The term "barn cats" refers to any cats that do not adapt to indoor homes. Sometimes the cats are feral, which means they were born and raised in the wild with little or no human contact. Others are strays, cats that were once domestic but reverted to unsocialized behavior after long periods of surviving on their own. Still others are indoor/outdoor cats. Indoor/ outdoor cats may be friendly but cannot be litter-trained because of medical conditions or other problems. Barn cats need safe, permanent outdoor homes with one or more areas of weather-proof shelter and a continual source of food and clean water. They thrive on rural or semi-rural properties where they can put their natural hunting abilities to good use. Owners of dairy farms, stables and other properties where grain is stored will confirm that cats are a must to avoid rodent infestations! Those that tolerate human companionship also do well in homes where they can spend most of the time outside but can come indoors for food and warmth in severe weather.Read more of our Barn Cat info. Barn or "Feral" Cat adoption Contract.

If for any reason you wish or need to return a cat you've adopted from us, you may do so within two weeks for a full refund of the adoption donation. After that, be it months or years later, if you need to give up your Nine Lives cat or kitten, and you are unable to find a suitable home, you may return him/her to the Nine Lives Foundation. We won't be able to refund the adoption fee, but we will place him/her in a new home. We don't ever want our precious kitties to end up on the streets or at the shelter again!

If at anytime during the lifetime of your cat you find that the cat or kitten you adopted isn't a good fit in your home or life, we will allow you to try another kitty. Our goal is to place the "right" cat in the "right" home, we know that this can take time.

Spay/Neuter surgery, FeLV/FIV testHome Again Micro-chip & registration Age-appropriate vaccines (FVRCP & Rabies)Deworming, a nail trim & exam by our veterinarianA dose of Advantage topical flea treatment A coupon for 20% off any supplies at Pet Food Express

Based on experience we've developed a policy to to adopt all kittens under 6 months out in pairs. Paired kittens are returned much less often and grow into better behaved adults. We also insist that kittens do not leave the same day they are adopted. If you find a kitten that you love, we'll schedule an appointment for you to take your new family member home within a week. Read about why two kittens are better than one.

"Two cats can live as cheaply as one, and their owner has twice as much fun." -- Lloyd Alexander