How many cats have you seen in one place? There is a cat sanctuary near Faribault that may house more cats than you have seen in your lifetime. The Furball Farm Cat Sanctuary is the place to go if you would like a cat fix. There are currently 350 cats at the facility. All feral rescues and many snatched from being euthanized.
It all started with a concerned cat lover named Julie about ten years ago. She learned that some feral cats were going to be trapped and euthanized in Faribault. Julie and her husband owned a couple of restaurants in the southern metro area and had just bought a farm outside Faribault. Her husband was looking forward to utilizing the new garage, complete with a lift for automobiles. Before he was able to put it to use, Julie bought home some cats. They took up residence in the garage. The lift became their catwalk. A few cats turned into twenty and the garage was soon overflowing with cats.
As the cats were welcomed to a caring home, where they were spayed and neutered vetted and cared for, her dreams of a larger facility became a necessity and then a reality. A large insulated and heated building was constructed on the farm and volunteers showed up to help care for the cats. Their mission was to end the suffering of unwanted cats. People were generous to donate and supplies and funds flowed in to care for the rescued feral cats. Furball Farm Cat Sanctuary is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, tax exempt.
As the numbers grew, Julie envisioned an outdoor area to accommodate fresh air and nature like the feral cats had survived in prior to being rescued. A large donation arrived for the very purpose and the outdoor exercise yard was soon built. Concrete walkways and artificial turf were enclosed in chain link fence to allow a visual of outdoor freedom.
As interest grew, daily visitors have become the norm. From one to five pm, the parking lot is full of cars and people fill the cat sanctuary interacting with the cats. All are feral cats who have been given a home and while some acclimate to people, others keep their distance. Visitors are advised to let the cats approach you and if one sits still on a bench for very long the cats will come to you.
There are daily podcasts uploaded featuring some of the favorite cats and new arrivals. The sanctuary has an online livestream 24 hours a day watched by viewers all over the world. There are cameras all over the property which alternate video feeds to give access to all areas and cats in the farm. You can log on to u-tube and enjoys cat antics twenty-four hours a day.
The visiting hours are every day, including holidays, from 1:00pm – 5:00pm. Children must be near their adult at all times. Children under the age of 5 must be carried or hand-held the entire duration of their visit. During that time volunteers are cleaning, caring for and feeding the cats. For the safety of our cats, please refrain from loud voices and noises, and no running in our sanctuary.
The Furball Farm Cat Sanctuary is looking for dedicated volunteers who are willing to give 4+ hours a week to help care for their wonderful fur babies. Potential volunteers must visit the cat sanctuary first. Visit and talk to us! There are currently over fifty volunteers and many drive over an hour each way to help out.
Help needed is sweeping, vacuuming, disinfecting and deodorizing the sanctuary, washing dishes and water fountains, cleaning & brushing cat trees, scooping poop (all day long) and doing laundry. There is always a need for general supplies: Clumping cat litter, Cleaners (bleach/Fabuloso/Mr. Clean/Odoban), Sanitizing wipes & sprays, Garbage bags, paper towels and treats like Temptations / Churu and canned cat food. You may donate supplies through Amazon WishList, Chewy Wishlist or Walmart Wishlist, purchases from their online store or through PayPal, Venmo or by credit card.
Their goal is to find a forever home for the cats that begin to trust humans in our care. Please know that many cats come with baggage. Many have never had human kindness or interaction. They will take time to adjust to a new home, it could be weeks or months, please be patient. Adopters must be 21 years of age or older. Adoption fees are $160 for adults, and $250 for kittens.
The farm also has an AirBnB with 3 bedroom, 4 beds and 1 ½ bath. It is very popular, with 149 reviews from all over US and overseas. It is for cat lovers only. This beautiful old freshly updated farm house is on the same property as Furball Farm Cat Sanctuary! Renting the Airbnb will allow you to see behind the scenes! Visit the cats anytime between the hours of 9am-9pm on the days you are booked! Marley and Teddy are the resident cats there and they will keep you company! (They can go in and out).
The FurBall farm Cat Sanctuary has their own veterinarian on staff who does all the health care for the cats and conducts weekly spay and neuter operations. They do not accept cats from others as they encourage people to care for the cats around you as they already have a home. Spaying and neutering is promoted for all feral and farm cats as to minimize the population of cats which are not cared for.
