I got kittens y’all. And I have a VERY intentional purpose for them. There are too many mice in my garage/basement/car. (Yes, they get into the car. I wish I were joking.) It’s just a normal thing all country folk deal with, but I’m getting tired of it.
SO, when my Aunt told me she had 11 feral kittens to rehome soon my mental wheels started turning.
I tried to get kittens years ago and my old dog took out my favorite one, so I gave the rest to my sister and now she has 8 cats.
The my brother adopted a kitten and she wasn’t long for this world. Then I had a cat, Barnaby, for a few months and he moved to the neighbors house where the lady cats live.
So… here’s my plan. THESE kittens hate me. I had blood dripping from my arm yesterday to prove it. I am keeping them in a small pen that is staked to the ground and has a “lid”. They are in the yard under the shade of a tree. The chickens can free range around them and the dog can sniff them through the fence without getting too curious. I can reach in and pet them/feed them without issues. (Though only one of the four hasn’t tried to eat my hand.)
After a couple weeks I will start letting them explore. I want them to trust me enough to come to me for food and know they are safe, but not trust me so much that they try to come in the house or into the garage. (Eventually I will let them in the garage to hunt for mice, but when they’re tiny enough to crawl up into my car engine I want them outside.)
These cats have a job. That is to rid the farm of vermin. I have multiple outbuildings they can hole up in, protection from predators (and a giant dog). In a perfect world they would be best friends with my Bernese Mountain Dog mix because he would love some friends beyond the chickens. (He really liked Barnaby the cat.)
After one escape attempt, blood (on my end) and 100 zip ties they have survived (and dare I say thrived) one night so far. Here’s to many more!
*Names pending.*
Redheaded Jill 
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