Missing Ferals

We adopted 3 adult ferals from a shelter as barn cats last October. We kept them caged until they seemed relaxed inside them, then let them out into just the heated tack room. Over the course of a few weeks we opened the cat door to the barn, and locked them in at night. When the nice weather came, we let them have free access am/pm. Up until early June, they were coming and going, sometimes not coming back for 2 or 3 days, but always, eventually, coming back and eating their food, napping in their beds (all but one, who had been originally extremely aggressive, who was back and forth for 2 weeks, then we never saw again.) One turned into a love girl, leaving her food for a good petting. I am confused, concerned and heartsick.

They stayed around our barn after a long, careful, and seemingly successful acclimation process, but, have not been seen since early June, nor have they been around for their food.

At first, I assumed it was due to the nice weather and that we may still expect them back eventually. I was told they were probably off living on chipmunks and mice. However, now I am wondering. It is a rural area with hundreds of acres of conservation land, wildlife, etc. and we do have neighbors with cats that go in and out and have been thriving for years. But, there are large eastern coyotes, foxes, fisher cats, etc. all around our state.

We did have a barn cat for 3 years that was also a rescue; was an abused indoor/outdoor cat for 3 years and acclimated beautifully. He was sickly and a nervous wreck when we got him, but he turned into a lovely, healthy, happy and very affectionate boy that we miss to this day. The 3rd year we had him, he started to look straggly, his coat got icky and started having sores again, and just did not look well. I'm not sure if it was a sickness, or stress due to something at our place (wildlife perhaps?). He didn't come back one morning, and we never saw him again. Heartbreaking.

If they are most likely gone, I'm wondering about taking on 3 feral kittens and trying one more time, with more security, locking them in every night. I hate to put more cats in danger, but I'm not sure, behaviorally, if these cats could still be around and return when the weather sets in, or if they are most likely gone for good. We have mice all over, and really could use some good barn cats, and I know of plenty of barns that have cats that live in their barns, as well. Its not like I have dens of coyotes, foxes and predators all over my property. We also have 3 dogs that are fenced near the house, but none of the cats ever seemed too bothered by them.

I would love to hear input from anyone with real knowledge and experience regarding feral behavior. Do I try again? Do I wait to see if they come back, and if so, how long? What do I do, if we try again, to try and ensure more success.

We have rescued dogs, cats and horses, but never ferals. I felt strongly about trying to give these cats a a home where we have so much land, but now, I am perplexed. Any advice, thoughts, suggestions are greatly appreciated and welcomed! Thanks!

Welcome to the Forums!

Your idea of adopting ferales is wonderful!

And like you say, after a while some of them turns out not so ferale any more. Many of they can be fostered if you want (this girl lovebug).

But they do disappear...

Im almost suspecting someone is "helping" them disappear... Person? Or an animal specialized on taking cats??


Good luck!

If cats wonder off in new places for too long, it is possible they don't remember which way is home. Their location memory is good for around 12 hours, sure they eventually learn locations where they spend more time, but it takes time to get that worked out to memory where they remember it better.

So it is not necessarily for cat to die to cat being gone, it is possible it have no idea how to come back, of course this can lead cat to die if there are bad weather, no shelter and nothing to eat.

However they adapt to situation and after shock of realizing they can't find nice place they start and settle with new life, they are very good in adapting to such situation.

Here some hunters think that cat is reason why they are not catching enough whatever they are trying to trap so many kill cat if it goes to their trap, here most of trapping these days is done with humane traps because of legistation, no suffer kill traps are quite few and our laws are such that hunted animal should not suffer, corny eh?

But it can be that you have some hunters in your area too, which can also lead for cat to not coming back, but one could get information of hunters if they have found cats from their traps.

I feel for you, Lasiblue. I think taking some more feral cats is a great idea. You've clearly given a great home to them for a period of time, why not do so again with some more cats? And if you have mice and other critters, it also makes sense. Plus I've found watching my feral(s) to be utterly fascinating: seeing them play, sleep and curl up in the sun makes you realise that behind all their timidity and fear of humans they are basically exactly the same as the cat that's curled up in your room.
To give you some context to my response, I adopted two feral girls at a similar time to you last year here in rural England. They were meant to be 'buddies/ paired' (were yours, by the way?), but to cut a long story short it's evident that only one stayed and the other left pretty much instantaneously after 3 weeks confinement/ acclimitisation. Whilst she had been replaced by the world's best farm cat (aka Rudi), a fairly lookalike but far friendlier male cat, I felt (and still feel) the same pangs of guilt you did. There's a thread or two on here about it.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. I wrote on here a while back that I thought the one who'd run off had been killed in a traffic accident. However - and I was going to put this on another post - a couple of nights ago I was wandering round the farm and saw what I initially thought was a little black cat in the next field. I steadily walked closer and, from about 30 feet away, I realised that this cat also had a little white bib and tiny white socks. Very much like the one that disappeared - though I know many cats fit this description. As I got closer, the cat bolted into the nearby allotments/ gardens. I spoke with a friend who owns a plot on these allotments who told me that, yes, they get a few strays around there - but, crucially, people do leave out food for them.
I know everyone's circumstances are different, but I'm hoping that similar has happened with your three (or should that really be two?). If they are bonded, I'm guessing they might be together still. Either way, don't give up hope that, on their travels, they might not have strayed too far and that they may return and think 'wait a minute, this place rings a bell'.
I'm no expert on cats, feral or otherwise. But what I have realised is that every cat is different and has its own traits. The one who stayed with me (Little Cow) is utterly feral/ timid still, yet clearly loves her solitude in her barn, her home comforts and the freedom to roam when she wants. But her buddy wanted something different and I guess that's the difficult bit for us humans to accept.
I really hope your find some ferals who need a home and, more specifically, need your home. Again, though I'm no expert on cats, I'd suggest you go down the semi-feral route as they are more likely to bond with you as well as their food and surroundings.
wishing you loads of luck.

It can be heartbreaking, and perplexing. We had (have?) a colony of 10 TNR cats. Well - coming into Spring, the colony was 10. One that showed up turned out to be stray, because he just became way too friendly so fast. He was around and about all the time, and would come running when we went outside. Then one day - he disappeared.

Now... when there are big storms here, the ferals tend to disappear for a few days. But Baloo disappeared two days BEFORE the storm. After the 2-3 days of the storm, I went out looking for him in the woods here. I didn't find him. I don't remember how long it was at this point, but it was a few more days before he came back. He came running to greet me, talking up a storm - but basically acted like nothing had happened. So puzzling.

He's gone on "walkabout" a few more times, though never for that long.

But a number of regulars to the colony I haven't seen for some time. Right now, there are six regulars - two of them I see not every day, but every few days, anyway.

But having done this for years, I know (to try) not to worry that something happened to the other four. Of course it's possible something did... but we live in a very rural area with a lot of woods and a lot farms, and basically a lot of food for ferals about. I'll know how many survived when winter comes, because the cold weather and the snow bring them back to the steady source of food.

It's just as rewarding as it can be heartbreaking... but you're offering them a better life than they would otherwise have, and if they want warmth, food, safety - and love - it's there for the taking.

Originally Posted by LDG

It's just as rewarding as it can be heartbreaking... but you're offering them a better life than they would otherwise have, and if they want warmth, food, safety - and love - it's there for the taking.

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Perfectly said . Having cared for ferals for years in my own back yard and at horse barns, I know all to well the sadness that comes out of the joyous times spent being a caretaker. Sometimes, the cats will disappear for days then come back no worse for wear. Sometimes they leave and never are seen in your colony again. And other's stick close to their territory. We don't have any control whatsoever in keeping them safe, and that is the hard part for me. .