How to give access to barn cats but not predators?

[LolaChick]

Have a great predator proof setup right now. Smallish barn (8 by 8) plus extended, attached run (12 by 24). Would really love to have two barn cats as part of a feral rehoming project. (I know that feral cats are a debatable predator in and of themselves, let's ignore that part here please.) How do you give your barn cats access to the barn and run to come and go as they please without giving the same access to predators? If I mount cat doors high up, open only during day time, there are daytime predators that will get in still, right? People that have barn cats, how do you lock up the coop from predators? What works? I currently don't let the chickens free range unmonitored because we have foxes in the area. They go out twice a day with babysitters but the rest of the time they are locked up to go in between run and barn as they wish. A cat door open during the day would let something in, right? Moreso that what I do now.... ideas....?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Have a great predator proof setup right now. Smallish barn (8 by 8) plus extended, attached run (12 by 24). Would really love to have two barn cats as part of a feral rehoming project. (I know that feral cats are a debatable predator in and of themselves, let's ignore that part here please.) How do you give your barn cats access to the barn and run to come and go as they please without giving the same access to predators? If I mount cat doors high up, open only during day time, there are daytime predators that will get in still, right? People that have barn cats, how do you lock up the coop from predators? What works? I currently don't let the chickens free range unmonitored because we have foxes in the area. They go out twice a day with babysitters but the rest of the time they are locked up to go in between run and barn as they wish. A cat door open during the day would let something in, right? Moreso that what I do now.... ideas....?

The simple answer is there is no way to allow cats to pass into/out of the enclosure and not allow predators to do the same. That does not mean, though, that you can't benefit from barn cats. The benefit of the cats is they will provide control of pests around the coop/run and keep them from becoming an issue *in* the coop/run. A simple cat shelter structure will be more than sufficient for them outside of the enclosure.

 

[123RedBeard]

I'm a truck driver ... One company I drove for had RFID chips on the trucks, it would activate the terminals entry gates, also the drive through truck and trailer wash ...

Maybe there are some RFID collars that the cats could wear, which would allow entry through a cat door?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I'm a truck driver ... One company I drove for had RFID chips on the trucks, it would activate the terminals entry gates, also the drive through truck and trailer wash ...

Maybe there are some RFID collars that the cats could wear, which would allow entry through a cat door?

Interesting point - there have been studies done using collars with chips on pigs to control access to feed.

 

[Folly's place]

I think that there is a cat door with a control collar worn by the pet; can't remember who made it, but maybe a google search will turn something up. Mary

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I know lowes has one for dogs that has the chip They might have a cat one