How to Acclimate Barn Cats at Your Stable

Even with all the complications of our barn build, we decided that we wanted to start acquiring some barn cats! We recently “adopted” an indoor/outdoor cat named Miyuki (now Lola) from a local family that could no longer care for her. So we thought we’d share what we are doing with Lola to help you learn how to acclimate barns cats to your stable!

Initial Set Up

Before we were able to go and pick up Lola, we had to some initial set up. Typically you want to place the set up where the cat will be living, but since our barn is still in progress, we decided to set up in the garage.

I had read a lot of resources that said we would need a crate but I was initially hesitant as I didn’t want her to feel cramped. I ended up purchasing a 4x4x6 outdoor dog kennel to give her plenty of room to settle in.

We had a cat tower that our indoor cats no longer use due to their age (17 and 18 years old!) and placed that in one corner of the kennel. The litter box went in the lower corner and we set up a water fountain and food bowl in the opposite corner. We wanted to provide Lola with all the basic needs without making her new environment too overwhelming.

Acclimation Tips

When we first brought Lola in, we made sure that all doors and windows were closed and simply opened her carrier in the kennel to let her come out on her own time. She was quite scared and flighty, and who can blame her? As far as she knows, she was just abducted by strangers.

We made sure to ask her previous owner what food she was eating since sudden dietary changes can be very harmful to cats. Lola is currently eating Purina One Complete but will be slowly transitioned to wet food as needed. Of course, once she is able to go outside, she will get to have many more mice in her diet!

At first, we made sure to just sit next to the kennel and talk to Lola to get her used to the sound of our voices and our presence. She mainly stayed at the top of her tower and for a while refused to take her eyes off of us. But with patience and kindness, she has come around to be a really friendly cat who enjoys playing with us.

You never want to force yourself on your new barn cat or rush them into going outside. Cats can take one to two months to acclimate to a new environment. Lola has been with us for two weeks now and still has a ways to go just being comfortable in her surroundings in the garage.

Lola and her roommate – he doesn’t talk much

Veterinary Care

Lola, like many potential barn cats, is not spayed and has never had any vaccinations (for reference, she is 2). We have an appointment set up for her in the coming weeks (our veterinarian is unfortunately booked out pretty far) to get vaccinated and have her spay scheduled.

Typically, barn cats should be vaccinated for rabies, feline panleukopenia virus, feline rhinotracheitis virus, feline calicivirus and feline leukemia. Even though these cats are outdoor cats, they still deserve and need regular veterinary care to keep them happy and healthy.

After handling your unvaccinated cats, always wash your hands (especially if you have other cats).

Looking Ahead

In the coming weeks, we are hoping to acquire two much more unhandled cats from our local humane society. This process will be a little different as these cats will be all set to go medically but will take much more time to socialize. It is a super exciting opportunity and we will of course keep you guys updated to our progress and process.