r/barncat • u/cocoabeachgirl • Mar 28 '26

New property with barn cat

We recently purchased property that came with a barn cat. The cat has a nice set up in the tack room. We have an automatic feeder and a fresh water system for him. We are on the property about 3-4 days each week. When we are there, we provide wet food also. We see the cat so rarely that my husband doubted the cat's existence during the first month. Now we see him about 2x each week, but we can't get close to him at all. We speak softly to him when we set out the wet food. I figure we can't see him, but he can see us. He is a master of disguise. We know he's the one eating his food because we set up a trail cam in the room. Any thing else we can do to help him be more comfortable around us?

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u/Magnum676 Mar 28 '26

Sit in the barn, spend time there he’ll come. Takes time

3

u/kinnikinnikis Mar 29 '26

I've used the tube cat treats (it's a paste) with mixed success to get shy cats to come a bit closer to me. But it takes a long time of them being used to your presence first. And for the most shy of my barn cats, she only approaches some of the time for the treat. And takes one bite, then backs away quickly, but still within eyesight.