Catching a Barn Cat

7 years ago

We brought home a barn cat about a week ago and during her "acclimation" period (where we were keeping her "cooped" up in the barn for a while until she learned to accept her new home) she escaped and has been roaming around the property for several days now. I caught her in a box trap last night so we could continue her acclimation but when I was trying to get her out of trap she escaped again and took off. My question is will I be able to reset the trap and catch her again or is she now too "smart" for that? Or, will she just be back anyhow and I don't really need to worry about keeping her on lock down or do I just need to get a new cat?

Featured Answer

annztoo

7 years ago

Does she have easy access to the inside of the barn and does she have an area that is warm and protected from the elements once she's in there? If you store hay in the barn that's usually an area cats like to sleep.

Continue putting out food and water inside the barn and also place some food at the entrance to entice her. If she was a feral to start with, you may not see her very often until she has acclimated to you and the barn. Continue to be her source of food and she'll stick around.

How old is she and were you able to handle her before her release? How many days was she actually locked in the barn? It usually doesn't take long for a cat to get used to a barn, as long as there's not dogs or other animals that may be scaring her. Was she feral when you got her? If she was an indoor cat and a previous pet, then she's probably very scared of the new situation.

Don't expect her to spend every moment in the barn. When weather allows she'll be out hunting & exploring the surrounding area. Also, don't assume (like some barn people do) that she'll find all the food she needs by hunting. Continue to feed her and she'll be a happy hunter.

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Comments (7)

Lola Tasmania
7 years ago
I hope she was spayed. If you put food out for her she should come back. Once she associates the barn with food and shelter she should stay. If she doesn't touch the food for a week then she has probably left the area.
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
Original Author
7 years ago
Yes, she was spayed and fully vetted. I have left food and a heated water dish for her in the barn in hopes that she is coming back and maybe we're just not seeing her. It didn't look like she had been in there when I checked today, but I will keep an eye on the food and see if she does come in to eat.
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Lola Tasmania
7 years ago
Cats are smart when it comes to traps. We have feral cats around our place and have never been able to trap anything but very young kittens. Adults can sense it is a trap and keep well away. Our Invasive Species Agency requires us to get rid of feral animals so we have taken to nailing a dead rabbit to the front of a big tree stump to lure cats to where we can shoot them from an upstairs window. A sad but necessary duty.
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
Original Author
7 years ago
Yes, she can get into the barn freely and has a warm safe place in there. we don't "store" hay in there, but I put a thick layer of hay down in the area I was trying to keep her "quarantined" in which I have left open so she can go in and out of there. That's also where the food and water is. The food has been being eaten, but I'm not sure if it's her or the neighbors cat. We have a lot of property but our houses are relatively close together, about 100 yards apart, so I'm sure their cat "explores" our property as well.

I think the shelter picked her up from (through their "working cats" program) said she was about 2 years old. She was fairly social, didn't mind being petted and stuff though, she wasn't too fond of being held. She was locked in the barn for probably 2-3 days before she escaped for for about 4 days and then I caught her again but then she got away from me immediately after that and I haven't seen her since (about 5 days). No other animals around and I don't think she was previously an indoor pet but I don't actually know her "history." We got her through the working cats program, so I'm assuming they are mostly outdoor cats that get picked up by the shelter and who don't do well as house cats. But, like I said she was pretty social.

Yeah, I defiantly intend to keep the food out for her until I find reason not to (such as if I discover it's the neighbor's cat that is the one eating it). But if it is her, I was planning on making sure she had a regular supply of both food and water from the start.

Thanks for your replys!
annztoo
7 years ago
If you have a wildlife camera, set it up to see who's eating the food. There may be a local cat that is preventing her from returning. Also check with the neighbors to see if she's hanging around their property and it's worth asking them if their cat is neutered/spayed. Un-fixed cats can be more aggressive/territorial.

Keep putting the food out in a couple of areas, and at different times, and you may eventually see her.

If she doesn't return, and you get another cat, keep it in an area that you visit frequently and make sure it's not a totally isolated area. Cat's, like any creature, can go bonkers in a solitary enclosure.
Bluebell66
7 years ago
Did the cat ever come back? By the way, it is STRAW that should be used for animal bedding, not hay.