← Dogs and cats on the homestead
H32-04 · Module 4 of 7 · Pages: 18 · Worksheets: 6
Cats for rodent control
How many cats a barn and feed store need, how to settle them in, feed, neuter and protect them, and how to keep them from endangering stock, poultry and people
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Whole series: Dogs and cats on the homestead, €39
In short
- A cat is a help, not a replacement for closed bins, tidiness and box traps (H56-04 Rodent control without poison).
- For a barn, feed store and hayloft, 1–3 neutered cats are enough.
- Feed the cat every day in the same place: a well-fed cat still hunts, a hungry one leaves.
- Neutering at 4–6 months is the most important measure. One unneutered queen can have 2–3 litters a year.
- Keep cat faeces away from hay, grain and the vegetable garden: toxoplasmosis is dangerous to sheep, goats and pregnant women.
- No rodent poison where a cat hunts: a poisoned mouse poisons the cat too.
What's inside
Chapters
- What a cat can and can't do
- What kind of cat and where from
- How many cats and where
- Arrival and settling in
- Feeding
- Shelter and places for cats
- Neutering and controlling numbers
- Health of a barn cat
- Cats, stock and hygiene
- The cat in rodent control
- Common mistakes
- Printable checklist
Worksheets
- Kitten dates
- Cat colony record
- Observation log
- Food and cost calculator
- Barn and yard sketch
- A year with cats
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