Program Details

Thank you for your interest in adopting Working Cats! Most of the cats that we have available for the Working Cat Program are usually a bit shy or undersocialized with people. They are still used to having regular caregivers including daily food/water, but may not always be very social with people.

Since some cats don't do well at the shelter, it's not uncommon for cats to become more social with their caregivers outside of this environment, but it will be hard to predict whether they will become more social when they are adopted. We usually recommend adopting in pairs or more (unless there are already barn cats present on the property)for companionship. We do occasionally have more social cats or single cats for the program if that's what you're looking for, but it just depends on the cats we have available at the time. Please click below for more information on caring for your working cat!

We also ask that the cats be confined for 2-4 weeks in the barn or outbuilding where they will primarily be residing before releasing them so they will be more likely to stay on the property once fully released. If your garage can close completely, they can be loose inside during the acclimation period. Otherwise, if you open/close large overhead doors for regular use or there are gaps near doors or windows and wouldn't be able to prevent escape, we would recommend confining in large dog crates inside the outbuilding during the acclimation period.

Once the cats are released to be indoors/outdoors, it will be important(especially in the winter)for them to have 24/7 access to the outbuilding for shelter. If your outbuilding does close completely and cannot leave the door cracked all the time for them to come/go, we would recommend installing a cat door. Please click below for more information on acclimating your working cat to its new home!