Putting cats to work isn’t a new concept. Relying on cats to save an industry or a civilization isn’t a modern concept. In ancient Europe, for example, the black plague was raging and people were dying. At one point, the death toll was 50 percent of the population. And when they realized that the disease was probably spread by fleas, cat ownership was outlawed. Well, I guess part of the reason cats were banned from homes and cities had to do with superstition. All in all, cats were kicked to the curb. Until someone finally realized that rats were the main problem in spreading the horrid disease. Once authorities began bringing cats in to eliminate the rat population, the human population finally got a break.
Over centuries, cats have been known to save crops, such as the silk industry in the Orient. 
And as the cats worked, they began worming their way into our hearts and our homes. Well, that’s the happy story for many millions of cats. But, as we know, there are still many cats who are not suited to domestication. They have issues that aren’t easily resolved. So humane organizations across the US (and perhaps beyond) have found ways to save and protect some of these cats. They’re finding them jobs. Yes, they’ve become head-hunters for cats—career placement directors—employment agencies.
A shelter director in LA was one of the first to start such a program in recent times. They began placing feral cats in barns and stables, ensuring that they had a purpose, shelter, and the opportunity to live a long life. In Chicago, the Tree House Human Society places feral cats on apartment complex and condo properties to keep the rodent population down.
Four years ago in Philadelphia, the Animal Care and Control team began isolating cats with issues—that is cats that bite, hiss, swat and otherwise dis humans—cats that would ordinarily be euthanized. But in Philadelphia, they weren’t giving them the needle. They were assigning them special jobs. The cat might join the staff at a warehouse, storage company, distillery, etc. and spend his day keeping rodents at bay. The best part of this story—well, besides the fact that the cat is saved from certain death—is that the cat often finds some friends. He becomes more confident and comfortable in his surroundings, thus relaxes some and often soon welcomes a friendly gesture. Some become so friendly that they take on a second job as stress-reliever among the staff. Who doesn’t love a furry-purry interruption throughout the day while doing a mundane job.
To learn more about how cats were used to save civilization, here’s an interesting site.
https://owlcation.com/humanities/Cats-and-the-Black-Plague
Visit this site to read a story about a program that saves unwanted, unlovable cats by giving them jobs: https://apnews.com/ddaf915aaf19413ebc122be3afe20c2f
