Barn Cat

Taibhse (barn cat) has adapted well to living in my barn. He/she/it uses the litterbox exclusively. Eats and drinks well. Starting to lose its fear of me. It walked around the upstairs of the barn while I was up there on Saturday. Yesterday it sat under the shelf and watched me as I cleaned the box and fed/watered. It did not shrink away when it saw that I saw it. Just sat there bold as can be. Looks good for me to be able to eventually approach and maybe even fully tame it.
Will need to catch it again to take it to the vet to get fixed, chipped and shots.
 
Taibhse came out and ate while I was 5' away and talking to him tonight. Went back under the shelf when I got up and moved towards him, but did not freak out and did let me within 2' of him.
 

RoseRed

American Beauty
PREMO Member
Taibhse came out and ate while I was 5' away and talking to him tonight. Went back under the shelf when I got up and moved towards him, but did not freak out and did let me within 2' of him.

How is this pronounced?
 

b23hqb

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
Let the wild cat go. Let it be what it was destined to be - a feral cat, on it's own.

Other than that, deal with the consequences of destructive cat-dom.
 

Katelin

one day the dark will end
Touch..the beginning of building a bridge called Trust!!!


Happy for you Hunter!!! :huggy:
 
Taibhse (barn cat) came running to the top of the steps when I went into the barn. This was a HUGE change. Normally he sits under the shelf and meows till I feed him and sit down. This time he met me then walked about 2' in front of me to his food bowl, and waited while I filled it. He then let me pet him the entire time he ate. I even picked him up, put him in my lap, petted him and put him back down at the bowl and he did not run, bite, claw or in any way try to get away. He even stopped eating and followed me to the steps when I went to leave.

Now to see if he does it again tonight...
 

DQ2B

Active Member
Careful, last time I did this I ended up with a barn cat that was under my feet every step I took in the barn!:lmao:
 

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
Taibhse (barn cat) came running to the top of the steps when I went into the barn. This was a HUGE change. Normally he sits under the shelf and meows till I feed him and sit down. This time he met me then walked about 2' in front of me to his food bowl, and waited while I filled it. He then let me pet him the entire time he ate. I even picked him up, put him in my lap, petted him and put him back down at the bowl and he did not run, bite, claw or in any way try to get away. He even stopped eating and followed me to the steps when I went to leave.

Now to see if he does it again tonight...

wow on the handling! great!
 

MMDad

Lem Putt
Let the wild cat go. Let it be what it was destined to be - a feral cat, on it's own.

Other than that, deal with the consequences of destructive cat-dom.

It wa destined to be a domesticated animal. Letting it run free as a feral makes it an invasive species that kills native species.

Huntr1 is doing the right thing since he is working toward getting it fixed so it cannot further contribute to the feral problem.
 

Katelin

one day the dark will end
Taibhse (barn cat) came running to the top of the steps when I went into the barn. This was a HUGE change. Normally he sits under the shelf and meows till I feed him and sit down. This time he met me then walked about 2' in front of me to his food bowl, and waited while I filled it. He then let me pet him the entire time he ate. I even picked him up, put him in my lap, petted him and put him back down at the bowl and he did not run, bite, claw or in any way try to get away. He even stopped eating and followed me to the steps when I went to leave.

Now to see if he does it again tonight...

Building trust takes time and you are doing a great job!!! :yahoo:
Keep up the good work!!!
Bravo Zulu!:buddies:
 
Taibhse was a happy camper living in the barn until his human (Boy #1) went to work at summer camp all summer and then the temporary humans (Boy #2 and Girl #1) went on family vacation for 10 days. Yes, plenty of food and water was left for him. Sometime in the week after we returned, he decided to move out of the barn while Boy #1 was tending to his food/water/litter box. This was the first week of school.

We had seen him off and on ever since. But in the last 2 weeks, we are seeing him every day, and he's been walking closer and closer to the house. So Sunday I decided to put a bowl of food on the back steps for him. Yesterday, wife went in the kitchen, startled Taibhse while he ate on the back steps, causing him to totally freak out, knock the bowl of food on the ground and then fall off the steps. Would have loved to see a video. I refilled the bowl last night and put it back on the steps, but further back on the platform, so that it hopefully won't get knocked off. This left it maybe 3' from the back door.

This morning he was back to eat again. Remington (10 year old cat) was sitting at the sliding glass door alternating between hissing/carrying on at the door and taking his frustrations out on Smudge (5 year old cat) when he would come to see what all the commotion was about.

Once I get him used to coming to us for food, I will trap him again and take him and get him fixed. Will probably end up back in the yard, but at least then he won't help make any more cats.
 
Top