Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi, we just adopted 3 barn cats today - a bonded mother and two daughters that were unsocialized. They have been spayed, microchipped and vaccinated. They are currently in an acclimation cage where they will stay for the next few weeks until they’ve adjusted.  They have a very large crate with an outdoor heated pad, hiding box, straw, food/water and litter box.  They have been hiding in their box all day and refused canned cat food. Any tips for barn cat acclimation would be greatly appreciated!  

You're doing everything right. Time and hunger will bring them out. 

It's only been one day. Give them time/patience.

I had to play a track or noises commonly found in barns to help the barn cats my grandmother wished to acclimate to living in a home. They were tame enough to become house cats but the different sounds and noises from inside a house can add to the stress of acclimating the cats. So we played the soundtrack on low and slowly took the soundtrack away as they started becoming less stressed and more interested in the indoor life. Not all animals react the same. Maybe even having something that is from a barn nearby would help to slowly become less stress to help them acclimate better. 

 They finally ate something yesterday. It's been a learning process for sure. The cardboard box I put in there to be a hiding box wasn't strong enough to support three cats on top.  Neither was the second one, LOL!   Then they dragged the heating pad out of the box.  They still seemed unhappy, so I added 2 shelves to the upper part of the acclimation cage (while they hid out in their hiding box), and moved the cage to where they could see out the window.  That was a big hit with them.  They perch and look out the window now.  They have been overturning their water and food, so tonight I'm adding bowls that attach to the side of the cage so that can't happen.  Today is day 4, and they seem a little less like they are plotting revolt or murder.

#CommunityCatManagement

Sounds like you're doing a good job! Main thing is give them hidey spaces and time :) 

Well, they escaped from their cage last night. I searched and searched and couldn’t find them. Didn’t see cat footprints outside the building, tho. I finally caught a glimpse of two of them through the outbuilding window. I think they are hanging out in the rafters. Should I keep putting food in their cage, or just leave it out?  They have a heated pad in the cage too. Should I put it elsewhere?  ,  

You are on the right track. The cats need time to bond to you and their new home. I would set up a feeding station in the barn with their water and food and provide them with hiding places. Try to be consistent in their care and routine. Yes, keep the heating pad as well. The cage would cause much stress to try and cage them again. If you keep it, leave it with the door open. If you have time, you might want to go to the barn and spend time with the cats and see if they will come out and investigate you. Bring toys, like wands or catnip toys, and canned food as well. It may take a while (weeks or longer!) but the important thing is to provide them with care/shelter and let the cats decide on their relationship with you. 

They are all still in the garage -I've seen all three separately through the garage windows.  No cat footprints outside the building in the fresh snow.  So we are doing well!  Before I realized they were still in the garage, my husband found 2 dead mice in another outbuilding a short distance away.  We assumed the cats got to that building (it's for machinery, and the door is often open), but I was confused as I didn't see any cat tracks.  I left food, water and a litter box in that building overnight.  This morning, the food was gone, and the litter box was used!  Again, no cat footprints anywhere around the building where we are acclimating the three barn cats.  So I'm assuming we have cat #4?  Going to see if I can borrow a live trap from the shelter - it's ok if another cat lives in that building, but it should be spayed / neutered.  

You have to be very careful at this point in time that they do not get outside. Relocation of ferals can be a very long acclimation process. It's best to try and corral them into as small an area as you can. I'm sure you've been scanning the internet for information on relocation so you are aware of what you are up against. Good luck with the new kid, also.

This is an older (think 1930’s) outbuilding that had been turned into a garage - shotgun shack style - you can park one car at either end (the cars would then be facing each other).  The reason we put them in a huge cage is because there is no small area to contain them. We are not using the garage (my husband is thrilled, we get 200” of snow a year here...).  I saw all three Tuesday and 1 yesterday, and no footprints outside the garage, so I’m fairly confident they are contained. The weather is awful outside, so I hope they stay put. I will trap whatever is in the other outbuilding - I also want to make sure it’s not one of the barn cats. The blanket on the heated pad was flattened this am - so at least one of them found their way in there.  And they found the feeding station. They won’t go near the cage again, not even for canned cat food, so not sure how to contain them again.