I finally let them go...

Can you build a a cat house? Put some blankets in there and get an extension cord for a heating pad or heating blanket.

They are probably confused at why they are outdoors again. It will take some time for them to adjust, especially if it is cold outside. I just hope they aren't young kittens, because they won't be able to stay very warm on their own. I suspect your husband wanted them out and you didn't. I am sorry for them and for you that this decision had to be made. Be sure you feed them at least three times a day and provide them with fresh water daily. If it is really cold, feed them warm homemade chicken broth with no seasonings- just boil up a chicken no spices and feed them the broth.

As long as they're fixed, have access to shelter and a food source they should do fine.
I'm a great believer in indoor-only cats, but some cats never adjust to the indoor life and are happier living outside. They can live a longer life indoors, but is it necessarily a better life??? That's the burning question and there are a lot of valid (and contradictory) answers. In the end, you can only do what is right for you and your own animals.
Good luck with your group, at least you're giving them a chance to be happy and live the way they want to live.

It sounds very much like they're acting like indoor cats that escaped out - and didn't know what to do about it. They'll probably just remain hunkered down until they're hungry enough. I'd put the warm chicken broth out near them around dusk and leave it be - maybe try again in the morning.

None of our ferals ever used the enclosures we made for them no matter how cold it got. Unless they have an entrance and an exit, they probably won't use them. You may want to replace the heating pad with straw.

They are spayed and neutered, right?

I'm so sorry you had to make this decision.



Laurie

Hi Kazy,

I know kind of how you feel. I have one feral, (who insists on keeping his feral ways), that I generally try to bring in for the winters who slipped out on me earlier this winter. He does eat and hunker down in one of the houses filled with hay, but I would feel so much better if I had him back in the house.

For the kittens who have been in since September, I've come to the understanding that they basically would have lost all their feral "training" being in the house that long and aren't sure how to survive outside now. The mom cat also may have tamed down enough to be better off inside now too.

If there is a chance you can get hold of them and bring them back in, at least till the weather is warm, it may be better for them and you.

As LDG mentioned, they are behaving more like indoor cats that have escaped out than ferals. When they answered the call of your daughter, that is very much tame cat behavior.

It makes me think of the time my daughter-in-law said her cats both ended up outside when they were playing in a window and the screen fell out. The brave one came to her bedroom window and woke her up hanging from the screen and crying while the other hid in a bush till she came and found her.

Perhaps you can encourage your husband to understand if you explain that it's like thrusting a three year old babe out into a big, cold and scary world when the only thing it has really known is the safety of it's home warm comfortable home where there was always a warm meal and love.

Once it's warm out, perhaps you can slowly introduce the shelter as a safe place for the cats to go when they have romped and wore themselves out.
Sending good to you and the kits that you reunite and feel better.

Go and check on them. You should re-introduce them to the cat house. Or get rid of the husband and keep the cats.

Kazy,

Please don't cry or beat yourself up about it. The only way we learn about rescuing and dealling with Kits is by doing and each case is different. I wou8ld guess they have found a better shelter to hide in such as a garage, shed, basement, nice cat house. Have you checked in their cat house?

Most of my kits don't answer me when I call. I think 3 or 4 out of 20 do. I also don't think any creature is better than hiding than cats. They are top notch at it and very quiet when you least want them to be.

Keep your eyes peeled and I bet you will see all 4 of them in the next day or so. They are probably huddled together discussing what they are going to do next.

Keep us posted. I'm sure we all want to know when those little fur balls show up and surprise their human mom.

Oh Kazy, I feel for you! I can't really say anything other than that, but I hope things work out. I know how difficult this must be - post here to feel better. I know I do!

All the best....

I'm so sorry you can't find them now.

I'm sure they went for warmer digs somewhere. They may have found other food someone else is putting out, or who-knows-what.

When indoor kitties go missing, they usually hunker down somewhere within a three block radius. They usually don't come when called (so the meowing back was actually unusual) and are just scared stiff. They will move to find a safer or warmer hiding space, and they will seek food when hungry - though they may push it. But they usually won't come when called, and they will usually run if you move toward them. When trying to recapture indoor kitties, if you see them, the advice is to sit down at an angle to them, don't look at them, and calm down. Talk in a very low, quiet calm voice. Movement will scare them - your voice should reassure them. Then when - if - they come to you, wait until they are RIGHT next to you and you can grab and scruff them and run them inside.

With in-between-ferals, the only thing I can recommend at this point is the suggestions I made before about the warm space you made for them (make sure it has an entrance and an exit, and fill it with straw, not a heated blanket) - and just keep putting the food out at regular times. Your going on vacation will disrupt this - maybe there's someone that can put food out every evening at what ever time you set it out?

When we cared for a colony, we put food out for one hour at dawn and at dusk (we didn't want to feed the whole forest).

Right now all we can do is send to you and to the kitties to find your food for them - and hope they've found someplace warm and a source of food if they're not eating yours.

It really sucks having to learn lessons the hard way. We had two of these. One was our first indoor-rescue that we had out on a leash. One of the ferals turned up - and he bonked - and got off the leash. And he'd only been living inside with us for two days and was not tame yet. It took me lying down all day where he used to live with chicken in hand. Thankfully it was summer - but I was out there for five or six hours, not moving before he got hungry enough to get near me to get the chicken, and I got him back inside.

The other one was adopting out partially tamed feral kittens to people who said they understood what needed to be done to socialize them (after extensive instruction from us) and wanted to adopt the kitties. We didn't think to use adoption papers or visit their home first. The kitties - though not intentionally - ended up being abused. We found a wonderful home for the big orange tabby male (a vet tech fell in love with him) and we took back Spooky (and have never sought another home for her). We prosecuted through the SPCA so they understood they did something wrong. But Spook's been inside with us for a little over five years now - and she's not spooked by anything anymore.

I hope your story will have a happy ending too.



Laurie

Sending prayers and vibes that your cats readjust to being outside.
The juniper tunnels should be keeping them warm. If they have any association with their built-shelter & your hubby, they will probably keep avoiding it.
I have a feral that I rescued when his owners (because of divorce) were forced to sell their house & move. I managed to keep him inside for 6mos, but then he got out when my hubby & BIL left the door open, and he refuses to come back inside So much for my hopes of taming him Anyway, he stays near the house, but keeps his distance.

I'm so glad they've been showing up! That's really wonderful news. I'm sure it'll help you to calm down quite a bit too.



Laurie

I'm happy to hear the good news that they've been coming to eat. Keep us posted of the progress.

What a lovely back yard for kitties! Lots of places to hide, to play - and to bask in the sun.

that Konne and Torami show up!

Laurie