Moving And Stray Cats

[adpibri]

Hello! I'm new to the forums, so I'm hoping this is the most appropriate thread.

For a little over a year now I've provided food and scritches for one of the community strays. I live in a quadplex townhome and considering moving to the unit diagonal from my current unit. I'm most concerned about the little stray that comes to visit. She usually only comes in the afternoons, and I know other people in the neighborhood also take care of her, so she's not dependent on me, but are there any tips on showing her I've moved (I know their instincts are good, but the thought of her coming to an empty balcony thinking we abandoned her makes me stress)? Our building is a square with four units, so it's a matter of just walking around the corner to the new unit - but out of everything entailed in moving, I'm most worried about the cat finding me. lol! I didn't know if anyone had any similar experiences with strays and moving - even though I'm just moving to the other side of the building.

Thanks!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Before you actually move, when you see her now, can you walk in short intervals/distances and then gradually longer, towards that side and then around the corner, then back so she sees you and starts to associate you as being over there?

 

[walli]

I think she will find you just fine! Cats are smart
you can start calling her by name when you feed her
and then in the afternoon when you expect her, call her name, such a short distance she will hear you!

 

[azpops]

Or, you could hang a worn shirt by the fence? She'll figure it out.

Pops

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Thanks for helping feed the community stray. Have you ever considering bringing her inside as your pet?

 

[fionasmom]

I think that if you work with her you will be fine if you make it clear to her where you are going. The TNRed ferals here were born under my neighbor's house and lived there for about 4 months. She remodeled and got them out ( she was very nice about the situation) and they did figure out that they would have to live on my property, eventually making it into the garage into nice beds. They moved at least as far as one house down the street with no intervention from me.