Feline Guardians of the Farm

Trixie

At Matanah Meadows, cats are more than just beloved companions; they are crucial to maintaining a healthy and balanced ecosystem. While rodents are a natural part of the environment, they can damage crops, contaminate food sources, and spread diseases, posing challenges to farming. Our cats, with their innate hunting skills, serve as natural predators, keeping the rodent population under control. By utilizing cats in this way, we protect our produce, animal feed and infrastructure and eliminate reliance on artificial pest control methods, thereby maintaining the ecological integrity of our farm. Going beyond their officially designated role in rodent control, our cats have become the indisputable Farm ambassadors to all youngsters that visit here at Matanah Meadows!

Meet Garfield

Garfield, our orange tabby cat is definitely the chosen mascot of the farm! With a presence that radiates confidence and charm, Garfield regally meets all guests as they arrive. Whether he's basking in the sun or patrolling his territory, Garfield's suave demeanor captivate all who visit, creating a lasting memory in the hearts of many. From time to time, he also tries to sweet talk guests into letting him in the big guest house so he can sleep on a sofa. Guests, if you find him using all the charm he can muster to gain entry, please refrain from indulging him; some guests have cat allergies, and he certainly will leave his mark behind! He also has the curious habit of randomly showing off to guests his hunting prowess and leaving “gifts” of rodent bits and pieces at various doors. If you ever come across such a gift, take pride in the fact that you have been chosen as a guest of honor! At the end of the day, if guest’s children can remember only one name, they will most assuredly remember Garfield!

Follow the lead of our faithful felines and explore and engage in the Farm’s variety of activities!

FAQs

  • We have five cats. Three that are siblings that we have had since they were bottle babies, one that we resuced from a feral situation and the 5th is purely an indoor house companion.

  • No, Misty, the fat cat isn’t pregnant. We believe she has a hormonal imbalance. She seems quite happy and content and so we leave her be to enjoy the good life.

  • The cats hunt mice, rats, meadow voles, baby rabbits, lizards and small birds.

  • At first, the cats might like to, but they soon learn to stay well away from any mama hen or duck. Those mamas are so fiercely protective that the cats would fear for their lives if they came too close for comfort!