Lost relocated semi-feral

[Jjc11400]

I panicked and relocated a semi-feral cat that have been feeding for several months. The whole situation is terrible. The place I fed her was an empty wooded lot which is where she lived and waited for me every night to come. They started to tear down the woods across the street ans then suddenly it appeared they were about to do the same to the wooded property I fed her on. They put up no trespassing signs and threw away her little shelter and bowls. (Not to mention they failed to throw away the restbod the dumping ground that it was full of trash and couches etc)...

Anyhow, I grabbed her up one night. She would talk to me let me pet her but she was not fond of me holding her just yet. I took her with me in an emergency situation because I planned on relocated her after I moved from my parewnts which would have been 3 wks... well she got scared of my other cat and escaped out the window. Shw stayed right there by my window for 3 hra while I put food down and coaxed her trying trying get her back in but she would not let me get her after that. By this time it was 4 am and I had to be at work at 6 so I placed warm blankets, more food water and such like I did at the other woods for her and left my window open. 2 hrs later I have never seen her again when I went to leave for work.. I have been placing tons of food (possums and raccoons are eating it up) and no sight if her whatsoever. I don't think I have seen her on the deer cam I placed. I just don't understand why she would have traveled so far away from the food and water source IF SHE DID or if she is hiding in silence and creeping by the camera without me catching it which is possible. There is one other female cat that I have NEVER seen visit regularly.

Now the issue is I had to move because I had already bought the new place obviously and was just waiting to move but I still go out and check the camera, walk around calling her and place food as often as I can but NO LUCK.

I put signs up but sadly had no quality pictures of her.

Do you think she is still close by the area?? The property of my parents is 3 acres with woods behind it and the same for the 2 neighbors either side of us. And there are woods throughout the entire area. To the back, across the street, to me left everywhere... I'm so lost at trying to find her but I don't think she just vanished in thin air or died.

What are your thoughts??? I once took another rescue there who ended up finding after a wk. However, I kept her inside for wks before she ever found her way outside so it was different but she also had in silence for a wk and and I ended up finding her up a tree directly behind the house in the woods.

Please ANY THOUGHT AND SUGGESTIONS. I FEEL AWFUL. I TRIED TO SAVE HER BUT INSTEAD literally caused this.

 

[maggie101]

TNR. Hopefully you will catch her and not someone else. Once you see her do not walk towards her. Anyone taller than her is a threat. She can be socialized but seeing your cat scared her

 

[fionasmom]

How far away did you relocate the cat? Is there any possibility that she has returned to the old living place? This is common in cats, and possible, even over several miles. If this sounds as if it might fit, you need to check the old feeding grounds or area around there. This cat did not have the time to get the bearings of the new area as the other cat you describe; usually that is a four week window.

Aside from that, keep trying everything that you are doing. I understand that this is a very wooded area and that you have wildlife who are more than happy to eat the food. I do agree that using a humane trap might work. It puts you into the same situation as someone who is trapping ferals to TNR them. Bait the trap with something like KFC which is very appetizing to cats.

Stay as proactive as you can and don't beat yourself up. This happened to me years ago before I was familiar with cats and their territory.

 

[Jjc11400]

TNR. Hopefully you will catch her and not someone else. Once you see her do not walk towards her. Anyone taller than her is a threat. She can be socialized but seeing your cat scared her

I do TNR. She was spayed months ago.

 

[Jjc11400]

How far away did you relocate the cat? Is there any possibility that she has returned to the old living place? This is common in cats, and possible, even over several miles. If this sounds as if it might fit, you need to check the old feeding grounds or area around there. This cat did not have the time to get the bearings of the new area as the other cat you describe; usually that is a four week window.

Aside from that, keep trying everything that you are doing. I understand that this is a very wooded area and that you have wildlife who are more than happy to eat the food. I do agree that using a humane trap might work. It puts you into the same situation as someone who is trapping ferals to TNR them. Bait the trap with something like KFC which is very appetizing to cats.

Stay as proactive as you can and don't beat yourself up. This happened to me years ago before I was familiar with cats and their territory.

No. I don't think it's possible she could have made it back. It's 25 min away. My only thing is I feel she might not be in the yard anymore as I don't catch her on the camera. So should I place the food and trap further back in the woods where maybe she is closer to? I just have no idea where to even look now. I feel like shebhas to be at some point heard me calling her because I have walked several miles, through the woods etc calling her. I almost thought I spotted her one night like 2 miles away but really it wouldn't have been as far from her because she could have cut through the back woods and through the field because the road loops around but I when I went to call her she wouldn't come out.

 

[Jjc11400]

Should I keep the food in the yard or move it elsewhere in the woods and move the location? I just don't know. I feel terrible.

 

[fionasmom]

You might try moving the trap to areas that seem logical to you. Since she has been trapped once, you might want to cover the trap on top or disguise it. Don't cover the back as the fact that she cannot see through it is sometimes a warning not to enter.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Check the old area, anyway. Cats have an incredible homing sense, one traveled almost 1,500 miles back to its old home.