When Waxahachie area residents need to call in the big guns against their rat problem, they turn to Barn Cats Incorporated.
Serious rodent problems call for serious methods of control, and for many Waxahachie area residents, that means calling in the help of Dallas-based non-profit, Barn Cats Incorporated.
Since 2003, the feral cat rescue organization has put more than 9,000 cats to work in barns, sheds, garages, warehouses and even big box chain retail stores throughout North Texas where the predators engage in a mission of search and destroy wherever rats and mice have reached infestation levels, providing a level of eradication that trounces the control techniques of even the best pest control experts.
Peggy Atkerson, founder and executive director of Barn Cats Incorporated, says she started the organization as a simple way to solve two problems: first, the fact that almost every cat that enters a city animal shelter is killed, and second, the fact that rodents infest any structure that’s simply too big to completely seal off from the outdoors.
“There seemed to be a need in the community for feral cats as they were being euthanized at city shelters. And they have a job to do in the country: cut down on the rats and the mice, rodents, etc. So we decided to take them from the city, spay and neuter them of course, and then find them a place to live in the country,” Peggy says.
Despite their resemblance to ordinary house cats, these feline predators are distinct in that they’re all street-smart feral cats that have already proven that they can survive on their own. They’re wary of humans and intent to catch and kill the prey they find wherever they’re placed. When it comes to rodent control, these are the professionals.
As proof of their effectiveness, Peggy says she was called by the management of a store that’s part of the two big box home improvement chains that have locations in almost every city in and around Dallas. The store had been paying through the nose to get a pest control company to try to get a handle on a rat problem that plagued the retailer, but little progress had been made.
“And so they put out all kinds of traps and different things. And the rats just ignored them, basically … but they were paying $1,000 a month for rodent control. And we took care of that with three or four cats,” she says proudly.
Peggy says there’s no charge for the cats. Recipients of her service agree to give the cats shelter, basic care and supplemental food — and most of all a place to fulfill their life’s mission. Donations are welcome, but not mandatory.
Peggy says the group has placed countless cats in Waxahachie, Ennis, Midlothian, Palmer and the surrounding area and that the past year has seen an increase in rodents, and therefore her organization has had a jump in calls.
Because the organization has been working for nearly 20 years, which is about twice as long as the average cat’s lifespan, Peggy says some of her initial clients have started to call back and ask for a second round of pest control staff. The typical placement for the cats is in a barn, a horse stable or even just a garage. Warehouses have also taken cats, as have some retail stores. To date, the cats have done their work without a reported casualty among non-targeted animals.
“We’ve had no reports of any cats attacking chickens or any other animals. So, it’s a pretty good way to resolve your rodent issue,” she says.
The success of her organization has also gained interest around the world as cat rescue organizations seek to replicate her work elsewhere. Peggy has written a book, Got Rats? We Have Cats. Starting a Barn Cats Program available through Amazon that offers guidance from her years of experience to anyone who wants to establish a feral cat placement organization where they live.
Despite the success of the organization and how well the cats perform as pest control techniques, Peggy says the mission of Barn Cats Incorporated remains centered on one thing: the cats.
“We’re out here to save lives,” she says.
There are several feral cats in our small residential neighborhood. We specifically see on momma kitty who we’d love to catch for spaying. We caught one of her kittens, who is now a beloved house cat. He had Covid is and several different worms as a very small kitten, so we know momma must be in terrible condition too. Do you provide safe cages so we could catch her? I thoroughly believe she would love a job as one of your barn cats!