MyCatBreeds
Known also as the Barn Cat, this domestic cat is of a mixed breed. The very name ‘farm cat’ is referring to a general kind of cat that lives in an almost wild state on farms and agricultural properties.
Possibly, their role in keeping rodents at bay was how they came about – domesticated to keep rodents away from grain crops.
When you do research you find that there is archeological evidence to suggests that these farm cats have been around since about 7500 BC. Most barn cats fall under the domestic shorthair or domestic longhair categories.
These cats live in a variety of conditions and some of them get their food solely from the rodents they catch. Others are tame with access to supplemental cat food as well as veterinary care.
Farms cats are also members of domestic cats but it’s just that they are usually not socialized and they run away from people.
Farm cats have different histories and there is really no one-size-fits-all description of them.
They can weigh anything from 2 to 8kg. They can live to be anything between 10 and 20 years of age. Some of them are large, some small, some are solid colored while others are bi-colored and patterned. Their coats differ too and you can find short- and long-haired varieties among your farm cats
Their eyes and ears will also be in any shades and sizes and these cats are usually not spayed or neutered and can produce kittens that nobody is sure how they’ll turn out.
If you were to stumble across a farm cat born of unknown parents, there is no knowing what the small feline will behave like. Socialization and lifestyle play a big role in determining how a kitten will turn out but farm cats left to their own devices could be quiet, aggressive, loving, naughty, reticent, reserved, playful, lazy, shy or nervous.
Farm cats are such wonderful animals – they just need a good chance in life like other domestic cats.
Many of them have had a hard life and it can be marvelous to open your home and heart to one or two of them and see the pleasure they bring.
They’re full of character and if you provide them with good food and a warm bed and promise to love them, you’ll no doubt be starting a solid and meaningful friendship that can enhance your life.
Farm cats left to fend for themselves can suffer from a host of illnesses. Eye infections are one. The cause of these eye infections is usually a virus, of which herpes, chlamydia, and Calicivirus are the most common.
Your vet will certainly prescribe you some antibiotics for your kitten to help against secondary infections.
Check your farm kitten over as he is likely to have a nose full of snot as well and may even be sneezing. Take the kitten to the vet who can give him a good once-over and put him on the road to recovery.
Barn cats or farm cats are not likely to have been neutered or spayed and they are just adding to the overpopulation of farm cats that can become feral cats.
The average fertile cat can produce three litters every year, and with as many as 6 kittens in a litter, you can imagine how a small colony of cats can get out of control.
Sometimes cat rescue programs do a steri-drive and spay and neuter cats like this to curb the numbers. Of course, spaying and neutering can prevent many diseases as well.
If you have farm cats that have been spayed or neutered, provide them with good food and water. You can put out wet, canned cat food or dry kibble – they’ll be so pleased as most times these cats don’t even know where their next meal will come from.
You see them drinking out of puddles of water. Unfortunately, these pools are often filled with contaminants and this can also make the cats sick.
Every cat just wants a soft, warm place to sleep, and if you can, provide some warm dry hay for these farm cats. Even a cardboard box can be a haven for a cat that has never known a bed.
If you have managed to catch a farm cat kitten and you want to offer it a home, make sure to start off with veterinary care and vaccines.