Barn Cat Buddies, Inc.

When I was in the vets office for the final time, these ladies reached out to me with understanding and comfort. They said they would help me find a new cat when I was ready. It gave me hope to go on and heal after my elderly cat had passed on.

They have helped us so much with a few strays on our property. They paid to have them fixed and vaccinated and we released them back on the property!

I love what they do! I try to donate food weekly at my vets office as they always help when asked.
I texted a picture one evening of a stray cat w kittens living in a drain to ask if they could help and they were already working the situation.

The people that run BCB truly give from the heart - and they have BIG hearts! I have witnessed them work tirelessly for the sake of the animals - in both the swealtering summer heat and the freezing cold of winter.

Every donated penny goes to the betterment of the animals. Often times they take money from their own pockets to make up any shortfall.

Their focus is on the cats and it is a labor of love.

They are an amazing group of people!

I have been volunteering with Barn Cat Buddies now for 4 1/2 years. I started with them because of the over population of cats/kittens in my small community. Since starting I have been blessed by their support, by spaying & neutering over 700 cats. Not only do they spay & neuter these kitties, but they have found homes for hundreds, thousands of homeless cats. I could not do what I do without their support. They do NOT receive a salary. All they get is the satisfaction of a job well done! They/I love what we do.

Barn Cat Buddies is an awesome nonprofit organization. They have saved the lives of so many cats that would have otherwise been euthanized or left behind to fend for themselves. All cats, friendly, semi friendly or feral, deserve a chance and it is their mission to give them that chance.

I'm the manager for the City of Salem Animal Shelter and I must say how appreciative we are of the Barn Cat Buddies Program. They do such a great service for our feline friends! They really do go above and beyond to do what they can. Love them to pieces!!

My wife operates a small furniture store in downtown Rocky Mount. With that location comes a collection of neighborhood, community, feral and domestic cats. Barn Cat Buddies has provided assistance by providing traps, transporting animals, finding placement opportunities for cats, facilitating spay/neuter services, and offering medical services to injured or diseased cats, significantly improving their quality of life. The volunteers of Barn Cat Buddies have always gone above and beyond, treating the animals with great care and enthusiasm. They have been impressive in their commitment to animal health and happiness, and we are pleased to be able to continue working with them!

Very dedicated group who work hard and get good results in helping to better the lives of ferrel, stray or hard to home kitties. The group does a lot with meager funds. Staff are caring and dedicated. They work well with other community animal rescue agencies.

A great organization that helps often forgotten and neglected part of our communities. Thanks for all that you do!

Excellent organization geared towards getting barn kitties placed safely.

This is a great nonprofit. They care deeply for all cats!

This organization is a great asset to our community. Always willing to help our community cats and residents. Wonderful people

This organization has been working hard for the last decade to reduce/stop the population of cats, they have vetted and saved the lives of many cats, helped feed homeless cats and re homed many cats. This small group of volunteers works endlessly to make a difference and they are doing it!!! I am proud to be a volunteer !!!

I can not say enough good things about the great work these people do! They are truly there for the animals and caregivers!

I cannot say enough good things about this program and their volunteers. When I had questions about trapping cats in my area, Barn Cat Buddies were patient and encouraging with me helping me with something I had no experience with. They loaned me traps and sheet covers and explained the process to me in a simple way that assuaged my fears.
What would we do without this program in SW Virginia?

We have 5 cats from barn cat buddies and couldn't be happier. When getting the cats the process was super easy. Working with the coordinators was a breeze and they were always available when we had questions and concerns. The cats are amazing! We have a small farm and they mingle well with the pigs, goats, chickens and even the wild birds that we feed. We are thankful for this organization and the services that they provide!

When our older cat passed away, our other cat was crying and distressed for two weeks before my husband agreed to adopt another! But once the decision was made, I called Diane of BCB, because I knew she knew how to match us with just the right pet. We adopted a sweet tortoiseshell cat who had originally been in a feral colony but she was tame--had obviously just been abandoned. She was exactly what Diane had promised and we had warm hearts knowing we could provide a permanent home for such a deserving animal. We had a bit of a mix up in initial paperwork but Diane went above the call of duty to make sure the cat we adopted had been tested free of kitty diseases and fully vaccinated. This group fills a niche that many animal groups ignore and I recommend them highly. I am a past president of a Humane society and spent thirty years in animal rescue but was retired due to health reasons when we adopted Baby Lisa. She has brought a lot of joy in to our lives. This group helps cats who come from situations where many property owners would just kill them! We are so glad this didn't happen to our sweetie because BCB stepped up.

I have been a donor to Barn Cat Buddies for several years and have always been impressed by their dedication to and their love of the cats they help. They have guided me through my own search for a lost kitten and through a difficult adoption. Not only do they help the community's cats, but they also support their members/volunteers/donors on a personal level. I could not be more pleased to be involved with this organization and more proud of the work they accomplish every year!

This is a great organization. They make sure there are no more kittens born out in the wild. They find homes on farms where they earn their keep catching mice & rats. I highly recommend this group for this money!!

Barn Cat Buddies fills a huge need for community cats in our area. They are great to work with and take tremendous care to make certain that their adopters have a positive experience and that their cats find appropriate placement. Top Notch organization.

Barn Cat Buddies has fine, dedicated volunteers. This is my favorite animal welfare group. A bunch of hardworking and tireless people of the best kind.

I am a local veterinarian and will often be presented with a "disaster". With a disaster you call everyone you know to try to save cats which are in a hoarding situation. Recently I was involved with a hoarding situation that involved over 90 cats in a home. I contacted any rescue since I was told there was a deadline 3 business days before these cats would be "removed" by animal control. Diane Novak with Barn Cat Buddies was instrumental in helping me find other rescues and in helping me with the 34 cats/kittens I did not expect to have, but an emergent situation on a Sunday. She also assured me she would help me find placement for all of these cats and I would not get "stuck"--at my house-- cats have to be indoors because of cat killing dogs in the neighborhood and coyotes--I did not want my numbers to turn from 6 to 40 but did not want to see anyone die. The ninety cats that were saved in part from Barn Cat Buddies which absorbed the nonadoptable cats saved these cats from a horrible situation and certain death!!

My husband and I noticed a young cat staying in our backyard during
the day and sometimes at night. We attempted to approach him.
However, as soon as he saw us, he would run away. We contacted Barn Cat Buddies and Toni told us what to do. We safely trapped him and brought him to Angels of Assisi. He has been neutered and medically checked out.

Because, of Toni and Barn Cat Buddies, this young cat has the best chance at having a very good future.

Please remember to donate what you can. There are many expenses. Every penny counts.

We have been volunteering with Barn Cat Buddies for 6 years and have been very impressed with the organization.
They do a tremendous service helping community cats in our rural counties of Virginia.

Sarah and Rick

Barn Cat Buddies is a animal loving charity that is trying to ease the suffering of homeless cats and kittens in Southwestern Virginia. In my experience with them, they have always shown love and care for homeless cats in need of loving homes and also, for their well being.

Please consider them when making donations if you love animals. They are reputable and honest. I appreciate their work and glad for the cats of Southwestern Virginia that they are here.

They helped me with several cat colonies living at dangerously busy Truck Stops! Helped me get them spayed/neutered/rabies. They also subsidized the surgery for 2 different kittens that needed a leg amputated. Not enough words to say about them and their PEOPLE....all the most caring you'll ever meet!

Great organization! Very helpful in placing barn cats in the appropriate homes....people nice to work with, easy to contact and communicate with. We love our barn cats and they were are great mousers!

Barn Cat Buddies has been a wonderful resource for me over the years several times. I have assisted a lady that feeds a colony of feral cats, and I am the one who has trapped and neutered/spayed them, Barn Cat Buddies has helped me with answering questions and assisting where they can. I also helped an elderly lady that had fed and befriended a feral cat that was at her apartment complex, she had worked up to being able to pet and pick the cat up, but she was not able to keep it due to rental agreement, Barn Cat Buddies helped to place this kitty, and this meant the world to this elderly lady and her husband to know that their "special friend" found a home and was being cared for. And seeing this meant the world to me. This organization is Awesome !!!!

A rescuer myself, I have worked with Barn Cat Buddies many times over the years. They are always willing to help find homes for "Barn Cats", give valuable advice on how to trap the ones that never want to be gotten, help with good info about low cost spay and neuter and many other things. Our community would be a much poorer place with this outstanding organization.

When we purchased a 100 year old farm, mice ran across our path at every turn. Thanks to the 4 adopted cats from Barn Cat Buddies we never see mice around. They brought cages to help get the cats oriented and were very helpful!

We have been so blessed to have found Barn Cat Buddies! Our horse barn was over-populated with sparrows. They were messing in the horses' feed dishes and on the hay. We were hoping that possibly a couple of barn cats would help convince the birds to move out. We wanted friendly cats because I had a riding lesson program with lots of kids who would want to pet and hold the cats. Barn Cat Buddies found us just the right cats! "Fred Astray" and "Pounder" have exceeded our expectations! They are the sweetest cats and when they met they became best friends! Their presence in our barn has caused the birds to move out! They love to be petted, held and even carried around by some of the kids and Pounder offers everyone the chance to give him a belly rub within 10 seconds of meeting him! They both came neutered and healthy and I love them both so much! They will always be a part of our farm family. Thank you Barn Cat Buddies for these two special kitties and for all you do!

Barn Cat Buddies helped me trap, neuter and return a feral family I had been feeding. I could not have done this alone, and their support and knowledge was amazing!
Carolyn , Roanoke, VA

AWESOME group!!! Fill a very necessary need in the community.

I do not even know where to start about this group. In a word....FANTASTIC!! So helpful and caring. So thankful to have a group like them in our midst! The assistance they provide is invaluable and makes such a measurable difference in the lives of the feral cats in not only their community but surrounding communities as well. Thanks for being there, and for caring!!

I would like to thank a wonderful organization that I have followed for several years now. Barn Cat Buddies is a Godsend to our local and surrounding area!Last year I adopted a beautiful Burmese mix kit from BCB. It seems that her "owners" had moved and left this adorable cat in the apartment. I applied for and adopted her. She is a very loving addition to my family. I also have an impromptu feral cat group on my back deck. About 6 weeks ago I noticed a new member. He stuck out because he has this LARGE lump hanging down from his belly. I named him "Max". He looked neutered to me and he was VERY friendly and lovable. After weeks of trying to find his owner, I decided to contact BCB to see if they could help him. I agreed to foster him if he could have access to medical attention for his belly lump. They graciously agreed and I made him an appointment. Imagine my surprise when the Vet told me that "Max" is "Maxine"!! Turned out Maxine had an umbellical cord hernia and show signs of being with babies, though not certain. I was told if she hadn't gotten medical attention, and she was pregnant, it would have been fatal to her. She will be my foster cat until her furever home can be found. I want to let everyone know the great things BCB does in saving so many lives. There hard work and dedication gives many, many cats a much better quality of life that would have miserable if these folks hadn't helped. It takes an army to save so many lives and I want to thank them for helping in this situation with "Maxine" and all that they do!! Vicki Keyser Roanoke, VA

Toula, a lovely tortoise shell female cat, "adopted" us during the summer of 2013. Our Vet estimates that she is currently about 3 or 4 years old. She has been spayed, microchipped, and under regular veterinary care as soon as we were able to physically lure her into her kitty carrier. Now she allows us to pick her up and take her into the mobile clinic when our Vet arrives to care for our animals.

She was a feral cat who we began to feed, and after about 3 months of feeding her and talking to her from a distance, she finally was able to trust us enough to let us get close to her and finally to pet her. Though we have MUCH experience rescuing dogs, Toula is our first experience with a cat. Now you would never know she was a feral cat because she is so affectionate to humans who visit our home and 8 acre property.

She lives primarily outdoors, which is her preference, but she is fed and has climate controlled shelter and a soft bed in my 16 x 16 studio for voice and fine art. We have never brought her inside our main home because first she demonstrates little interest in this, and second, my husband is allergic to cats and probably would not be able to tolerate having her live with us indoors. Toula is very happy here on "her" land where she feels safe and comfortable, and we are so pleased that she has been rehabilitated to trust humans and even our three dogs who hang out with Toula and myself when I am working in my studio.

Because of a recent job situation we are very quickly relocating to Charleston, SC. in September 2015, and after much discussion with people in feral cat rescue, including the knowledgeable staff and volunteers with Barn Cat Buddies, we have decided that it will be best for Toula if she is able to stay on our property, after we move, in the care of the new owner or resident. We have several trusted friends and colleagues interested in buying our home, and if one of them is able to purchase it, we would ensure that they agree to allow Toula to stay where she is safe and happy. Until that time, we have arranged for our neighbors to continue to care and feed Toula after we move and while our home is still on the market.

However, we do not want Toula to fall through the cracks as we rapidly make this transition. Our three dogs are of course coming with us, and if we have no other alternative, we will return for Toula as well. But she would need to stay in a garage and would not be able to roam freely as she does now. We will no longer be in a rural area, and there will be alligators in the water ways near by. She would not be able to stay inside our home because of my husband's allergies. We do not feel it is best for Toula to have to live in our garage when she has been used to having so much freedom and independence. We also do not have the experience to try to transition her to living completely indoors.

If she cannot stay here on our property after we move, what would be ideal would be for an experienced cat person to help her transition to an indoor/outdoor home where she is safe and comfortable and has plenty of independence. She is a very good hunter, so she would be a real asset on a rural property.

So, we have been in touch primarily with Dianne from Barn Cat Buddies to help us find a back up plan for Toula in case we are not able to arrange for her to stay here on our property under the care of a trusted friend/colleague who has purchased our home. We greatly appreciate all of her expertise and compassion as we have had to make the very difficult decision to try to find a new home for Toula. It is wonderful to know that we are not alone in this, and that there are volunteers who care waiting to help us with Toula in whatever way they can. Barn Cat Buddies is a wonderful group to support.

Barn Cat Buddies are buddies to both the felines and humans in our community in Franklin County, VA. They provide great info and referrals. They find homes for kitties whenever possible. They have the biggest hearts and always do the best that they can. Kristina M.

I have watched this non profit make a difference for feral and friendly cats over the years and have never had a platform to sing their praises. These folks not only "talk the talk, but they walk the walk". What most don't realize is that people as well as animals are equally served through this all volunteer organization. Wish I could give them 10 stars. My respect for them is off the charts.

TNR works! This organization works to spay/neuter feral or undersocialized cats thus dramatically decreasing the feral cat population. They also rescue from local pounds, giving adult cats and kittens a chance of finding a home. The cooperation with local veterinarians allows the community another option for low cost spay/neuter.

Barn cat buddies is one of the best bunch of volunteers. They actually do care about the animals.

I can't say enough good things about Barn Cat Buddies! I adopted my wonderful FIV+ kitty from them after they saved him from a local shelter. He has the best personality and I am so grateful his life was spared. BCB also does a fantastic job helping local communities with Trap Neuter Return programs and whenever I notify them of an ear-tipped cat at the pound, they quickly step up to save them. Barn Cat Buddies is run by compassionate people and they are making a great impact in Roanoke and surrounding areas.

Barn Cat Buddies is a great group to volunteer for! They are very appreciative, and it's wonderful that they recently got a grant and were able to get over 400 area feral cats fixed, for FREE! This will be a HUGE help come "kitten season". My favorite thing that BCB does is find homes for older cats. We have a lot of success with that and I am happy to play a small role in helping. The group is supportive of each other and provides advice to people with colonies that need to be fixed. Leadership is terrific to the volunteers -- I am a very busy person but it feels so good to do "just one more thing" for this group when needed. I just wish there were more barns to put the less social cats in -- their foster families are amazing, but full of cats!

As a newcomer to the rural south, I had no idea what to do when my neighbors moved and left behind their outdoor cat (who recently had kittens). Already having three cats of my own, I adopted two kittens and fostered the mother and remaining son until I found a solution. The Bedford Humane Society worked with Barn Cat Buddies to find this pair the perfect home. Not only was I relieved they didn't end up at the County shelter-- but I found my passion for animal welfare work and ended up volunteering for various related causes. Barn Cat Buddies is an inspiration-- a great idea in the hands of those who know how to execute. It is astonishing what they've been able to accomplish by seeing a need and serving that need. Everybody wins when a barn cat gets adopted (except for the mice)!

I have adopted three kitties from Barn Cat Buddies. I was so impressed with the members of this group and their dedication and tireless work toward promoting TNR and rescuing and caring for feral kitties that I had to get involved as a volunteer. Now my husband is involved as well.

Barn Cat Buddies does wonderful work to help the cats and the people that love them. They are a valuable resource for the Roanoke Valley.

It has been my pleasure to get involved with BCB over the last few years, and I have so enjoyed doing so. After working with other rescue organizations, and working largely with dog foster, I became interested in the unique mission of BCB. It is such a blessing that a group out there looks into the problems and the causes behind the problems regarding animal welfare. They not only foster, adopt, fundraise, and organize friendly cat rescue, but have found the perfect solution for feral and semi-feral cats. These un-socialized cats can live a wonderful life as expert "rodent technicians" on farms, stockyards, vineyards, greenhouses, etc. This mission, along with a rigorous TNR program (and currently the FREE FELINE FIX) are working together to prevent the suffering and overpopulation of our community's cats. :-) Rock on Barn Cat Buddies!

I can honestly say I LOVE this organization. When I take a look at all the animals that would have been indiscriminately destroyed if not for this group, I am proud to call myself a supporter. As a member of the general public I have read the group’s P&L statements and wish most corporations were as transparent as Barn Cat Buddies. While the group has taken the high road refusing to react to their detractor, as an ‘outsider’ I am moved to comment. When an individual is removed from a board by 100% UNANIMOUS VOTE, one must wonder what type of behavior would elicit this type of reaction from the other members. Think about that when you read this person’s childish attempts to tarnish the group’s reputation. The result? A stronger rally around the group and its mission

As being a prior board member I can honestly say this organization has made a great impact in our community. Lots of cats have been helped and rehomed. This organization has great potential however it isn't as transparent as it should be. Members of the board at not involved in the decision of projects and spending. Though most of the projects are good projects but the board is not consulted. Up until resent new board members were appointed by one person and the office of president is appointed the board is not consulted. I had no idea $37,000 was brought in to the organization last year nor what the $31,000 was spent on. Financial reports at not given to the board. I a m very sure I will be receiving feed back for this review.

Over the years that I have been involved with Barn Cat buddies I have watched this group grow and do so much for so many . Rescues, trapping ferals, saving cats and dogs from trailer parks, adoption events, finding homes for the friendly cats and barns or stables, etc , for those truly feral cats, all having been vetted prior to placement , late night runs to the Vet with a sick or injured cat, and sleepless nights caring for a sick animal . This is just a small part of what this remarkable organization does .Since a large part of my time is spent saving cats from high kill shelters through out the south, I can attest to just what an incredible service Barn Cat Buddies is doing for Franklin County and the surrounding areas . If there were BCB groups all over the country the animals would benefit greatly .
The Board of directors have my full support and thanks for the tireless work that they do and their totally devotion to the welfare and care for the animals .
BCB is a beacon of hope for the animals !!