BELLEVILLE – Belleville Area Humane Society (BAHS) has turned to the online dating forum for farmers called FarmersOnly.com in hopes of helping find their beloved barn cats outdoor spaces in which to thrive. BAHS barn cats each have their own profile on FarmersOnly.com so that users of the site who are looking for love may find a new feline companion as well.
BAHS sometimes pulls cats from animal welfare partners that aren’t suitable for placement to domestic homes due to lifestyle challenges. For example, take a look at lovable Oshi, a cat that can’t live happily in a home. He needs a lot of stimulation that sadly another cat friend and a family can’t provide. The other cat and the family are always on the receiving end of his hunting instinct which makes domestic bliss a challenge. After trying some behavior modification, medications, sprays, herbal remedies, and everything they could think of, BAHS has decided the best course of action for Oshi is to send him to an outdoor environment. Oshi is a great cat. There is no need for him to be euthanized. The community just needs to be more creative. Now Oshi lives on a farm where he is a farm favorite. He greets the people coming to ride their horses, catches mice to keep his horse friends’ food clean, and protects his farm colony friends with pride.
Oshi has inspired Belleville Area Humane Society to create a community program to help cats just like Oshi. These special cats thrive in outdoor living spaces such as barns, sheds, or outbuildings. In animal welfare, these cats are referred to as barn cats or working cats. Barn cats may be shy and reserved but are experienced mousers and can be an asset to keeping barns/outdoor spaces mice free. All barn cats need is an outdoor space for shelter, two meals a day, clean water, and lots of mice to catch.
BAHS Feline Placement Counselor, Melissa Janes, says “Barn cats are vital to many outdoor spaces in order to keep mice and other harmful critters away. Barn cats need more enrichment than can be provided by an indoor living environment. That is why these cats are perfect for mousing jobs in barns and outdoor spaces. We are hoping to find them their perfect homes through FarmersOnly.com!”
All barn cats that are placed out by BAHS are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccinations, microchipped, dewormed, and on flea/tick preventative. If you or someone you know is looking to add a barn cat to their outdoor space, please contact BAHS at 618-235-3712.
About Belleville Area Humane Society (BAHS): The Belleville Area Humane Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has been serving St. Clair County, Illinois for over 61 years. Homeless animals in our community are valued, cared for, and treated with compassion. Funded 100% through donor support, BAHS strives to improve the lives of homeless animals in our community through foster, adoption, humane education, and community outreach. Services provided include: affordable spay/neuter options, low cost vaccine and microchip clinics, emergency veterinary assistance, and a monthly pet food pantry. To learn more, please visit www.bahspets.org.
