Barn Buddy Program

Got Mice??…  Get a Barn Buddy?

Sometimes HEART rescues cats that, for various reasons, cannot live as indoor companion pets. These cats become part of our Barn Buddy Program and are in desperate need of a home on a farm, horse stable, warehouse, or other suitable outdoor location. Cats in our Barn Buddy Program have no other options. This program offers them a chance at a safe life that is best for them.

Candidates in our Barn Buddy Program include:

• Friendly cats with litter-box issues, making them unsuitable for house life
• Friendly cats who are too independent or too high energy, making their house behavior unsuitable
• Friendly cats that have spent their life outdoors and can’t adapt to indoor life
• Semi-feral adults too shy and fearful of people who much prefer the company of other cats and animals
• Feral cats who must be relocated due to the unsafe nature of their original areas

We consider our Barn Buddies to be “outside pets”. They ARE NOT just turned loose to live off the land. These cats will depend on you for basic care for their overall health. Their welfare is our foremost consideration and we work hard to find qualified barn homes for Barn Buddy cats. We consider the adoption of a Barn Buddy to be a life-long commitment of time, affection, and responsibility.

Prior to any adoption an adoption application is required. A HEART volunteer will inspect the proposed location to ensure it will provide a safe and suitable environment. There is no adoption fee but a donation is requested. All Barn Buddies go to their homes spayed or neutered, have been tested for FIV and feline leukemia, and are current on rabies and distemper vaccinations.

Barn Buddies must be adopted during the spring, summer or early fall so they have sufficient time to develop the extra layers of fat and fur needed for outdoor life during the winter. We will place a Barn Buddy in the winter months only under the proper circumstances (for example, if the barn is heated).

We ask that you take two or more Barn Buddies because they provide each other with companionship and snuggle together to keep warm. Placing two or more cats together helps to ensure a successful transition. Having lived as members of a colony, they really need the company of other cats – this will help them accept their new home. If you already have other barn cats, don’t worry. They will gradually become acquainted with each other during the initial confinement period, so your other cats won’t regard them as strangers when they are finally released.