Mr. Zwickel is a working cat placed with Saltfire Brewing by Best Friends Animal Society. Photo: Best Friends
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah-based animal activist group is looking for a few good businesses who could use a “working cat.”
Best Friends Animal Society announced Wednesday it’s seeking homes for dozens of so-called outdoor working cats; “non-social community cats” who “aren’t eligible for indoor placement,” according to a news release.
Rather than the average tame tabby house cat, community cats, also sometimes known as feral cats, “are ideal residents for stables, barns, backyards and warehouses, as they are excellent natural rodent deterrents,” Best Friends spokeswoman Temma Martin wrote.
She dispelled the notion of community cats as unsuited for adoption.
“Although working cats are not social, they don’t bite or scratch unless they feel cornered or provoked,” Martin wrote. “Just give them their space and they will be great community members for you. They often run from humans and keep to themselves, although they may warm up to their caregivers once they are comfortable.
The agency offers free adoption of outdoor working cats in groups of three or more. They come spayed or neutered with up-to-date vaccinations and a clean bill of health, Martin wrote. Business or homeowners looking for a working cat would need to provide food, water, shelter and veterinary care.
Best Friends also has some indoor business cats available. These are cats that need a warm indoor environment and are more friendly or social.
You can learn more about the community cat program at Best Friends here and view working cats available for placement here.