Need Advice On Relocating Ferals

[alex134]

Hello everyone, I am writing to ask advice on relocating a small colony of feral cats. Last year around this time, I tracked down my wandering semi feral cat, Redford, living in a colony 6 miles away. Redford is home and safe. You were all so very helpful with advice. The woman who was caring for him has become a dear friend. She continues to care for the original cats as well as one or two extras that show up occasionally. These are all male cats, with very different personalities. She lives in a large apartment building that has lots of green space, where the cats hang out and sun themselves. Recently, she is being hassled by the landlord, and one or two neighbors. These cats do nothing to harm anyone. It has gotten so bad that my friend will be moving at the end of June. She cannot take all of the cats with her, she can take only one, Boo Boo, who was actually abandoned by a tenant some years ago. She has been caring for Boo Boo for over three years. He is indoor/outdoor and around 12 years old. The others, and there are 3 of them, showed up at various times after Boo Boo was abandoned. Two are feral, and one, a large black cat that showed up last July - after Redford was recovered - seems to be either lost or abandoned. He is very timid, and this winter had a hard time with the cold weather. We don't think it will be an issue trapping him and taking him to a no-kill shelter. The remaining cats are Monk, Fluffy and Nasty, and they are the difficult ones. To make matters worse, Monk has a lump on his "wrist" and is limping. We need to get him to a vet. Yesterday, armed with rotisserie chicken, I went to check things out but I could not get very close to him. Monk definitely is limping, but he still moves pretty fast. He is also very trap savvy. So, I need help in trapping and relocating these three ferals. Where to relocate is the big issue. I have reached out to a local organization asking for advice and assistance, and have not yet received a reply, and to a person that I know has worked with feral rescue, who has not replied either. You guys on this forum are all so experienced that I thought I would put this out there. Thanks for anything you can offer. Alex134

 

[ondine]

Is there a rescue you can ask for help from? Often they have traps they can rent you and sometimes, they will help you trap. I would also ask them or your local shelter if they have a barn program. Many do.

Just remember, wherever you relocate them to, they will need to be confined for up to a month. Otherwise, they will try to return "home" - the apartment complex.

 

[Sarthur2]

Perhaps you can go ahead and trap the timid black cat and get him moved.

In the meantime, can you mix an antibiotic into the wet food of the cat who is limping?

It does sound like you might need the help of experienced trappers.

 

[alex134]

Is there a rescue you can ask for help from? Often they have traps they can rent you and sometimes, they will help you trap. I would also ask them or your local shelter if they have a barn program. Many do.

Just remember, wherever you relocate them to, they will need to be confined for up to a month. Otherwise, they will try to return "home" - the apartment complex.

I did message an organization that deals with ferals but have not yet received a return message. I will try calling tomorrow, as the org is run by all volunteers.

 

[alex134]

Perhaps you can go ahead and trap the timid black cat and get him moved.

In the meantime, can you mix an antibiotic into the wet food of the cat who is limping?

It does sound like you might need the help of experienced trappers.

Yes, we are planning on taking the black cat and possibly Fluffy to a no kill shelter. The care giver says Fluffy is very friendly and even likes her dog. I pray we can do this and then deal with the more difficult cases. I will mention the antibiotic to the caregiver. Thank you.

 

[alex134]

Norachan , @jmarkitell, any advice?

 

[Norachan]

Hi alex134

With trap savvy cats a drop trap is often the best way to catch them. If you have a look on YouTube there are some great videos on how to build and use a drop trap. I recommend that you make one and move it into the cats territory as soon as you can. The longer they have time to get used to the trap being there the more comfortable they will be with going inside.

I forget where you live, are you in the US? Some states and cities have Barn Cat programs, they help relocate feral cats to farms where they can live in peace.

Are there any stables in your area? Riding stables like to have cats around as they keep the mice out of the horse feed and off the tack. You could put up a notice anywhere that sells horse feed and ask if they need a stable cat.

As ondine said, the cats will need to be contained for at least a month in their new home, otherwise they will take off again.

Good luck, please keep us posted.

 

[alex134]

Hi alex134

With trap savvy cats a drop trap is often the best way to catch them. If you have a look on YouTube there are some great videos on how to build and use a drop trap. I recommend that you make one and move it into the cats territory as soon as you can. The longer they have time to get used to the trap being there the more comfortable they will be with going inside.

I forget where you live, are you in the US? Some states and cities have Barn Cat programs, they help relocate feral cats to farms where they can live in peace.

Are there any stables in your area? Riding stables like to have cats around as they keep the mice out of the horse feed and off the tack. You could put up a notice anywhere that sells horse feed and ask if they need a stable cat.

As ondine said, the cats will need to be contained for at least a month in their new home, otherwise they will take off again.

Good luck, please keep us posted.

 

[alex134]

Hi Norachan , thanks for weighing in on this problem. Yes, I do in fact have a drop trap. I purchased it last year as a last resort in trying to capture Redford. As it tuns out, I did manage to get Redford into a regular trap and never had to use the drop trap. I did keep it though, thinking I would need it in future, or could lend it to some one who needed it. The problem is, the landlord and the tenants at the apartment complex will not allow my friend to leave anything outside long enough for the ferals to get used to it.
Yes, there is a barn program in my area, western New York. From what I understand there are ferals that are waiting to be placed. I did hear back from the organization that works with ferals - they are not a sanctuary, and they also informed me that they cannot assist us with trapping. I will have to tackle this myself. My worst fear is that we will not be able to find a solution before the caretaker has to move. There is a riding stable not far from where I live. I am going to go over there tomorrow and see if I can speak to someone. If they are agreeable, it will be easy for me to help them get the cats acclimated since I live so close. At this point, I would even volunteer to pay for the cats food if they could help out. Thanks so much for your suggestions, and support.

 

[ondine]

Oh! I have all my fingers and toes crossed that the riding stable works out!

 

[alex134]

Oh! I have all my fingers and toes crossed that the riding stable works out!

 

[alex134]

ondine thank you so much! I need all the positive vibes on this adventure.

 

[alex134]

Hello, it has been a while since I posted. We have made very little progress with trapping and relocating the ferals that my friend is feeding. The stable idea did not pan out. One positive bit of news is that two weeks ago we managed to place one of the cats - a friendly older cat who was abandoned by two former owners - in a highly reputable and compassionate cat rescue. He is happy and safe, and has such a sweet personality. There is a second cat that the rescue said they would take if we could catch it. He is a large black cat that showed up about 10 months ago. I believe he is neutered. Problem is, I think he is beginning to revert. Has anyone had any experiences with this? We tried to trap him today to no avail. I have also been in touch with a feral cat group and have gotten advice from them. One thing they suggested was to leave open traps out near their food area so they could get used to them. That backfired, as the landlord went ballistic and removed the 2 traps. Now I have only one. The hysteria of the landlord and certain tenants is creating a very bad situation. One thing the feral cat group did do for me is to let me know of at least five registered caregivers in the area that are located between .3 and .6 miles from the current location. At least some of the cats disappear for a day or two at a time, and I often thought there may be more than one feeder in the area. We are not giving up, but things will be different after the end of this week, as my friend has to vacate her apartment. No one there really knows me and I can continue to try to catch these guys over the next few weeks. At least two of them need to be neutered. So that is my update, and thanks for reading. Any advice and certainly moral support is most welcome.

 

[ondine]

No advice, really, but wanted to encourage you to keep trying. Is there a way you might talk to the neighbors and explain what you are doing? If they know your intentions are to find the cats a new home, they may be more helpful.

If you have access to a drop trap, you might find that is easier to catch him. he sounds a bit trap-savvy to me.

 

[Norachan]

Sorry to hear you're having so many problems Alex. Have you met any of the other feral care givers? If the cats are going there for food you might be able to keep trying to trap at those other spots. Maybe get the other feral care givers to set up traps for the un-neutered cats too?

I prefer to do all my trapping at night, when there is no one around to complain. It might mean a few sleepless nights for you, but if you can set the traps up between midnight and dawn and wait nearby you could get a few of the more trap shy cats that way.

What kind of traps are you using?

 

[alex134]

No advice, really, but wanted to encourage you to keep trying. Is there a way you might talk to the neighbors and explain what you are doing? If they know your intentions are to find the cats a new home, they may be more helpful.

If you have access to a drop trap, you might find that is easier to catch him. he sounds a bit trap-savvy to me.

ondine thanks for the encouragement. You would think people would be understanding. Rather than cooperate they have decided to be obstructionists. My friend was forced out of her apartment and had to vacate last Friday. That was the last time we saw the remaining cats. I did a surveilance yesterday but did not see any of them. This is so frustrating. I do have a drop trap but no one will allow me to use it. As I mentioned two of my traps were already stolen.

 

[alex134]

Sorry to hear you're having so many problems Alex. Have you met any of the other feral care givers? If the cats are going there for food you might be able to keep trying to trap at those other spots. Maybe get the other feral care givers to set up traps for the un-neutered cats too?

I prefer to do all my trapping at night, when there is no one around to complain. It might mean a few sleepless nights for you, but if you can set the traps up between midnight and dawn and wait nearby you could get a few of the more trap shy cats that way.

What kind of traps are you using?

Hello Norachan . I have not met any of the other feral cat caregivers, because the organization that keeps track of all this insists on confidentiality. They were able to give me the general vicinity of caregivers but no specific addresses or names. I walked the areas last week, they are quite close to the former feeding site. I am going to survey the areas again later this week, and see if I can identify any hot spots of activity. I don't want to violate anyone's privacy. The volunteer at the feral cat support organization said this information should give me peace of mind. The other thing I can do is to go to the city clerks office, as a city ordinance requires all TNVR groups to register with the city and list properties within 50 yards of the trapping site. I might be able to get more information there. I am using a Trueheart trap. Thanks for your support.

 

[maureen brad]

Could the volunteer who gave you the info possibly pass your name and phone number to the others caring for ferals in that area? This way it would be up to them to contact you. I imagine that if they knew what you are trying to do they would want to help you.

 

[Norachan]

Was your friend the only person feeding the cats at the apartment? If they don't have a food source there they will soon move to one of the other feral colonies. I think it's encouraging that there are so many other feral care givers in the area. Plenty of people who will feed the ones that have been displaced.

Maybe you could put up posters in the areas you see other feral cats? A photo of any of the ferals, if you have one, and a note asking for help to to trap and relocate the ones who may be suitable for re-homing.

Thank you for doing so much for them Alex. It's really frustrating when people think the problem will just go away if they don't do anything about it.

 

[alex134]

Could the volunteer who gave you the info possibly pass your name and phone number to the others caring for ferals in that area? This way it would be up to them to contact you. I imagine that if they knew what you are trying to do they would want to help you.

Maureen Brad I took your advice and early this morning sent a text message to the feral cat org. Volunteer and asked her to forward my contact information to the caretakers. I also sent a picture of one of the cats who was obviously someone's pet. We tried catching him as I had a firm commitment from a rescue to take him and re home him, but the little guy did not cooperate. Thank you for that idea, I do hope someone responds.