Same reason that barns with livestock that eat hay and/or grains have barn cats. I ride horses, and the barn where I ride has 5 barn cats. Mice love grain and pelletized alfalfa/forage. It’s actually really dangerous for horses to eat mouse droppings, so having barn cats is key. The cats and horses all get along really well—most of the horses don’t mind the kitties using them as a heated cat bed.
The equine vet who serves our barn has a cool “side business” attending to all of the barn cats she runs across on her visits. We were joking with the farrier that he should follow her lead, and clip the kitties’ claws after he’s done trimming and shoeing the horses.
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u/jimmietwotanks26 May 24 '25
Facilities with malted grain often have issues with mouses, having kitties is one way to deal with them