# Thoughts on Farm Cats?



## ahorseandadog (14 December 2015)

Thinking of rehousing some ferals from the nearby shelter as farm cats. What are you experiences on this matter? My mare has become a bit spooky recently and I am worried that some cats running around could unsettle her even more.


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## Orca (14 December 2015)

To be honest, our terriers were far more effective ratters than our cats, if that's what you want cats for? I guess it depends on the cat (and the terriers)!

Your horse being nervy shouldn't be a reason to not get one, in my opinion. The more exposure the better. If you want to rehome some, go for it &#55357;&#56842;.


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## MotherOfChickens (14 December 2015)

I have no vermin problems, even given the ducks and poultry I keep due to my rather awesome cat  The horses do regard him with some suspicion but I expect its a predator thing, frankly to cat sometimes looks as though he could take me down lol. The more horses are exposed to the better imo.


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## AdorableAlice (14 December 2015)

The horse needs to get over himself, the more he sees the better.

Farm cats are great, ours keep the vermin down and are very friendly.  It worries me to see Tiddly Piddly curled up in the straw alongside a big horse but they are great mates.


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## thewonderhorse (14 December 2015)

They are great but need somewhere warm and dry to sleep and need feeding and worming too. They will need keeping in a locked secure barn or stable or massive cage for a couple of weeks until they are settled. xx


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## Wimbles (14 December 2015)

They need to be neutered!  There is far too many at the yard where I am and lots of them are in extremely poor health and I would suspect that there is a lot of interbreeding!


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## thewonderhorse (14 December 2015)

Wimbles said:



			They need to be neutered!  There is far too many at the yard where I am and lots of them are in extremely poor health and I would suspect that there is a lot of interbreeding!
		
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Definitely agree


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## ILuvCowparsely (14 December 2015)

ahorseandadog said:



			Thinking of rehousing some ferals from the nearby shelter as farm cats. What are you experiences on this matter? My mare has become a bit spooky recently and I am worried that some cats running around could unsettle her even more.
		
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Go for it -  get a couple and you should see them decline.  Also you will be doing a huge service for feral cats which find  it hard to find new homes at stables or farms.   These homes don't come up very often for them.


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## ILuvCowparsely (14 December 2015)

Wimbles said:



			They need to be neutered!  There is far too many at the yard where I am and lots of them are in extremely poor health and I would suspect that there is a lot of interbreeding!
		
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If they come from a shelter they will be neutered.


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## ahorseandadog (15 December 2015)

Wimbles said:



			They need to be neutered!  There is far too many at the yard where I am and lots of them are in extremely poor health and I would suspect that there is a lot of interbreeding!
		
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I would definitely neuter them, don't worry.


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## HashRouge (15 December 2015)

ahorseandadog said:



			I would definitely neuter them, don't worry. 

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Any self-respecting rescue will already have neutered them before putting them up for rehoming.


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## Charlie007 (15 December 2015)

We got two ferral cats about 5 years ago. Cats protection league gave us vouchers to get them neutered.  We don't see much vermin as another two cats have also moved in!!! We find the cats in different places such as the hay mangers and also in thecstraw in the horses beds. The horses have never been bothered by them.


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## Pen (19 December 2015)

We are getting 2 feral type cats from Cats Protection on Tuesday due to the squirrel problem I posted about previously so will let you know how we get on.  Spent today fixing them up a pen in the byre but hope they don't have to spend too long in there.  Squirrel damage has escalated alarmingly in last few days but we still have no idea how they are getting in.  They have been chewing into supplement tubs - I'm bringing my most expensive supp(£70) into the house for safety.


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