I'm Moving And I Have To Leave Stray Cats

[LiliFG]

Hi, I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I have to move in two months' time to a new house.
I'm going to a smaller house with my husband, my two dogs, and my 4 cats, two of which have only three legs, I've always rescued dogs and cats. I've had up to 10 dogs and cats simultaneously.
I'm feeding several stray cats but they don't let me get near them, they are very scared.
One of them, I've seen him since he was about 2 months old, now he's about 7 months' old. I feed him every day in my front yard. He sleeps there and in my neighbour's house.
I want to take him along with me to my new house.
I could try and catch him, I think I could manage that, but I would have to lock him up in a cage or a room. And I don't feel that he wants to go, he's afraid of one of my dog. I'm afraid that he'll run away in the new house. He seems to like this neighbourhood, but doesn't have food.
My neighbour's won't feed him if I go away.
What should I do? I'm obviously very, very, very sad because I have to leave him.
How do stray cats survive?

 

[Sarthur2]

I really think you should try to trap him and take him with you.

After staying inside the home in a room for a month or so, he will adjust to his new surroundings. It would also be an opportunity to socialize him more. He is still young and sounds frightened.

If you trap him now, he can already begin adjusting in your current home.

 

[LiliFG]

Thank you for your answer! In a smaller house it will be difficult to find a place inside to lodge 5 cats and on top of that they are very competitive between them. But I'll try to get closer to Oli, that's his name, in these two months that I have left, and I will try and take him along with me. If not, I will come and feed him every day or two, as I'm moving 13 blocks away and see how things develop. Besides there are other cats that I know come and eat at night. I didn't mention another problem: my husband. He loves them, but definitely doesn't want so many. I can manage him more easily than I can manage a stray cat so... Thanks again!!

 

[Sarthur2]

Thirteen blocks is fairly close! You should be able to manage a daily feeding for the other strays.

Do you have clinics in Argentina that will spay and neuter ferals at low cost?

I do hope you can trap Oli and move him!

 

[LiliFG]

Yes, it is close. Fortunately I don't live in Venezuela Poor Venezuelans are having a tough time.
This is Buenos Aires, Argentina. Yes we do have places where they neuter cats and dogs at low cost and there are a lot of organizations that neuter cats and dogs in places where there are lots of them living in the streets. It's a drop in the ocean.
But at least awareness increased and young people are adopting instead of buying.
I do hope I can take Oli with me. It's very distressing. I've seen in this forum worst situations than mine. I know.
But I can't stop crying at the thought that I would have to leave all these stray cats.
I won't abandon him, that's for sure. But taking him with me during the first month will be difficult. I haven't got a spare room for cats that don't get along too well. Fortunately it will be spring by then. It will be easier. I think that I will come and feed them, wait till Oli get's used to me and my other four cats get used to the new house. Thanks again!

 

[Sarthur2]

Oops! It's been corrected to Argentina.

I hope everything works out. I hope you can get Oli neutered also.

 

[LiliFG]

Neutering is my main priority. I collaborate every month with two groups that work in emergency zones, where doctors go and neuter 40 to 50 cats and dogs each time, and there are many groups like these two. Sometimes it's frustrating because you see that this will take for ever. But at least they don't kill them. About 30 years ago, they killed stray dogs and cats regularly. I won't go into details, because it's very sad. I always neuter everything that I can get my hands on

 

[kittychick]

Wow - you're really helping out the animals of Argentina! I understand how much time, money and effort it takes to care for that many animals - and it's alot! I know it's not always easy for us in the US, but I've learned through friends from other countries (and this site) that people who want to help animals have it much harder, both from an availability of spay/neuter clinics, and from a strictly cultural view (so many countries don't believe in helping out animals, particularly stray/feral cats). So YEAH FOR YOU for making such a difference! I have a much smaller feral situation in my neighborhood, but I understand the feeling that "it never ends"...since all it takes is two kitties and then the babies keep coming!

Hopefully you can take Oli since I can almost hear the attachment and love for him through the computer, but I recognize that's alot of animals in a fairly small home (and that's saying alot - coming from me ). I was so glad to see that at least you're only moving 13 blocks away - so that, at worst, you could return once a day to feed. Because sadly, many strays that don't have caretakers for food, water and shelter, don't survive very long.

I agree with Sarthur2 - if you can get him now and start him down the road of socialization, you've got a good head start before you move. Plus trapping him and neutering him will make him more likely to "settle down" inside AND curb his desire to roam (and keep from making more of the never-ending supply of kittens!). Plus the earlier you get him the easier socializing is----literally every week counts!

If you don't have an extra room - - you could start him out in a bathroom, or in a large cage in a bedroom that can be closed off - even if it's your bedroom initially (alot of us use large - like great dane size - dog crates for early socialization). Many of us on this forum can help you with that if you've never socialized inside like that.

And if worst comes to worst and you simply can't make it work after trying him inside (and I get the idea you're not the kind of person who tries something for a day or two and gives up!) --- he could be returned to where he/you were, and you'd be close enough to still keep an eye on him! But hopefully - -he becomes a wonderfully socialized boy that your husband comes to love too

Good luck -keep us posted.

 

[LiliFG]

Hi kittychick! Caring for animals takes time, money and effort, but mostly it is hard to bear. I feel terrible when I see stray cats or dogs.
A lot of people help animals here, but many don't even see them and don't even think of neutering them. But fortunately there's a law of animal protection: law 14346
Argentina | World Animal Protection
so they're not killing them and the government is helping through it's zoonosis departments to neuter without charge. They even send units to poor districts, at least here in the capital.
I'm trying to socialize Oli since the day I saw him when he was a baby.
He panics when he sees my dog, because if Oli runs, my dog runs after him, although my dog has always lived with cats and he loves them. My husband loves them too, but after all these years he's tired, I think because he's tired of seeing them die.
I've still got two months left before I move. I'll try to get closer to Oli.
I will keep you posted! Thanks a lot to all of you!

 

[Sarthur2]

Can you spend time with Oli without your dog around to chase him?

 

[kittychick]

I completely agree. It is SO hard....losing them, or seeing them suffer (even those you don't know) is SO hard.

We lost two of our indoor cats last year alone (but they'd lived to ages 19 and 20 - so they did have wonderfully long lives where they were loved very much). Then just a few months ago we lost one of our 5 TNR'd ferals in the part of the neighborhood cat colony that calls our yard home. I'd finally made a break-through with her after two years of working with her - -- but one morning a few months ago (just after she'd started letting me into her world some) one of our neighbors found her passed away in their yard. The most positive thing about it was that she had just eaten a wonderful meal the night before, had played and caught bugs in the yard throughout the evening, eaten salmon from my hand as midnight treat (the first time she'd eaten out of my hand!), then had a wonderful breakfast. She was found just 20 minutes later. But she had no signs of trauma - no dog attacks, no wounds of any kind, she hadn't been hit by a car, I checked and she hadn't been poisoned. The vet thought she just laid down in the cool grass and her heart gave out - - very quickly and painlessly. She's buried in our backyard with a lovely marker.

We just heard that a new group of ferals is developing in another part of our neighborhood - - and so few of us are willing to take the time or spend the money to spay and neuter (we've spent hundreds and hundreds - even going through a great spay/neuter clinic - - but throw in the several we've had to get to the vet because of broken legs, etc. and the money just flows out like water - water we don't have. Plus I need to find someone who will be their caretaker in that part of the neighborhood (I have fibromyalgia - and just daily caring for our outside 4 and inside 4 is about all I can physically handle right now). I've reached out to a few others in our neighborhood that have helped in the past - but so far no one's willing to help. I know I need to go down and try to get someone in that area to try to caretake - and to let me trap in their yards....but I told my husband my heart just needs a break. My husband even begged me to take a break too - - I think he's like your husband.....it's been wonderful to know we're doing so much good.....but it's hard to watch the injured, etc. not survive. So I understand completely - and I think my husband would say he totally understands yours I wish you so much luck - - - and hope you keep us all informed about how it's going!!!