Barn Cats

Ferral cats and litters of kittens seem to be commonplace on farms. I suppose some folks get a cat or two to help control rodents. And, I also suppose that some folks attract cats because of their rodent problems. We've never had any cats around until about a year ago. The folks building a house on the plot of land next to us seem to have some. Ever since they parked a trailer there to live in while they build, I have spied a couple cats on our property now and then. This irked me, because cats are the single largest predator of songbirds, especially those that nest low, like bluebirds. And as you know from reading this blog, I love birds, and have a soft spot for eastern bluebirds in particular.

Anyway, one morning when tending the animals, Lily, our goat, acted strangely. I opened the stall door inside the barn and instead of cantering out as usual, she stayed in a corner of her stall and acted fearful. I poked around her stall and saw nothing amiss. So I went over to the stanchion and dropped a handful of feed into the food tray, as usual. She didn't come. That was a first. So I wandered back out into the barn, thinking and observing.

Eventually, I heard a soft mew. Cats! Upon investigation, I discovered six gray kittens. The goat was terrified of them! When the kittens ran into the far corner of the barn, unsure of me, Lily saw her chance. She bolted outside as quickly as she could and didn't touch her feed.

This went on for a day or two. I even had to forcibly push Lily into her stall at night. Things were coming to a climax. My oldest son and I discussed trapping and rehoming them. We decided to wait until my husband returned from his business trip before taking any action. He came home and gave the things some water and asked on FB if anyone needed a kitten! 

So, I started looking into free spay and neuter clinics, thinking that they'd stay after all. They were, admittedly, cute, and two of my kids liked them too. Then one morning all of the kittens were gone. I'm not sure if the fox got them one night, or if the mother came and carried them off one by one upon learning that our barn was trafficked more than she liked. Personally, due to my being allergic, the goat's terror of her, the damage they would do to the bird population, and the hassle they would cause, I was relieved. 

Interestingly enough, our old goat, Annie, gentle creature that she was, detested cats. On the few occasions she was exposed to them, she butted and rammed them. She chased them and stamped! This was so very unlike her nature, she who patiently let the kids torment her. We were always astounded and mildly amused, and had assumed that she had had the bad experience in the past of being pestered by a cat when she was in milk or something. But perhaps it's a common trait in goats. I'll have to investigate this theory.