Turning a house cat into a barn cat

[Pocket_Pony]

Mr. PoPo and I are moving and we have four cats, all of whom we got from the shelter where we volunteered. One of the cats was very feral when we got him and we turned him into a housecat, but a reluctant housecat who would much rather be outside. He gets picked on by the other cats and pretty much never leaves our bedroom. Our new barn has a heated tack room and lots of room to roam around. Our house is set back from the road and is surrounded by other acreage (5-20-40 acres) properties.

I’m fairly sure this cat would prefer to live outside. He used to be an indoor/outdoor cat until my dogs chased him outside and we put an end to that by having him in. The way our new place is set up, if he’s a barn cat he won’t run into the dogs as they have a fenced area around the house.

Has anyone done this, and what would be the procedure? My friend says that he’d have to be crated in the barn for a few weeks and fed in the crate with his litter box in there, too. I have a big dog crate that could be used for that so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Obviously I know the dangers to him of being a barn cat, the most likely being predation. Trying to weigh the pros and cons of having a cat who will pee on the carpet because he’s not happy being inside vs. letting him live out at the barn with a shorter life span.

[heronponie]

Crating him for a few weeks will probably just piss off the cat…

I’d put him in the tack room for one or two nights. Feed him in there a couple of times and he’ll know where he needs to be. I have 2 former housecats in my barn, we never locked them up at all and they adjusted just fine. They are sooo much happier out there.

[Pennywell_Bay]

@Pocket Pony;8053301

Has anyone done this, and what would be the procedure? My friend says that he’d have to be crated in the barn for a few weeks and fed in the crate with his litter box in there, too. I have a big dog crate that could be used for that so it shouldn’t be a problem.

This is also has rescues advise when you adopt one that allows barn cats. I have done it with a cage with the above set up, advancing to loose in tack room to now letting her out and putting her in at night. It can be done and sometimes they are just happier.

[RhythmNCruise]

I just booted mine out when I’d had enough of his peeing everywhere but his litter box. He’s hardly feral though, probably the friendliest and most laid back cat I’ve ever known (and one of the fattest). He’s so much happier outside. He doesn’t go anywhere, is always in/near the barn, in the tack room, or on my front porch. I have an old female cat who is the sole survivor of a litter of kittens that was born here 15 years ago when I bought the place, and she and the other cat begrudgingly tolerate each others’ presence. I’ve attempted to bring her inside and she’s not having it.
As long as he knows where he’s getting fed, he’ll probably be fine. Cats love barns.

[clanter]

around here coyotes love barn cats, it is either the coyotes or the owls that seem to have and on-going bet to see who can get the cats first

[ShotenStar]

I’ve done it successfully with an older cat who lost his home situation. As suggested above, we crated him in the barn for a few weeks, then opened the crate and let him wander about. The first several times I had him out of the crate, I did put a harness and leash on him … if he panicked and bolted, I wanted to have control (or as much as you can with a cat.) He adapted very well and putters between the house and the barn.

star

[rockymouse]

OP, I’d put the cat in the tack room (not in a crate) and close it in for five to seven days/nights, with food and a litter box and maybe a pillowcase or blanket from your bedroom, since you said he stays there mostly now. Visit him there at his new place.
After about a week I’d let it out into the greater barn with the tack room door propped open for in and out. Of course, this depends on the set up of your barn. I might let him out sooner, depending on his level of confidence.
I bet he’ll stick around and I bet he’ll really like it. We’ve had barn cats that lived about a decade in our/around our barn, so you could have him quite awhile yet.

[jherold]

I routinely take unadoptable shelter cats and make them barn cats. I usually just crate them for a few days to a week and feed them canned food when I feed the horses so they get used to my voice. Last year, I moved 5. 4 moved successfully, as in a month later they were still in the barn. As of yesterday, 3 are still alive and running around the barn. The ages ranged from 6 months to 6 yrs. (One got hit by a car and had to be put down). Those are not bad odds for my barn!

Since yours already knows you as the source of food, I’d put him in a dog crate in the barn for a day or so and feed him when you go to the barn to feed the horses. He’ll probably adjust just fine.

[LauraKY]

I always crate them for at least a week, then keep them in the tack room for another week. It’s never worked out well for non ferals turned barn cats though.

My ferals turned barn cats now come inside at night because they were getting into too many fights with the other passing through ferals.

[merrygoround]

Barn cats get fed in the tack room at night, Tack room is heated, door is closed, cats are in. Cats go out days. Occasionally they forget to come in but are usually there for their meal. The coyotes can look elsewhere for dinner.

[HealingHeart]

I agree to set him up in the tack room with his food, litter, water etc…, plus a bed or blanket he knows & likes…, even a old chair that he knows…, when u are at the barn, let him out with you…, a pet door into/out of tack room would be great too… Perhaps mount it higher than ground level & ad a shelf to land to enter& leave… A safety setup for him…, also, he might benefit from another cat after he adjust…

[Pocket_Pony]

Thanks for all these helpful suggestions. I know he’d be happier outside so I want to make it as safe and comfortable for him as possible. I’ll give some of these suggestions a try!

[HungarianHippo]

Given that this guy is already attached to your place as “home”, I don’t think you need a very long confinement period. I’d probably just do tackroom for a week and that’s that.

[Pocket_Pony]

[QUOTE=HungarianHippo;8054858]
Given that this guy is already attached to your place as “home”, I don’t think you need a very long confinement period. I’d probably just do tackroom for a week and that’s that.[/QUOTE]

We’re moving to a new place so the new place isn’t home yet, that’s why I was asking about a confinement period. I don’t want him to think we just dumped him.

[Watermark_Farm]

I did it with an 8 year old female who was just so awful in the house. Started fights and peed. Made her into a barn cat, best decision ever. She is happier and so am I (and the other three cats).

In a new place, borrow or buy one of those big cat cages, the ones with hammocks and shelves to lay on. Start out with kitty in the cage, then out into the tackroom at night. Then eventually let him out for short periods during the day, then back in the tack room at night. And so on.

[Mischievous]

Most cats that I have moved to the barn have loved it. Just show him where his food and water is, and make sure he is able to get to a warm safe place to cuddle up and sleep, and he will be fine.

[StGermain]

My two boy cats are barn cats by choice. They know where the house is, they both started out there. One will sometimes come in for a week or two, but gets fed up with the dogs and the house cats and takes himself back to the barn. The other never comes up to the house now, although he meets me every night in the dry lot that adjoins my backyard. He can see the house, just doesn’t want to live there. They’ve managed like this for the last few years. They’re fed nightly and are still very friendly, flopping down to be petted as we walk to the barn.

StG