This video is why I recommend folks go out and get a barn cat if you got a homestead or a farm. Look, it may be unpleasant to have cats deal with rodents. But as some with a lot of livestock and feed containers, I can tell you that a far worse fate is diseases that rodents spread and them eating and ruining your feed. They also decimate crops. The mere presence of an aggressive hunting barn cat will deter rodents from showing up in the first place.
And whenever they do show up, Smokey just showed you what he does to them. This prevents me from having to spread nasty pesticides. He's one of multiple barn cats that I have. I feed them and they stay on patrol day and night. I also got a black cat inside named Batman and I have a video of him eliminating a mouse that got into my home. I fed Batman well that night.
We are in a situation where you cannot afford to lose too much production or your nice flowers due to certain situations around the world. If having that cat means less rodents show up then they're worth it. Go get a black cat. People tend to avoid black cats but they're just as good as any other cat. Plus being all black means they have better camouflage at night when hunting. I think the all black color is what helps Batman and Smokey be so effective.
Smokey just showed up on my back porch as a kitten. He slipped inside the house as an adult and Batman was chased outside. I do remember two black cats having a fight near the back door a year and a half ago but I had no idea it was Batman and Smokey. So, Batman stayed outside and I assumed it was Smokey. They changed places for like a year so we domesticated Smokey. I know his mom and she's the neighborhood cat who has endless kittens so I know Smokey was absolutely feral.
But he's cool now. He even lets me pick him up. He seems to like it here and his services are very much needed. Never seen a better mouser. I guess when you lived out on the streets, you learn to hunt. He's really good at it. Go out and adopt a black cat just like him.
by Agile_Credit_9760
13 Comments
That’s the problem… they wipe out everything, good bad and otherwise. Cat’s should not be kept outside.
14 barn cats on our ranch. Vetted, Sterilized and all feral rescues. These mighty warriors handle snakes, spiders, vermin and are essential to our operation on our ranch.
We feed them, socialize them, make sure they are healthy.
Awesome. The cat is paying rent.
I got them because mice were digging up and eating my peanuts
I have house cats. I no longer have bugs inside. Haven’t seen a spider in years. Cats do wonders.
I’m a fourth generation farmer. Everyone I’ve ever known kills outdoor cats the same as they do any other predator. The only people that have them are new homesteaders.
If your cats are killing nuisance rodents and not killing songbirds and reptiles that’s great. As a generality though, Felis catus is a major ecological problem as an introduced predator protected by humans.
They get disease and worms and other parasites from being outside. Hawks coyotes snd snakes will attack them too and possibly eat them. It’s 2026 using animals for unsafe environments to work is lazy and sad.
My Shiba would give her a fine challenge
Yes, a void is a great addition to a homestead. Between the owls and my cat, rodents have no choices.
Despite all the trolling and the freak out by people upset at a black person, thanks for the upvotes. I don’t care how many discord groups or sock accounts you bring, you cannot defeat genuine engagement. This sub is for homesteaders. We generally support our own and can see outsiders. Sorry, you failed again trolls lol.
Yea so there hundreds of rodents in and around the farm cat won’t take care of them all just a small percentage and the reproduce rapidly this is a drop in the bucket
Please keep him inside on Halloween and the day before please.