Moving With Outdoor Cats

I didn't realize they were declawed when I made my previous post. Even perimeter protection is not enough for declawed cats, incidents can happen even in an enclosed area where a sudden threat enters their normal environment and declawed cats have no way to quickly defend against that without claws. They do have teeth, but in older cats, their teeth may not be as strong and sharp and therefore their bite attempts will be less sure and potentially less effective. That generally leaves them with hissing and posturing as a defense mechanism. They may be reluctant to bite, even in a threat situation. I would strongly recommend a very secure catio, if they have to go out at all.

As others have said maybe share this site with your parents and ask them to read about the cats' well being for themselves if you can, if not, maybe print off a couple of articles or try and get them to see a vet and get recommendations from them.

If you haven't already, emphasize just how stressful moves can be for the cats and try and get them to have a vet check during the move ( again I appreciate this is out of the norm for the cats and they will already be stressed but some vets is better than none). Hopefully, hearing that advice from the vet will help them to understand the gravity of the cats' declawing and how that will affect them in an open environment.

Finally, thank you. You are making a great effort to protect these animals.

Moka said:

My parents are moving in the next month and have two outdoor cats that they are taking with them. They plan to keep the cats confined to an enclosed outdoor porch area at the new house. How long should the cats be confined before they can be let loose on the new property? Are there any special preparations my parents should make when moving the cats to the new house?

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When I had to move with my previous outdoor cat I read all the info. on the internet and it scared me. He was semi feral and was never in my previous house but I did feed him. Most of the advice I read claimed many weeks before they are re-homed and can be let out. I tried keeping him in the house and everything was fine for a few days, then he started going a little nuts wanting out so I gave in and let him go out a little at a time. I made sure he was fed outside so he would know where to come for food / water. To my surprise he was fine and didn't run off. Now I will say that I had another semi feral outdoor cat years ago who moved with me about 1.5 miles away. She would disappear and I could always find her at the old house. Sadly she got FELV and had to be put down. My current cat who I rescued after he was dumped (I believe) I kept in the house for a couple of weeks as I had no idea if he had been outside or inside. I started letting him out under supervision a little at a time. My prior cat I let come/go through a kitty door in a window and I showed my current cat how it worked one time and he was fine coming/going. I hope I have helped in some small way. I would say it is important that they have an established place where food/water is before they are let loose. If possible I would get halter and leash and take them around property so they can get their smells around and used to the surroundings. The leash might be too much to ask but they could at least be let loose supervised for short times till they get oriented.
Sorry to be so wordy, hope it helps.

Welp, the kitty litter has hit the fan. I just got off the phone with my mother. She REFUSES to let any cats inside. She does not want them damaging her new house. She actually LAUGHED when I suggested an enclosed yard. I tried to explain to her dangers a declawed cat could face. It ended with her yelling that if I cared so much for the "stupid cats", I should just take them. Then, she hung up on me. . . I would in a heartbeat if I did not live in a tiny apartment that only allows one cat. The kitten I have now I actually "rescued" from them. I "rescued" the last two from them as well. Pumpkin (died of mammary cancer in 2017) was also declawed and thrown outside (That's 3 cats my mother has now done this to for anyone counting). I took her when I moved out in 2010. Just before Pumpkin died, I noticed during a visit that Reeses the inside cat at my parent's house was getting very thin and suggested she see a vet. (This cat was actually the mother of Rolo, the 13 year old male that this all about.) Mom said "nope, Reeses is always that skinny. She does not need a vet visit." Reeses had not seen the vet in over 10 years. When Pumpkin died, I took Reeses to live with me. It took me 4 months to arrange for a vet visit as I have no transportation and am low income. But, I got her there. Reeses was diagnosed with end stage kidney disease. My mother's responds to this? "Oh, you must have done something to her. She did not have that before you took her."
Reeses lived for another 6 months. When she died, I took Salem, a kitten born at my parents house. A year before, Salem's grandmother started to make my parent's garage home base. I found a near by low cost clinic that does feral / stray spays for only $25 a cat. I sent this to my mother. She said she would think about it but, felt it was not her cat and therefore not her responsibility. Salem's mother was born a few months later and then Salem. No cat ever got spayed (except for Salem) and they are all still in the area, including Salem's two sisters. My parents feel totally ok with leaving them all behind. They have made no arrangements for the cats and they will be at the mercy of the people who just bought the house. I honestly don't even know which cats or even how many are on the property right now. Last I knew, there were at least 5 unspayed females living on there.
I apologize for the long post, but I wanted people here to understand what I am up against. Also, I am just furious at the moment and have no interest in trying to filter my parents' attitude and actions through rose colored glasses. I also want to thank everyone here who posted for their support and advice. I am not saying I am giving up on Rolo and Bella, but I know my Mother and I know you can't force people to change. I will update as the move happens, if anyone is interested. But, I don't think this is going to end well.

I can relate to your frustration!! My mom is a dog person so she is reluctant to help the cats. When my father died suddenly, I was obliged to move home into my mom's house where there were some unfixed ferals and my mom insisted that AC would take care of the problem. Ironically, right before he died, my father asked for my pledge to take care of "his" cats as well as my mom. My mom also has insisted that I not work outside the home "in case she needs me" so paying for TNR was an undue hardship as well as utterly heartbreaking with many tinies lost to diseases. Against her protests, I rescued many babies (sometimes I had 21-22 bottle babies) and very little income for supplies. Slowly but surely, I got them TNR'D. But it is still a struggle to care for them all - the youngest cats from here are 4 years old now.
Are there any TNR groups in your area? maybe they would go back to the old residence and get those kitties fixed.

Ok, what DOES motivate your mother?
Why does she keep the cats?

For me if she's this blaze about their well being, and you're unable to take them (because of your limited rights as a renter) then we need to have a conversation about why she's keeping these cats at all.

If she isn't willing to;

A) Listen to you or anyone else as to why these cats should be indoors
B) spend money to take them to the vet
C) recognize health issues (you mentioned about Reeses) previous issue I know but this is now a proven history of NOT recognizing issues.

and then Actively laughs at your researched suggestion. Then I'm very much looking for;

1) why does she keep these animals if she has no active care for their health?
2) What would she consider a genuine health concern?
3) Who would she take advice off ?
4) When does SHE think it's acceptable to allow the cats free reign at a new house? (time frame)
5) Where does she think the other cats are going to go when they vacate the property.

Given that this lady is your mother and she's just hung up on you on a previous discussion, I can appreciate it might be difficult for you to ask these questions. If you need to, get someone else to ask these questions if you don't know the answer already.

Your conversation might go like this:

I.E
I like to have the cats around because I like to watch them eat, I'd be concerned if the cat had a large growth, I only take advice from the vet, I won't keep them inside at all the other cats are not my problem they are strays.

you might say something like;

Yeah, it's great to watch the cats eat I love watching [My cat], not all illnesses are visible though, and the cats can get stressed with a move, perhaps you should speak to the vet before you move just to get some trusted advice on their health, you could talk to the vet about letting them out as well. You don't have to worry about the strays so much, but you have been feeding them for [TIME] maybe it's time you handed them off to [LOCAL CHARITY] so you won't have to worry about their well being.

Then just move on from the conversation to something else do not worry if you don't get an instant response, this is just to plant a seed of care and doubt (sounds awful I know). If she's already made up her mind that they are not arranging any care for the stray cats, then you won't lose anything by saying they won't have to worry BUT it might trigger a "have I thought about that" in their mind.

I think this might be a very challenging conversation to have because there has already been so much discussion about it between you. In this instance you will probably face "we've already talked about it" or "I don't want to discuss it anymore" in which case, you could try to handle those objections with something like "I just want to put your mind at rest" or "I'm here to help you with planning the move" or "If you don't want to talk about that again now, it's fine, but I do feel it's important to discuss it further before you move." Or you can avoid that altogether by arranging another person to have that conversation.

I'm aware this is a horrifically long post. If you have any questions or want any clarification on what I've written above, please just quote me.

kissthisangel .... wow! you should be helping with our nation's foreign affairs! Your suggestions are classy, tactful and persuasive

catsknowme said:

kissthisangel .... wow! you should be helping with our nation's foreign affairs! Your suggestions are classy, tactful and persuasive

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Thank you for your kind comment. Part of my new job is having conversations with people in serious debt who don't want to talk about it (Joy). Conversation management is understandably a major part of that, but it can definitely be used in day to day life to maintain control of difficult situations. As for Foreign affairs I'd mainly recommend that world leaders don't use twitter as their sole method of communication! lol

kissthisangel
I want to apologize for taking so long to reply to you post. You clearly put a lot of thought and effort into it. Thank you! I wanted to try to answer you post with an equal amount of care. It just took me a while. I think now I can answer most of your questions, but the answers may not be what you were hoping for. The questions that you asked are completely logical and reasonable. My mother is just not. It is hard to apply a rational argument to a problem when you are dealing with an irrational, unpredictable and sometimes unstable person.

1) why does she keep these animals if she has no active care for their health?
This is where the whole rational question applied to an irrational person comes in to play. I know my mother love me, but she has done horrible things to me growing (that I would rather not get into here). I know she loves me, but she treats me badly. I know some part of her cares for the cats and feels compassion for them, but that does not mean that she will put any "extra" effort into caring for them. Rolo was born at their house and has lived there for 13 + ? years. So, the simple familiarity of him being around for so long could play a part in her attachment to the cats. But, it is rather difficult to speculate all the reasons why even a "normal" person is attached to their cats. I mean hoarders love their cats, but either can't or won't give them proper care. I truly believe some part of my mother does love the cats, but someone can love another and still neglect them.

2) What would she consider a genuine health concern?
I have been trying to find a nicer way to put this, but screw it. My mother rarely took ME to the doctor even when something was clearly wrong. Growing up, I would have to BEG to go to the doctor if something was really wrong. I am her biological child and I did not get any kind of regular medical care. Knowing this, is it that surprising that someone like that would not take a cat to the vet?! Growing up, most of our cats saw the vet twice in their lives, once to be spayed/ neutered and declawed and to be euthanized at the "end" of their life. I really don't know what would have to happen for her to even consider taking a cat to the vet. Rolo came home one day (a few years ago) with his head tilted to one side. It could have been a symptom of head trauma, poisoning or just a really bad ear infection. Mom said if it stayed like that until Christmas (This happened in November.) She would take Rolo in to the vet. Christmas came and went. Rolo had not gotten any better. So, I reminded my mother what she had said. "No, I NEVER said I would take him to the vet!". Rolo still walks with his head tilted. Any normal, responsible cat owner would have considered their cat coming home with a head tilt an emergency. So, I really don't know if there is ANY situation that she consider a genuine health concern.

3) Who would she take advice off ?
I honestly don't know. I guess random articles on the internet. I have no idea.

4) When does SHE think it's acceptable to allow the cats free reign at a new house? (time frame)
I told her the recommendation from people on this thread that they should be confined for 8 weeks to be safe. She actually seems to have accepted this or at the very least did not argue with me and tell me how ridiculous I am. So. . .we shall see.
I did finally get to see the new place which was the reason for my waiting to update. But, anyways the porch that the cats will be contained on is definitely big enough. I am "donating" a small cat tree that me spoiled little floof won't use. I also put together a goodies bag with a variety of toys and catnip so Rolo and Bella don't get too bored. They have never had toys before so it should be an interesting new experience for them.
The property itself may be worse that I feared. I actually saw a HUGE mink by the shore and I found a pile of it's scat close to the house. Also, the nearest neighbor is super close which the cats are not used to from living in the country. I just hope the neighbors like cats. I think I am going to try again with reflective collars and ID for the cats. Rolo has lost SO many collars over the years. So, if anyone has any favorite types or brands, please let me know.

5) Where does she think the other cats are going to go when they vacate the property.
I don't think she has thought about it at all. She just doesn't care what happens to the cats or where they will end up. She immediately shuts down and gets mad if I even ask about the cats.

Moka

Thanks for taking the time to write that I have a much better understanding of the position you are in now. It's good that the porch is suitable for them having a cat tree and any other vertical space in there will be good as well, even if it's just a couple moving boxes it will just make it feel like they have more space in there. Because the cats are not used to being confined into any area they may well struggle with this at first and squabble but it's important not to panic, this is the right thing for them to be safer.

It sounds like your hands are tied RE the vet check, of course the head tilt would raise flags with all of us, however again as he's not your cat you can't really do anything. Hopefully his behavior is normal otherwise?

I live in the UK, I had to look up what a mink was and I've come to the conclusion it's a large angry otter type creature. I have to say it is pretty concerning as they are territorial, and the cats are going to be likely to be wanting to explore along by the river if it's that close to the house. were there minks near the old property? maybe the cats know to avoid them.

With the other cats, the strays is there any local rescue you can alert, maybe not go into the whole situation just that you are aware of a stray cat colony in the neighborhood who are no longer receiving support, like an anonymous tip?

It must be a very difficult position to be in as you clearly care for all of the cats, but without risking damaging your current relationship with your mom by pushing her into discussions there's very little you can do. giving the cats toys and bedding and a cat tree is good. I can't help you with the collar question, I live in a busy estate and there are tons of cats who's owners just let them out not fixed and they just scrap and fight all the time, I just keep mine indoors. I used to have breakaway collars for them with my name inside a barrel in case they got out but they kept taking them off so we gave up in the end.

kissthisangel said:

Moka

Thanks for taking the time to write that I have a much better understanding of the position you are in now. It's good that the porch is suitable for them having a cat tree and any other vertical space in there will be good as well, even if it's just a couple moving boxes it will just make it feel like they have more space in there. Because the cats are not used to being confined into any area they may well struggle with this at first and squabble but it's important not to panic, this is the right thing for them to be safer.

It sounds like your hands are tied RE the vet check, of course the head tilt would raise flags with all of us, however again as he's not your cat you can't really do anything. Hopefully his behavior is normal otherwise?

I live in the UK, I had to look up what a mink was and I've come to the conclusion it's a large angry otter type creature. I have to say it is pretty concerning as they are territorial, and the cats are going to be likely to be wanting to explore along by the river if it's that close to the house. were there minks near the old property? maybe the cats know to avoid them.

With the other cats, the strays is there any local rescue you can alert, maybe not go into the whole situation just that you are aware of a stray cat colony in the neighborhood who are no longer receiving support, like an anonymous tip?

It must be a very difficult position to be in as you clearly care for all of the cats, but without risking damaging your current relationship with your mom by pushing her into discussions there's very little you can do. giving the cats toys and bedding and a cat tree is good. I can't help you with the collar question, I live in a busy estate and there are tons of cats who's owners just let them out not fixed and they just scrap and fight all the time, I just keep mine indoors. I used to have breakaway collars for them with my name inside a barrel in case they got out but they kept taking them off so we gave up in the end.

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Rolo still acts fairly normal, for him I guess. He has always been a little "special". lol I love him to bits, but to be straight, he is dumb as mud. He once climbed a 30 foot tree and got stuck. When we finally noticed him, we approached the tree to try and figure out a way to get him down. Well, Rolo saw us coming and I can only guess, thought "yeah, my people! I am safe and can get down now." He just WALKED of the edge of the branch and fell straight down onto a pile of damp moss, bounced about 8 feet, landed and just trotted over to us. He was totally fine and quite happy to see us.
There were no large predators on the old property. The biggest "threat" the cats had to contend with was an occasional opossum, skunk or raccoon. The cats would often share their food bowl with these wild animals. So, Rolo has no experience with a truly dangerous or aggressive wild animal. He has so little sense that he would probably go up to a bear and head butt it. Thank goodness there are no bears at the new place, but the mink are going to be a problem. The property is in disrepair and the shoreline of the lake is a mess. I am hoping that if the reeds and weeds are cleaned out, the mink will move farther down the shore. But, that does not mean that the cats will never encounter a mink. The cats' food will definitely attract unwanted visitors.
I am not sure if there is any local organization that would even care about a stray cat colony. The old place is in the country. The "neighborhood" is made up of a few farms spread far apart. There are "barn cats" everywhere. I do know that the closest animal shelter (really the only one) is a high kill shelter that is always at maximum capacity. I am not saying I am giving up on the cats. I just want to make sure to tell the right people. I know there is a low cost TNR vet clinic nearby, but it is more for individual people to bring in a few strays here and there. It is not really used by anyone maintaining or organizing a cat colony. I actually used them to spay my kitten last October. So, I will contact them and see if they can point me in the right direction.
Thank you for your patience and time advising me in this matter! It has been a big help!

Moka

keep us up to date. I'm sorry I have no other real suggestions. Hopefully the strays will fall in with the other barn cats but it's well worth talking to the TNR group, they might be able to take them on just so that stray population doesn't get any bigger