Save a life—adopt a barn cat today!
Many outdoor, unsocialized cats will never be able to be adopted as pets. Indeed, when brought to a shelter and caged, these outdoor cats may not be able to be handled at all. They may be feral, semi-feral, or just cats who have other behavior issues that make them unsuitable as indoor pets. They are healthy, have had their shots and in return for a safe and comfortable environment, food and water can become a working cat in your barn or warehouse.
The VBAS Barn Cat program was created to give outdoor cats a second chance. Without barn adopters, they have nowhere else to go. If you have a working barn or safe, protected outbuilding, there are cats who need you. Ideal locations include: barns or stables, industrial facilities, residential yards and hotel gardens. Our volunteers will provide you with the procedure for introducing the cat to your environment, answer questions about the process, and deliver the cats to your location.
These cats require minimal care. They must be fed once a day and be provided with a safe refuge to gain protection against the elements and to have a means to escape from natural predators such as coyotes. Barn cats provide a great service as they are a natural deterrent to rats and mice. Adopting a barn cat is also a great solution for people who love cats but cannot have them indoors due to allergies.
We look for “as safe as possible” properties to rehome feral cats. Note: we do not service all areas of Los Angeles, and approval of a property is required prior to adoption.
The adoption process includes FeLV/FIV testing, spay/neuter, microchip, vaccines, and flea treatment. The microchip will be registered to the new adopter and location. This program takes unsocialized or feral cats from the Burbank Animal Shelter that can’t be returned to their familiar environment and places them as working cats.
For more information on adopting barn cats please fill out our interest form here.
Feral Cats
What is a feral cat?
A feral cat is a free-roaming outdoor cat that has never been socialized. Most feral cats live in bonded groups or colonies. They gather where they can find shelter and a reliable food source. As these outdoor cats have never been handled, they cannot be tamed and cannot be adopted into homes. For this reason Feral Cats should never be relinquished to a shelter.
Outdoor cats can live long healthy lives as long as they are managed responsibly. Caretakers should provide basic shelter, food and access to water. In order to control the population of feral cats it is imperative that all cats within a colony be spayed and neutered.
VBAS recommends Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) as the preferred method of managing feral cats.
Spay and Neuter Assistance
Many veterinarians offer reduced rates to rescuers who are willing to trap and release feral cats. We recommend calling the vet clinics in your community to check prices.
The VBAS also highly recommends using the services of the following organizations.
Fix Nation is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the population of feral cats by offering free sterilization for as many cats as possible. Their services are free to feral cats but donations are welcome. An application must be filled out and appointments are by reservation. They are located at 7680 Clybourn Ave, Sun Valley 91352 and can be reached at info@fixnation.org. For more information please visit www.fixnation.org.
SNP LA is a non-profit organization that offers low-cost, high-quality spay/neuter services at various locations throughout California. For more information please visit SNPLA.org or call (310) 574-5555.
Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR)
Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) is a program wherein feral cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered and released back into their territory.
An unaltered female cat left alone to breed can produce two or three litters per year. Each of her offspring in turn can produce two or three litters per year and so on and so on. This cycle results in literally thousands of unwanted kittens in the community.
The only way to control the number of free-roaming cats and to prevent their suffering is to consistently spay and neuter.
Cities that have adopted TNR programs in their communities have seen a noticeable reduction not only in the number of cats in local colonies but also in the number of feral cats being relinquished to shelters.
Cats that have been spayed or neutered live healthier lives. Females are less likely to develop ovarian or uterine cancer; males are less likely to develop testicular cancer. Unaltered males have a tendency to fight during mating season; once neutered the urge to fight is eliminated, preventing injury and infection. Males that have been neutered will also often cease spraying which is a common complaint against feral cats.
Cat Socialization Program
You can learn more about the VBAS’s Cat Socialization Program here, for cats that are not completely feral but are unsure about people and need a little extra help.