About Our Working Cat Program

Our Working Cat Program is designed to create a mutually beneficial partnership for at-risk cats and humans needing rodent control.  “At-risk cats” may include feral or under-socialized cats, house-soiling cats, etc.  Please note that the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter does not adopt out cats as working cats if they are suitable to be household companions.

While we commonly refer to these at-risk cats as “working cats” or “barn cats”, we don’t limit our adoptions to just barns!  Our working cats are ideal residents for all kinds of locations such as barns, stables, warehouses, shops, arenas, breweries, garden centers, chicken runs, etc.  While they may not make ideal house cats, they can make for great mousers!  

 

Adoption and Care

All working cats are fully vetted, including being spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ear-tipped.  

Individuals interested in adopting working cats must be able to provide the following:

  • Shelter in a barn, garage, outbuilding, etc. 
  • Daily food and water (cats cannot survive on mice alone).
  • Long term veterinary care.
  • A secure place to keep the cat(s) confined for the first two weeks while they acclimate to their new home.  YVAS can offer adopters a large kennel for this transitional period if needed.  

There are no adoption fees for working cats, but YVAS does ask for a donation to help cover the cats’ veterinary care, including sterilization and vaccinations.

If you would like to adopt a working cat, please fill out one of our Adoption Applications.   

After completing your application, you can bring it to the shelter or email it to our Feline Leads at feline@yvas.org. For a limited time, we are also offering free delivery of Working Cats to approved homes within a one-hour radius of Billings!   

Adopting Working Cats

Working Cats