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HappyH

(299 posts)
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 10:44 AM Tuesday

A family of feral cats are living in my tractor shed.

Not really pets, but a very good thing. Mom cat had been hanging around the yard for a few weeks. Last week I went into the shed and found it was infested with kittens! I have been giving them some kitty crunchies and keeping fresh water there. It’s a tough neighborhood for feral cats but I am hopeful a few will stick around and move into my barn.

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A family of feral cats are living in my tractor shed. (Original Post) HappyH Tuesday OP
Is there any way to get them trapped and neutered? Ocelot II Tuesday #1
Nowhere near a city here. HappyH Tuesday #2
Excellent! Farms always need cats. Ocelot II Tuesday #3
I know they neuter the adult cats HappyH Tuesday #6
If you can afford it, please get some canned food too, especially in this heat for a mom. JMCKUSICK Tuesday #4
On the grocery list HappyH Tuesday #5
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, thank you HappyH JMCKUSICK Tuesday #7

Ocelot II

(131,890 posts)
1. Is there any way to get them trapped and neutered?
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 10:47 AM
Tuesday

Some cities have TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) programs for feral cat colonies. Too many feral cats = too many feral kittens with short, unhappy lives.

HappyH

(299 posts)
2. Nowhere near a city here.
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 10:58 AM
Tuesday

But there is a group that relocates feral cats as they are a great thing to have on a working farm. I have been in touch and they are interested but want the kittens to be about 5 or 6 weeks old first. They do neuter the cats and provide heart worm meds before relocating them. Next week they will attempt to catch at least 3 of the kittens. There is a beautiful grey one that I would like to live in my barn.

Ocelot II

(131,890 posts)
3. Excellent! Farms always need cats.
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 11:04 AM
Tuesday

The reason I inquired about neutering was because I knew someone who had a farm with a bunch of cats, and there was this one tomcat who completely dominated the colony and eventually they were so inbred that the kittens had a lot of birth defects and weren't surviving. It's good to know that there are folks who will neuter the kittens before finding farms for them.

HappyH

(299 posts)
6. I know they neuter the adult cats
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 12:53 PM
Tuesday

Not positive what they do with the kittens. I would think the small ones would be harder to operate on and people that want kittens I think more want a pet than a barn cat.
By next week I might be able to catch mom cat. If I can I’ll get her neutered cause I don’t want a slew of cats. She and the pretty grey kitten can be my barn cats.


Edit: cleared an auto spell mis spelling

JMCKUSICK

(6,913 posts)
4. If you can afford it, please get some canned food too, especially in this heat for a mom.
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 12:34 PM
Tuesday

HappyH

(299 posts)
5. On the grocery list
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 12:48 PM
Tuesday

Along with chicken, they all enjoyed the leftover grilled chicken tender this weekend.

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