? about feral cat shelters being removed

I have been feeding a group of ferals for over a year now, maybe a year and a half. I do have help, another lady feeds them also. Yesterday I went to feed them and they have some shelters that I made for them in a small wooded area behind a business and it was wooded with trees and bushes and they have started to clear the area. They are trimming the trees back and cutting all underbrush back. Looks like they started this yesterday. The houses are still there, they havent moved them yet but they are visible from the street and I'm sure they will take the shelters away. They dont use them everyday right now I think but they did in the winter. My question is will the cats move away from the area on their own and come back for food or will they stay? I feel so bad for them.

ohno this breaks my heart - I hope someone can give you an insight on what is likely to happen.

Hi Malynn-
A cat's territory is very important to him - your cats will in all probability stay in the area and continue to look for food where they are used to being fed.

I suggest removing the shelters before someone else does, since I agree that they will almost certainly be discarded.

Is there another wooded area near or adjacent to the original location that you could hide the shelters in? If it's close to where the shelters used to be, the cats won't have trouble finding them.

Try to find out how much of the area will be cleared, and why it's being cleared (new construction, perhaps?). Start scouting around for another safe area in the vicinity to relocate the shelters. It's definitely a smart idea to keep them as hidden as possible,for the cats' safety.

So sorry you're having this problem - what a headache. At least they didn't do this during the cold weather months. Hopefully, you'll be able to get the kitties situated before then.

How many cats are you caring for, BTW? Please give us an update to let us know how it's going.

I'm thinking they are just cleaning up the area, since there is a drainage pond near it and its way overgrown. Theres not enough property there to build on. There is another wooded area not far from there, I'm sure they may find them if we moved them there. I will get my husband to help me move them to that area and see if they find them. Its behind another store, a car dealership that just moved in the area. Its very wooded in the back of it and I will move them out there and hope they find them. There are about 6 cats there that we feed. I do have help, another lady that has been feeding them longer than I have feeds them also. I will be moving in a few months and she will continue to feed them. I also feed in another area and I'm so thankful that another lady has started to feed in that area also. I was worried since I will be moving out of state. She even made a feeding station and wrote me a note and left it for me, she seems really nice. Last night I went to feed them and they were all there, didnt seem to be bothered by the cleanup. If you go by during the day you dont even know that they are there, they dont come out till the evening. As of yesterday the houses are still there, but they arent done yet with the cleanup.

Can you try to talk to whoever is doing the clean-up? Maybe they plan to leave the cathouses.
Maybe if you just take the houses away for a month, then return them, it would be best. Just in case another colony is in the other woods?