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You may have heard of working dogs. There are many breeds that were born to work and love their jobs. Border Collies are a breed that doesn’t just love to work they need to. They are ranch hands, herding dogs. They are amazingly gentle with their charges but protective and brutal with predators. German Shepherds and Doberman Pinchers are known for being great guard dogs. And there are a whole lot more.
But what about cats? Cats aren’t bread for work, but they are better for any barn than an exterminator. Ever notice that breweries, farms, and many factories have cats living in or near them. Anywhere there is food, or food stuffs, like the raw hops and barley used to make beer, you are bound to find vermin. What better way to keep vermin out of your stored food, than to hire a cat?
Many cats who have grown accustomed to fending for themselves and don’t want to be trapped in a house or another building where they are not completely comfortable. Our friend Shanna the feral cat lived outside in a well heated doghouse in the winter and on the porch the rest of the year. She killed many a varmint who might have thought our house would be a good place to hang out.
Many cities have encouraged cat colonies to help keep their towns clean of rats and mice and other small rodents. These cats live on the streets, but they are not left to their own devices. Every successful colony has someone feeding them and making sure they are healthy. We need cats to help keep us from getting diseases like the plague which still exists in some parts of the world.
Recently cats have been hired for other types of jobs. There are several police departments who have support cats on staff. Cats are being adopted by retirement home to comfort the residents, and some places even have guard cats. Classroom are employing cats to provide judgement free audiences for new readers. Cats can also make great greeters.
Here’s the thing. Needing working cats is not an excuse to throw your unwanted litters on the street, or not get your cat spayed or neutered. There are organizations that work specifically to match cats to people and places that need a friendly exterminator.
