MOVING TWO FERAL CATS WITH ME?

smitten

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Hello everyone. I'm new to this site and was hoping someone could give me some advice.

I have been caring for 2 feral cats, male about 6 years old and female about 4 yrs old, for about 3.5 years now. They stay in my yard and I feed them 2ce a day. I had them fixed about 2.5 years ago about 3 weeks apart. The last litter she had produced three kittens (all boys), which I have taken into my home. The female was very stressed and didn't eat during recovery, so I had to release her earlier than should have been. Both were comfortable using the litter box during recovery. They are both fine now and their 3 boys are inside cats in my home and I love them dearly. The feral mom and dad often visit them through a closed sliding glass door daily. The feral mom and dad are very affectionate with each other and are always together. I am able to touch the mom on the nose, but the male is still afraid of me...unless its through the sliding glass door. He rubs up against the door when I or one of the boys are there and appears totally unafraid of me if I'm on my side of the closed glass door. We even play with a toy through the glass. The mom and dad both respond to my voice when I call them. After all this time, I have become very attached to both of them.

I will be moving in about 3 weeks or so. I will be renting my home out, but do not really trust that a tenant will provide the necessary care for these two, especially since its such a long-term commitment to ask a stranger to take on. In addition, they will most likely have pets of their own. So, I would like to take them with me. I have thought about trying to get them used to being inside before my move, but I'm afraid it will just add stress on them, especially since they will have to go through being trapped, a 45 minute car ride, and then having to get used to being inside the other home soon enough.

I currently have been feeding them in traps, trying to get them comfortable with going into the cages to eat, so I will be able to catch them when it becomes necessary. I am hoping that one of the PetPals or SPOT pet places will examine them and clip nails, etc., prior to the car ride to the new home. They would have to sedate them, but that's probably a good thing for the ride. I am currently preparing a large screened porch with lattice at the other home, so I can release them onto the porch first (hoping they see this as being outside, like they are accustomed), then gradually getting them used to their boys through a window screen before having access to inside my new home, and before the boys have access to the porch.

It's such a long, involved process. Does anyone have any advice they can offer about my plan? If anyone has been through this, I sure would like to hear from you, too. I have really high hopes for the mom, since she seems less afraid of me than the male. But, I'm hoping he will come around too, at least enough to 'fit-in'.

Thanks so much!
 

debfromseattle

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It is very diffcult to relocate ferals. Can you bring them inside? Whatever you do..do not just move them and dump them outside. They will not know where they are. You need a large cage and to let them get used to the sounds of the new area.
 

bumblesclyde

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Contact The Neponset Valley Humane Society in Norwood MA. They will give you Great advice on what to do with your situation. God Bless You for saving the kitties and continuing to care for them and including them in your future. I wish you the best of luck. I was a volunteer with Neponset Valley a few years ago when I had free time, working with their Spay /Neuter Release Program, they are a wonderful group of people.
 

krz

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You are so kind to take your feral cats with you to your new home and I will be praying it all works out. It sounds like you have a very sound plan in place. The screened in porch sounds perfect to me, it will seem like outside to them, and they will be safe. I would put something, like an outside shelter, in the porch so they will be able to hide. You may even be using shelters now, that would be perfect as they will be used to them.

I do have some experience with moving a feral. I took care of a feral boy at my husband's office for two years. They were leaving that place and moving to another. I couldn't leave him there and was not sure how he would fit in here with my cats. So I moved him to the new office, planning to keep him inside. In less than a week he got outside, but another week later he appeared at his original place. I brought him back again, he got out again and was back at the original place in 5 days. Those 3 weeks were terrible. I knew how fortunate I was that he made it back twice, I could not take a chance of losing him again. So I brought him home with me. It didn't take too long for him to decide he had enough of outdoor living. He is still with me and quite the cuddler.

If the screened porch is secure and they can't get out, then I would absolutely go for it. They are very lucky to have you caring for them.:vibes::vibes::vibes: on a successful move. Keep updating!
 

kitsey

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I think your plan sounds wonderful and I'm so happy these kits have you! Sounds like you will have the perfect setup to make indoor kitties out of them someday :D
 

feralvr

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Hello and Welcome to TCS :clap: AND I think you are just incredible - I really do. I have relocated quite a few feral's over the years. Some successful and other's not so :shame:. Although this was from horse barn to horse barn. Not home to home. Good plan on feeding them inside the trap right now. PERFECT. Then on trap day it will be less worrisome for you. YES - do take them to the vet for that check-up and a mild sedation. Exactly what I was going to suggest. You really have this all worked out :clap::clap:

The only suggestion I have is to make 100% sure that the screened in porch is TOTALLY secure. Have some hiding places already set-up for these kitties and when you release then into the porch (hopefully they will still be sedated a little) then have the trap pointing at the nice, dark secure cubby, crate, or whatever you can think of to make a "den". If it is a medium sized carrier (that is what I use) - cover it almost totally with a dark blanket and take the carrier door completely off. Have this all prepared ahead of time. Try to avoid them just going bonker's in the screen in porch and busting out. Make sure it is secure and give them that option of a nice dark hiding place. If you do that - then the the chances of them going into panic-mode will have diminished greatly.

I would absolutely keep them confined to that porch for at the very least - a month. I learned my lesson the hard way. Releasing outdoors too soon and then you risk never seeing them again as they will search for their old territory. You HAVE to allow them enough time to make the new place their new territory and comfort zone.

Much, much luck and DO keep us posted. It is wonderful that you are taking them with you. I have some feral's too in my yard that rely on my care now. I will take them with me as well if we ever move. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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smitten

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Hi Everyone!

I posted the 'moving ferals to a new home' back in Feb (the male and female and mom & dad to my pet cats) and I have an update...and need some more help! They are both doing well and still on the porch. They have adjusted well to the space (larger than probably should be to socialize them). It's been about 9 weeks now. About 2 weeks ago I pushed the furniture in that room (it's set up like a living room with furniture, some cat toys, bowls, climbers, etc) to the corners in an effort to remove the hiding spaces that were keeping them from getting used to me. I'm very calm around them, talk sweet and do all the right things. And now they lay on the furniture and don't run when I come into the room...progress YEA! In addition, the male has been letting me pet him, but ONLY while he eats. I attempted it without feeding him and he let me know it was NOT a good idea. Part of the fun, huh? lol  The female is still skidding about being touched, but she does take treats from my hands. My porch has a window to my kitchen and I've kept it open (screened) so that the other cats can get used to the ferals.  The male loves seeing them, but the female is too afraid to come to the window.  So, this is the position I'm in now and I'm not sure of the next step. I'm worried because I see their nails getting longer and cant clip them and even with the scratching things I've given them, they just don't know how to use them. I'm worried because I know they have fleas and although I've been spraying the carpet and furniture every 3-4 weeks (careful to let it dry before they go to that side of the room) and they are scratching much less, I still know they have the fleas. I want them to be able to come into my home, but I don't want the fleas. I treat my other cats every 6 weeks or so (they are indoors) and I can treat any carpeting I have, but without treating the strays, I'm worried it could get out of hand. I'm also worried because if I ever have to help the 2 ferals  and they won't let me touch them....what then?  My other cats understand commands like 'no' and 'play' and 'dinner' and 'down'. How do I teach the ferals these words (so they learn to stay off the counter, for instance) without them being afraid of me?  I need some help!  The only thing I could think might help is to eventually shut the door of my office when they get in there together (they could be weeks in my home before this happens)...my office is a much smaller space than the porch...and work on socializing them more, but will that really help after they've run loose in the house for weeks? Can anyone advise me of my next step with them and how to move further along? I can't even imagine trying to pick one of them up at this point...they still hiss at me once in a while...and I really want to get them checked by a vet soon. BTW...not only can I figure a way to get them to a vet peacefully, but I can't find a vet that will deal with ferals. Sorry this is so scattered, but I'm just a little lost now.
 

anjelcare

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Hello,

I am so glad I found your question online, I am in the process of thinking what I should do with these two cats that absolutely love each other Sunny & Bunny who I have become fond of also.  They are very sweet, I have been feeding them for almost two months now, we have made a little progress, they come in our back porch but dont shut the door cause they get upset and very scared.  At this point just trying to get them used to me and my husband so they are not afraid they do come in close proximity of where we are and def know us and starting to feel more safe around us.  I set up under the porch with houses, straw, and just ordered these heated disks for them as its starting to get cold here in NJ. 

My dilemma  we are moving soon I dont want to abandon them and I dont wanna rely on someone else feeding them either and who knows if they will and they have become dependent on my husband and I to feed them..... So  I was thinking we have a nice size two car garage with windows in the new home.  So since it is the start of Winter here in NJ and we will be moving in the heart of it Dec, Jan  I would set them up in the Garage, and not let them out until it starts to get nice out.  See how they adapt.  My other option is handing them into a shelter and if they dont get adopted to call me before they do anything crazy  I have two Himalyan cats and a dog who definitely have personalitys of welcoming visitors but I am trying to have a baby and to take on two more cats would be alot to handle....   I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO...IT JUST BREAKS MY HEART.... 

How are your cats doing and since you have some experience what would you do?
 
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smitten

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Hi Anjelcare!

You sound like you are in sort of the same position I was! And, I know what the winter weather is in NJ (I'm from there originally), but fortunately I was only dealing with FL winters for the 2 feral cats....O.B. & Princess. Everything I always read says not to relocate ferals unless you have no choice. I had a situation where the people moving into the home owned 3 dogs, so I felt I had no choice but to take them with me. I suppose they may have moved on to someone elses home and maybe found food & shelter, but because I had a 'connection' to them (I had their kittens in my home as my pets) I felt responsible for them, as well. And, I know they counted on me for food & water 2 times a day, which was my choice, but that made me feel even more responsible for their well-being. Currently, they still spend most of their time on my porch, Princess lets me pet her most anytime, OB still remains mostly afraid, but receptive to my attention during meals, and I have been able to apply flea control to them both monthly....(I put it on them while they eat so they don't even know it's happening). I play with them with long stick toys and now my other pets go onto the porch so they are all getting used to each other. I have put a pet door in recently, and OB & Princess have come into my home often and just sit on my dining room chairs. It's kinda cool actually, to see that they have come so far. They are still not  typical house pets, but we are still working in that direction. I figure they lived outside afraid for many years, so  6 months isn't long enough to turn that completely around. And, I'm keeping them inside because if I let them back out, they will stay 'feral'. I want to create something better for them, so I keep them in. They seem very content & comforable on the screened porch.

Recently, I moved the porch room around to make it more enclosed and added a heater to the room for them. I have a carpeted pet bed that is partly enclosed and I have put a comfy blanket in it so they stay warm (it gets to be about 55 degrees at night here right now). You could do the same in your garage. Just be sure they can't get hurt (tools, etc.), and keep any antifreeze locked up so they cannot get to it (they love the taste & of course it would kill them). They'll need a 'hiding place' like a wood pet bed or large box with a blanket on a carpeted floor to be warm, and maybe a heater. But, I'm all for you taking them with you since you have begun to create a dependence. I know you think you can't do it because you are busy, but I currently have 2 jobs, an online business and care for 8 cats! My home is spotless clean (which takes a while each day) and they are all well behaved wonderful pets. Sadly, though, no one wants stray cats. I have done my best to try to find homes for each one while they were kittens, but no one wants them, so what do you do, right?? So, I have compassion for your position, but you sound young and energetic and who knows what situation will arise in your new hometown! Perhaps you can get Sunny & Bunny to become tame over time and find good homes for them. Or maybe you will realize over time (like I have) that feeding 2 more just isn't any tougher, when you already have more than 1. It just takes patience & love and understanding of how they perceive situations. I look online whenever I encounter something I'm unsure of, like: why does my male cat run from me when I enter the room? or: how can I make my female cat stop hissing at my other pets?...etc.

I have learned alot and would be happy to offer you any help. My direct email is [email protected] and I'm online often. Some tips for moving them....

1. Use a humane trap. Set the traps out now... without setting them to shut (if they accidentally go off, the cats will be afraid of them for a long while and you will need to remove the traps for a few weeks and start over again)...and just start feeding them in the traps now so they are used to them by the time you are ready to move. 

2. Put the food way back in the trap where it will need to be so that they are always eating in the spot of the trap that will make it close when you set it on your moving day. They tend to be afraid of the 'metal' sound, so it's important that the traps 'clank' as little as possible. Set the traps about 8 to 10 feet apart. They make noise when they close and when you catch the one cat first, you don't want the other one to run off. Perhaps you can place the traps right inside the porch door where you feed them now. They will be hesitant at first, but they will go in to eat, especially once they are used to them.

3. Don't do anything different on the day you set the traps...they are clever creatures and will pick up on it at once! 

If you don't have traps, you may be able to buy used ones on Craigslist or borrow a couple from the humane society or purchase them at a pet store.

4. The day of your move, they will already be used to the traps as their feeding spot, so it won't be a new or scary thing to them. Wait a few hours longer than a normal feeding time so they are hungry, then put the food in the trap and set it to close. Use the same feeding dish...don't change anything.  Do this on the night before or the morning that you are moving. If your move is a local one, you will have plenty of opportunity to catch them, but keep in mind that you may only have one shot at this. Make sure the trap works well and that they are used to it, otherwise your move may be delayed by their fear. 

I did this same thing...and it worked. I left the traps out for about 2 months. Once I trapped OB, I covered  the trap he was in and removed it from the spot right away. I didn't want Princess to be distracted by him in that cage. So, since she was still hungry, she went into the other trap and that made 2! I covered her cage and placed her near OB. It was nervewracking...for them and me, but it worked and they were safe.

Then I drove them an hour to my new home and place the traps in the area I had prepared for them (which included a large tree limb for them to scratch on to keep their nails from growing long or into the pads of their feet). They hid for a day or two, and I left them alone to get used to their space. I kept the other animals away from them until I flea controlled OB & Princess and until they were completely adjusted to the porch ...about 4 months).

5. After about a week,  start sitting with them at every meal. I never left food down without me being there.Sit on the floor so you don't seem 'big' to them. They need to associate food with you...they are very food-driven and it will be the only way you will 'reach' them. Gradually, over a period of weeks, move the food bowls closer and closer to you each mealtime. I did this...it works. Now, the bowls are right in front of me and I pet them while they eat. 

BTW...I didn't concern myself with this because I have no intentions of letting them back out, but I did read that when you move ferals you should keep them in for at least 6 months or they will try to return to their prior home. In the process, I read, that they usually don't make it. I just wanted you to know so you can check into it further.

Patience, Patience Patience.

I hope I've helped you. Would love to know how you make out! Keep in touch!

Diane
 

lynnew1

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How did your move go with the ferals? I have almost the exact same situation as you. I no longer have indoor cats though as I had to put both of my sweet angels down 2 weeks ago. It's been awful. Anyway, I am hoping to catch my 2 feral porch kitties and move them 5 hours South to IN. Any helpful hints you learned in the process? Mine let me pet them and play with toys and I recently started to let them roam the house when they want to in hopes that they will be a little more accustomed to being inside a house before I attempt the move. I also plan on screening in my covered porch like you were planning on. Any advice you can give me on the moving or the way you maintain the ferals claws and stuff is greatly appreciated.

Thanks much,
Lynne
 

mani

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@Lynnew1, Welcome to TCS!


This thread is a couple of years old, so you will probably not get a response from the original posters.

Would you like to start your own thread in this section?  I'm sure you'll get some good advice
 
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