Keeping ferals safe from coyotes etc.

[iluvcats3]

I live in a rural area, and "my" (she says she's hers) single feral in central Minnesota is living in a very nice, wood outbuilding for the winter with no access to the outdoors (she has a window perch, scratching post, heated cubby etc).

I noticed fisher tracks through my yard, and I see from looking it up online that these cat sized weasel creatures will prey on cats.In fact, there are two fishers patrolling my property, and not too far from the house. I think  I saw one of them in a lean to, attached to the outbuilding that my feral lives in, but it could have been a stray cat that ran away and never came back. The animal was the right color for a fisher, though.  I also have coyotes in the area, all over the place since I hear them yipping at times.  And I dunno if a large owl will take a full size cat. Do you folks with nice set ups lock up your cats for the night? In the day, the only likely predator in summer is an eagle and there is too much cover for good eagle hunting in my yard, so they don't circle around here hardly ever.  So she is probably safe out in the day and I'm far from the road.

She kinda likes me now, but I can't touch her. She might be contaminated, after all! I always write too much. So the question is, has anyone successfully trained their kitties to come in to the "barn" at night for their kibble, then close the barn door, and let them out in the morning, like little farm animals?  I can't see why this wouldn't work, unless in practice, ferals don't cooperate. Thanks!

 

[jtbo]

I'm not too sure if such would work, cats are from my experience such free spirits that it might be a problematic. Also I remember when I did manage to trap one to my warehouse, then she managed to escape, it took really long time until she came again to eat.

Also cats are night animals, they like time before and right after sunrise best as light is then good for their hunting, they also hunt at night but it seems to be more of exploring at night and hunting at sunset and sunrise, this of course then means that if cat is locked inside those times cat will not like from it as urge to go outside is high.

Also calls for mating seem to happen during the night or at least at dark, more than at day, maybe because at silence of night calls can be heard further.

So it is natural for them to be outside during the night.

Small farm animals, pigs, sheeps, chickens, all are daytime animals, it is probably lot easier to train them because of that, also they are not predators, they work in opposite way in many situations and I think that is big difference which is why with cats such would be more of challenge.

If cat is perfectly tame and used to live indoors, then it might work out well, but not so well with feral I think. However anything is possible, can't say that I would know everything there is to know about and maybe there is a way, but based from my experiences I would be surprised if there would be a way as so many experiences I have had are against that.
Also cats are individuals, maybe with some cat such would work well, at the end it does depend from the cat if cat can accept such limitations to freedom, would be interesting to hear if anyone has had success with such.
I know tame cats that are free to run outside and know to come inside before doors are locked, but not sure if that would apply to this case with feral cat.