Working Cats Program

We are proud to offer our new working cat program! Our working cat program places feral and semi-feral cats in barns, warehouses, farms, and other businesses where they can serve as natural pest control. These cats thrive in outdoor or semi-outdoor environments and are often happiest in roles that don’t require direct human interaction. Through this program, we carefully match cats with businesses or farms needing rodent control, providing them with a safe, purposeful home where they can live independently while helping keep pest populations down. Each working cat receives medical care and is acclimated to their new environment, ensuring a successful and mutually beneficial placement. Here is some more info about the cats, what they need in terms of care, and the process of adopting.

• All working cats come spayed/neutered, current on vaccinations, microchipped, and ear-tipped.

• The cats require access to shelter in a building or structure like a barn, shed, stable, kennel/catio, or garage in an area where they will be safe. Ideally, this should be the same shelter/area where they are initially housed during their acclimation period. They should be contained in this temporary area for a minimum of 8 weeks. If their acclimation period is cut short, there is a greater risk they will try to return to their old colony and get lost.

• Daily food and water must be provided, as well as any future medical care needed to the best of your ability. While there is a myth that cats can survive on solely hunting prey, it does not provide all of the vitamins and nutrients they require. Healthy cats make the best hunters!

• If your application is approved, BMAR will contact you as soon as a working cat is available and in need of placement. A staff member or volunteer will bring your cat(s) on the scheduled date and help set up their new acclimation area. If you have a color, age, or gender preference, we will do our best to accommodate you, though, we are not able to make any promises!

• We strongly encourage working cat applicants to consider adopting 2+ working cats together. They tend to do better in groups and enjoy each others company.

• If the cat becomes ill or injured and you cannot afford medical care, every attempt must be made to at least capture/trap the cat and contact a vet/BMAR. We have several recommendations for veterinarians who work with feral cats. If for any reason your working cat is not working out, please reach out and we can help come up with a solution. We are committed to helping these cats find and stay in a forever home.

Cats are placed in our working cat program for a variety of reasons. Many are feral or unsocialized cats, simply because they were born outdoors, and never had the opportunity for human contact. But with enough time and patience, many of these feral/unsocialized cats absolutely can become friendly and social, especially our teen kittens, under 6 months of age. BMAR does not always have enough foster homes to socialize these kittens, and once they get past a few months of age, they are more likely to become/stay feral if no human interaction is given early enough.

While feral cats are protected in Arizona, sometimes they can find themselves in dangerous situations and need someplace quiet to retire. Again, many are just not accustomed to indoor life, if they had been outdoors all their lives. 

The youngest cats in the Working Cat Program are approximately four months old. BMAR will not adopt younger kittens as working cats, as they do not yet have the knowledge, size, or skills to remain safe outdoors. Most cats in the working cat program are young adults between one and five years of age, although we do have younger and older cats available occasionally. 

To help your new working cat(s) settle in, we provide a starter kit designed to make the transition smooth and stress-free. This kit includes an adoption packet with medical history and microchip info, a cozy wire crate (upon request), food and water bowls, a litter box, a generous supply of food, litter, and detailed instructions on creating a comfortable acclimation space. By keeping the cat(s) contained in a secure area for the first 8 weeks, they have time to adapt to their new environment and recognize it as home, increasing the likelihood that they’ll stay and thrive in their new role.

If you can open your home (and property) to give a working cat a chance, please fill out the adoption application today!