Any ideas for a large outdoor shelter for 40 ferals???

I have been contacted by a man who has 167 acres of land, and is overrun with ground squirrels (?)

He is asking me about getting some ferals, approx 40 total, to acclimate to his property to help take care of this problem. Apparently he is obligated to do so according to the town he lives in.

Neighbors are complaining.

You know, I don't know, I have really been on the fence about all this, oh how I would LOVE nothing more than to go to our high-kill shelter and save 40 ferals from death.

However, on the other hand, just how humane of a situation will this be?

So today I had decided to contact him and say that I had decided not to give him cats, I don't feel confident that they will be fed, there is no sheter out there, he plans to build his house someday, but at this time there is nada...

I refuse to save cats from being killed at the shelter, only to leave them off somewhere they will suffer, or be hunted, and so on. Not a chance.

So he emailed me a reply, saying he can build a shelter for them. Now in my mind, a shelter for 40 cats is enormous. Better yet, 2 shelters is better, different locations, since his land is so large.

I'm tired, so I'm getting ahead of myself here, and as I said I already told him I won't do it, but it seems the poor guy is willing to do whatever it takes, I just can't think beyond a spacious place for a home base, feedings, naps, shade in summer, warmth in winter, dry, and safe from predators.

Here are pics of the property. As you can see, not much!

Any tips or thoughts, or advice is appreciated.




The tanks picture shows the only actual thing on that property, he was thinking at first that this is sufficient. NOT..he said they can hide under the tank. Don't think he is really thinking here. The middle pic is of an old cattle corral. Anyway, as you see in the background, all land...barely even a tree.

May be better to start with a smaller group of cats. The problem with moving cats is they will try to get "home" so with nothing to contain them, they'd just run away. If he puts up a large shed ( and I mean large), they could use that for shelter and maybe eating. But without some sort of confinement, they may just book.

I had a friend who got a company that puts up temporary fences around construction sites to build her a pen, complete with wire roof, so she could acclimate an entire colony she'd adopted. The colony was being trapped and destroyed, so she stepped in. Maybe that would work. Good publicity for the fence company, although you'd certainly want to keep the farm location quiet.

The other real concern is food. Unless the cats you put out there are used to hunting (true feral's), someone's going to have to feed them regularly.

I agree with Ondine.  Smaller to start with, definitely need a shelter of some sort.  The rule of thumb is to keep the cats confined for at least two weeks before letting them outside; otherwise, they will try to return to the original location.  (A friend and I fostered a cat in her home for almost nine months.  He escaped from the home and returned to the colony from where he was taken--two weeks later, two miles away.)

The other problem I see is whether the cats will get along; in a shelter they are largely by themselves unless the shelter is a no-cage one.

Catwoman, you might want to contact a feral rescue group.  They may know of a feral colony that, for various reasons, has to be moved.  Perhaps those cats can be trapped and removed to the new location.  They would be experienced hunters, get along with one another--but same caveat:  must be kept confined for at least two weeks or they will try to return to the original location.

Yes I had already informed him that they would surely need acclimation time otherwise will def. not stick around, that it takes 2 weeks just for them to stop resisting the new place, 2 weeks to start to lose the mind-set of 'how can I get outta here and get home' mode.

I have lots of cages and he has fencing to create a place to acclimate them, but it's after that I am concerned about.

As the pics show, this is not ideal as far as shelter from the elements, nor protection from predators.

This is why I had decided to deny his request for cats. Then he asked me about him building a shelter. I replied to him that it would have to be well planned and designed, and quite large, and ideally make 2, in diff locations since the property is so large.

I just thought if anyone might have exposure to a large shelter that works well, if they could describe the structure or give some ideas on what needs to be in the designing of it.

I deal with ferals on a regular basis, and have made shelters for some who are in bad locations and needed something, but this is quite a bit of a bigger project, and unless this guy can show me something efficient, then actually builds it, I am going to continue to say no.

Thanks! Oh and the idea of an existing colony needing relocating is an excellent one. They are already established rank-wise and likely do fine.