Moving, need advice on moving strays/ferals to new house.

So, my boyfriend and I found a much nicer, bigger house in a much better neighborhood to move into. It's less traffic for the strays/ferals and is right next door to one of our family members, who also has many cats. My biggest concern is relocating them.

The new house is 4 miles away from my old house. I have 11 cats that I will be relocating with me (not including all of the kittens i've rescued and am rehoming). Almost all of the cats are friendly and will let me pet them. I just need some advice on how to go about this. Do I keep them indoors for a certain amount of time to get used to smells? Should I take them in a carrier outdoors daily for a certain amount of time until I release them? I'm so worried they will try to make their way back to our old house. How can I make this relocation as easy on them as possible? Also, should I do it in groups of like, 4? Since some of the kitties get along with others better?

Also, since our family member has a lot of cats (both indoor and outdoor), should we try to adjust them to each other? Or just kind of see how they react... not too sure how to go about that all I know is that I don't want our kitties fighting. All are fixed.

There's also chickens behind us that I REALLY don't want my kitties torturing (I don't think theyll eat them, they're big chickens, I just dont want them scaring them, or problems with the neighbor.)

Well - congrats on finding the new home and right next door to a family member! That is great. As for the chickens, :lol3: Actually, the cats will most likely get chased off by the chickens Chickens are pretty aggressive and it will only be a problem if they let their guard down, which I doubt will happen. All the chickens will watch out for each other.

For moving, I would either keep them indoors for a few weeks, OR use large dog crates outside in a sheltered area so the cats can get acclimated to the surrounding environment. IF you let them go too soon, they might find their way back to the "old" territory since it is only four miles away!!! There is also very large dog kennels that a friend of mine sets up to relocate feral cats. It is chain link, about six feet high with a chain link roof, and about ten foot diameter. We usually put a feral villa or shelter inside the kennel. This way you can have a few cats in one kennel - the ones that get along. After about two to three weeks, you just open up the door of the kennel's and let the cats come out on their own. We usually leave the kennel's up until all of the cats are comfortable leaving the shelter area, which is usually pretty quick :lol3: Then we take those shelters that were inside of the kennel's and still use them in the same general area that the kennels were set up. This approach really works and one that we just thought of last Spring!!!! It is like a safe enclosure that can be easily assembled and taken down.!!!

As for your other family member's cats, they will be able to meet each other if you use the kennel approach safely from the inside of their enclosure and just be prepared for some arguments here and there until the social dynamics are all worked out. Hopefully all will go smoothly.

Good luck with your move!!!!!!!!!! How exciting and I hope all goes well! :cross:

I swear I replied to this earlier! Thank you so much for your reply Feralvr, you're always here for me to offer the best advice!!!

The moving has gone wonderfully, so far we've transferred Stella, Onyx, Indy, Tiva, Tipper (the black male we had neutered and ear-tipped a while back), Muffin (the most feral of them), Luna, and Hercules (our little kitten).

We still have Wild Thing and the big black boy yet. Wild Thing is going to be the hardest,,, she hates all of the other cats so i'm worried about how she will be stuck inside for a few weeks with them. Everyone else seems to be getting along just fine. Luna hisses, but keeps to herself so it hasn't really been a problem.

Big Black Boy... i don't know. I wasn't sure if he was neutered- my mother-in-law told me to feel for testes duhh why didn't I think of that, and he is neutered. So i'm going to make a few fliers to put around the neighborhood to see if he's someones pet (although I secretly hope he's not.. he comes to our old house about once every three days BEGGING for attention and food... but mostly just love.. i'd hate to have to leave him there to come to my empty house )

But so far.. everything is going great! Transitioning them to being indoor/outdoor again is what i'm most worried about, though hopefully once they've been indoors for a few weeks they'll realize this is home.. and honestly, the way they've reacted to moving (Muffin let me PET HER!!! WHAT?!?!?! She didn't even try to run. I know she was scared, but she pushed her back into my hand and was purring and enjoying it. That's unheard of) I think the majority of my kitties are going to want to spend their time inside anyways, now that they remember how nice it is- being banned from outdoors for the moment and all

I love this update!!!!!!!!!!! SO SO SO happy for you and all the kitties that you have successfully moved so far. WOW on MUFFIN!!!!! I think the move has shocked them into quickly bonding with you. :lol3: Hey - it's possible!!!!! I am just beaming that this is going so well. They will all have to adjust over the next week or two. Once you establish their new routine and schedule, things will calm and settle. Keep up the great work, hun!!!! for Big Black Boy. I am thinking he is abandoned, like so many. But who knows.... keep the updates coming!