Thefarm cat, also known as abarn cat, is adomestic cat, usually ofmixed breed, that lives primarily outdoors, in aferal orsemi-feral condition on agricultural properties, usually sheltering in outbuildings. They eat assortedvermin such as rodents and other small animals that live in or around outbuildings and farm fields.
The need for theworking cat may have been the original reason cats weredomesticated, to keep rodents from consuming or contaminating grain crops stored for later human consumption. They are still commonly kept for their effectiveness at controlling undesired vermin[1][2][3][4][5][6] found onfarms,ranches,greenhouses, and evendrug farms, which would otherwise eat or contaminatecrops, especiallygrain orfeed stocks. Farm cats hunt the rodent population, and their pheromones keep further rodents from filling the void.[7][8]
Archeological evidence suggests that the earliestdomestication ofcats occurred about 7500 BC and was motivated by the human need to safeguard grain stores from rodents.[9]
Farm cats live in a variety of conditions. Some areferal with minimal human contact and no veterinary care, deriving sustenance solely from their role in lowering themouse andrat populations. Lack of a guaranteed food supply, internal parasites, and greater physical exertion tends to make these cats thinner than theirhouse cat counterparts, with a shorter lifespan. Others are kept as part-timepets, living both indoors and out, roaming freely, yet allowed inside to be fed supplementalcat food on a regular basis and given routine veterinary care.
Others live outdoors or in outbuildings full-time in semi-feral conditions, but are still tamed to be friendly toward humans and may be given basic veterinary care. All are subject to some risks inherent to outdoor life. Their prey may transmitparasites and disease, they may be injured by various means, and they can be struck by vehicles. Also, farm cats often die from poisoning by eating the corpses of poisoned rodents.Predation is also possible: cats are eaten by raccoons, owls, coyotes, and other animals that prey on creatures of their size.
Some full-time outdoor cats are given cat food by property owners, either to encourage them to stay or due to humane motivations of not wanting thin, hungry, or sick animals on the property. Other property owners deliberately do not feed outside farm cats, in the belief[10] that they will not hunt rodents if they have supplemental food. Without supplementary food, cats will exterminate much of the local rodent population and move on, leaving only a temporary void. However, one concern with providing supplemental outdoor feed is that it can attract skunks, raccoons and other vermin.
Farm cats originate from a variety of sources. Sometimes, farm cat populations are spontaneously established when abandoned or stray animals, uninvited by humans, move into areas where prey is available, such ashaystacks or farm outbuildings that contain stored crops or livestockfodder. In other cases, property owners obtain and release a few cats specifically for rodent control. Some animal shelters have Working Cat or "Barn Buddy"[11][12][13] programs that re-home sterilized feral and semi-feral cats at barns, warehouses, stores, and more.[14] These programs have been growing in popularity in cities like Chicago, where rat problems are common.[15]
If a population of feral adult female farm cats is high enough, a farm cat population can be self-sustaining. The females establish permanent homes in barns or other structures and raise repeated litters. Males may stay around if food is plentiful, though they tend to roam over a wider territory. Farm cat colonies can be subject toinbreeding, as a closed population may mate with one another's siblings, parents, or offspring.Spaying andneutering prevent unwanted litters, overpopulation, and inbreeding. In some cases, feral animals aretrapped, spayed or neutered, then re-released to keep their territory claimed and to prevent new, fertile strays from taking up residence.
If given supplemental food or where rodents are plentiful, losses from predation or disease may be made up by new stray animals moving into the territory. If given no supplemental food, particularly in areas with many predators, farm cat populations may occasionally becomeextirpated if there are few nearby strays and a low breeding population. Predators, accidents, disease, parasites and hunger will all take a toll. More often, especially when supplemental food is provided,overpopulation is common, and losses then occur primarily due to disease or accidents, with predation playing a minor role—all insufficient to make a substantial dent in the population. Where numbers become an issue, some farm cat populations are controlled by shooting, poisoning, or trapping excess numbers.
