APA! Barn Cats Join the Force

Mar 27, 2014

Bridging the gap between the “unadoptable” and the “so adoptable that they’re being sought out,” APA!’s Barn Cat program is doing big things in the name of no-kill.

So big in fact that the police called in to investigate.

Don’t worry, though, the investigation was a positive thing: they wanted to make three of our barn cats official police animals.

APA!’s Barn Cat program is an inventive solution to finding homes for poorly socialized cats. Rather than placing these cats in a typical home environment, APA! places hundreds of spayed or neutered barn cats each year in a rural outdoor home, such as a barn, stable, garage or warehouse. This placement is win-win: the cat has access to food, water, shelter and the stimulation of “critter hunting” and the adopter has an innovative solution to any vermin or rodent problems.



The Austin Police Mounted Patrol had just the right setting for such a kitty. In fact, after retiring their 21-year-old cat,  they chose to add three new APA! Barn Cats to the team.

Introducing the newest additions to the force: Lily, Mama and Sophie.

A few of Austin’s finest gave these three a warm welcome to the stable yesterday. Lily, Mama and Sophie are expected to settle in to the stable quickly and ultimately thrive in the indoor/outdoor setting the Patrol is providing.

This isn’t the only Barn Cat success story we’ve seen so far this year. Our barn cats have served as invaluable rodent control in the Bastrop area following the September 2011 wildfires. You can read more on that here or check out the interview with program manager, Monica Frenden, here.

We wish Lily, Mama and Sophie the best of luck in their next big adventure.