Do you have cats in your barn? You should. Cats are cute and fuzzy. They get along with many other types of animals (except for the ones that they prey on, of course) and are extremely independent. If you haven’t considered adding a few rescue cats to your barn, then you definitely should. Here are seven benefits to having them around.
1) They Make Great Companions
According to some historians, early cats domesticated themselves. Why? Because they figured out that humans would take care of them. They’ve been great companions ever since. Yes, cats don’t come when they’re called and they tend to do their own thing all of the time, but they crave human attention and affection. They’ll follow you around in order to get head pats and spend time making you love them. The same is true of all of the other creatures in your barn – with the exception of mice, those animals will love your cats as well. It’s just what they do.
2) They’ll Take Care of Your Rat and Mice Problem (Pest Control)
Mice cluster in barns. There are endless things for them to nibble on and plenty of corners and cubbyholes to hide out in. The only issue is that they’ll destroy things that you need, and possibly spook your horses as well. You’ll need to deal with those mice. This is where your cats come in. They’ll scare off any mice in the vicinity, and outright kill the ones that are still lurking around. Your cats will work hard in order to earn their keep and your love. Rats and mice can contaminate your food storage and spread disease. Poisoning pests can be counter-productive by inadvertently poisoning their predators like owls, trapping them can be costly and difficult. But for a cat, hunting and killing rodents is combining business with pleasure. And aside from the rodents that are killed, the smell of a cat will make any rodent think twice about setting up shop.
Related Article: Cats as Pest Control on the Homestead
3) Cats Are Endlessly Entertaining
How often do you sit and watch a cat play? They’re pretty independent, so you just need to give them something to swat at, like a piece of string, and possibly some catnip toys. They’ll entertain you and everyone else around with those two things. On top of that, if you have more than one cat, you’ll find them wrestling and playing with each other. There’s nothing with that either unless they’re actively hurting each other. (Then you’ll have to put a stop to it.)
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4) Everyone Loves Cats
Really, who doesn’t love cats? With the exception of those who are allergic to them, cats work their magic on anyone. You can’t stay mad at a cat since they’ll just look at you with their big eyes and cute whiskers. They’ll rub against your legs and start to purr, and then flop over on their sides for some head scratchings. Cats are infinitely loveable. They’ll bring together people on your homestead who have spent years disliking each other.
5) They Have Economic Benefits
There are some economic benefits to having cats around. For one, they’ll keep your pests at bay. You won’t have to hire an exterminator for creatures like mice or insects, because the cats will take care of them. This alone will make it worth having a fleet of cats around.
6) Cats Will Eat Bugs
Cats are great at catching bugs. They enjoy stalking any type of prey. As long as it’s moving, they’ll chase it. This includes flies, ants, spiders, and more. They’ll take care of just about any type of creepy crawly thing.
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7) They’re Very Low Maintenance
How low maintenance are cats? The answer is simple: they’ll take care of themselves. You just have to supply a little cat food, some clean water, a litter box (or something like one, if they’re kept outdoors), and they’re happy. You won’t have to do much, other than supply a few tummy rubs now and then if your cat’s into that sort of thing.
