Tack Stores, Vet Offices, Grocery Store Bulletin Boards, Local ASPCA's and anywhere with a public notification area. Be sure the flyer has a nice photo of the kitty, and a working email and/or cell phone number. Please email us and let us know what stores/towns you've placed them in. When a call or email comes in from one of the flyers you posted, we will contact you. That's OUR commitment to YOU, and to the cats that we are all concerned about. You can also email & snail mail the flyers to friends outside of the area as long as you are willing to travel to transport the kitty to his new home in a barn, warehouse, etc.
An important note: Remember to read over the protocol for re-homing cats and share this with potential homes. It’s ESSENTIAL that you always ask for a vet and personal reference before giving the cat away. It’s also important that you deliver the kitty to its new home for two reasons:
1) for closure for the animal
2) to make sure the new home is what it says it is.
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Q. Who do I contact if I have a question?
A. You can email us by filling out the form HERE, or you can call us at (540) 238-5549, extension #3. Remember we are not doctors and any medical or emergency questions must be asked of a professional veterinarian.
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Q. Is there a way I can financially support Barn Cat Buddies?
A. Absolutely! Financially supporting Barn Cat Buddies is as easy as clicking the “Donate” button on our Support page , sending a check to PO Box 111
Salem, VA 24153 or by logging on to Paypal (pay to donations@barncatbuddies.org). Your donations are tax-deductible and help us support individuals in their ongoing efforts to trap/neuter/return community cats.
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Q. What does Barn Cat Buddies do?
A. Barn Cat Buddies helps cats who may not be suitable for a lap, find a place to call 'home' regardless. We work with barns, wineries, marinas, garden centers & even mini-marts and restaurants in need of non-toxic rodent control. In exchange, the facility provides the basic necessities – food, water & shelter.
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Q. Are you a non-profit organization?
A. Yes, we are a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. Any donations are tax-deductible.
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Q. What is a “feral cat”?
A. A feral cat, by definition, is an un-socialized cat that has never had human contact. We no longer like to use the term 'feral' as that causes confusion with the neighborhood strays that we see so often. True feral cats are few and far between as most cats will
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Q. Are your cats declawed?
A. No. Declawing a cat is painful and unnecessary. Without their claws, they are unable to scratch which is a basic instinct to a cat. As an outside kitty, they would also unable to defend themselves should they meet a predator. And getting down to the nitty-gritty, how would you expect a cat to catch a mouse or other rodent without those claws?
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Q. How much will it cost me to get a cat from you?
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A. I like the word ‘adopt' better
There is no SET adoption fee at this time. With that said, we run on donations and would love you to help us continue our work by donating at least the cost of the animal's vetting. Since we are a 501C 3 non-profit, any donations are tax-deductible
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Q. Why are there so many cats that need homes?
A. Cats reproduce at an amazing rate. If caretakers do not sterilize their cats before their first ‘heat cycle’ they’ll do what comes naturally. To add to this, people abandon their breeding females when they no longer want them and it becomes a huge community problem.
THE FACTS: A cat reaches sexual maturity at roughly 5 months of age, stays pregnant for only about 63 days (a little over two months!!), and can get pregnant while she is nursing her young. In addition, cats can have 4 litters a year with an average of four to six kittens per litter. No math needed that's a lot of cats!
Sadly, the majority of those cats wind up at your local shelter and last year in Roanoke alone, 79% of the cats brought to the local pound were euthanized. That's a statistic that can easily be lowered by simply spaying and neutering your pets.