County shelter launches barn cat program

A new batch of spirited posters will soon adorn the walls of local veterinary clinics and feed stores. “Mice and rats driving you bats? Rodent rangers for hire,” the posters tout. These advertisements for “critter ridders” are part of the Flathead County Animal Shelter’s new “Barn Cat” program, which is ramping up in 2018.

Based on several successful programs throughout the country, the Flathead’s barn cat program acts as a matchmaking service between cats in need of winter shelter and structures requiring some rodent control. The program was developed informally in late 2017 when Flathead County Animal Shelter director Cliff Bennett began canvassing the valley for large structures open to receiving a free, healthy outdoor cat.

“A lot of people don’t realize that there’s not a cat ordinance for Flathead County, yet we still take in almost 500 cats every year,” said Bennett. He said the shelter has been overwhelmed with stray cats in the past.

Handling stray cats who are not socialized with humans can be dangerous and complicated; the shelter has a vet on staff just two days a week and sometimes one staff member is left to manage 70 cats alone.

At the same time, there are several barns, warehouses, breweries and other large structures in the valley that could benefit from a personal rodent-catcher.

“This has been only one part of the stray cat market that we’ve not been able to lend a lot of help on just because it’s not safe to handle cats that aren’t socialized around people. And this is an attempt to fill that niche,” said Bennett.

Bennett began the program by personally identifying potential structures and calling owners to discuss adopting a barn cat — an outdoor, “free-roaming” feline who can’t be held by humans. Participating barns would receive a free cat that is already spayed or neutered and vaccinated by the shelter, saving new owners hundreds of dollars in veterinary costs upfront.

Bennett is hoping to build a more robust barn list so that homes are in place before stray outdoor cats reach the shelter. Under the current system, 13 cats were “homed” in 2017. Bennett said he hopes to resettle 40 cats this year, but that depends on the number of structures that sign up.

One of the program’s strengths is that everybody wins, Bennett said. “Free-roaming” cats, who prefer to be outdoors and thrive “even in winters worse than the Flathead,” find a suitable home.

Barns, breweries and other structures receive free and healthy rodent control, as long as they promise to provide a heated space and water. And the animal shelter isn’t forced to euthanize cats that are too dangerous to handle.

“We’re not turning our back on (barn cats),” Bennett explained, “but we need to find them an appropriate home.”

Bennett said that he has found great support for the program so far, though he is looking forward to spreading awareness.

“It’s a challenge, starting from scratch, but people are enthusiastic to help,” he said.

For more information or to sign up for the program, call 752-1310.

Reporter Adrian Horton can be reached at ahorton@dailyinterlake.com or at 758-4439.