Fur real: Georgia program aims to find homes for 'barn cats'

BRUNSWICK, GA - A Georgia county has launched an adoption program for "barn cats," many of whom have lived around area barns with farm animals such as goats and horses.

The goal is to match some of them with human companions.

Glynn County Animal Control recently began the program partly because barn cat programs have seen success in other parts of the country, The Brunswick News reported.

The barn cats don't technically meet the definition of feral cats. And they tend to be less interested in people than other cats, county animal control manager Tiffani Hill said.

But Hill says they don't want the cats to spend the rest of their lives at the shelter just because they don't run up and greet people when potential adopters stop by.

The cats are "not aggressive," Hill said, adding that "they just don't care about people very much."

About a dozen cats live at The Farm at Oatland North on St. Simons Island just off the Georgia coast.

"I guess the main difference between them and a regular ol' house cat is that they're around the other farm animals, and they get along with them, so they're not afraid of the goats or the cows or the horses," said Diana Scarborough, head volunteer at The Farm. "And, they're also not afraid of dogs. They kind of stand their ground, and each of them have their own personalities. We have some that come out and greet all the visitors when they come."

One of the cats at The Farm "stays exclusively in the goat pen," Scarborough said. "She really does like hanging out with the goats, and we don't know why. But, they all have their different areas of the barn that they like to hang out in. And, of course, we do not have a mouse or rodent problem — they take care of that. And, we let them come in and out. We have a room that they can come in and out of, as they want to."

The cats available through the barn cat program from are all spayed and neutered, have their necessary shots and are available for $25.