We have to move. Need advice on relocating 6 - 9 feral cats.

[ldg]

I can crate Baloo, Smokey, Khol, Froggie (if she's around), and Little Dot (if she's around). Treebie I can trap with the drop trap. Bean is new, and not yet neutered. He showed up a few days before we found out we have to move. I'm pretty sure I'll wait to trap him, so he goes to the vet, is neutered, and then caged for the relocation. His eating spot is under the drop trap. :lol3: I'm a *little* nervous about trapping him before Treebie. Treebie bolted when we released him from the Hav-a-hart last year and disappeared for six months. If he sees Bean trapped in the drop trap, I worry he won't go near it again. As Treebs is now friendly.... I'd rather take the risk that Bean won't go eat in the drop trap. We may be able to get him in the Hav-a-heart, never having seen it before.

They will all be caged for a month before being released.

Is it best to crate them one at a time, or just go for it, and (try to) move them all the same day? Or remove one at a time, let things settle, then do another one (so remove one every few days)? We have someone that can feed them where we're most likely moving (unless our other option comes through - and that we can feed both places easily), so we don't need to move before they're all relocated (in cages).

Thanks.

 

[ritz]

I would try to relocate/move as many as possible at one time. They can all adjust at one time, together. Learn from each other, perhaps. Agree with your plan for Bean.
I do think it is important to keep feeding on a regular basis the ones being left behind -- you have a better chance of being able to trap them (as I'm sure you know).
Sorry you have to move, hope you had some say in the matter.
Good luck!

 

[Norachan]

I've just moved 18 over the period of about 6 weeks, but the new place was only a 20 minute drive from our old house so it was easy for me to keep going back and forth.

I found the ones that had been moved first and given time to adjust had a calming effect on the ones that were moved later.

Also, I guess you'll be keeping the caged cats outside? I kept them in the house while they adjusted and it was easier on us just to have one or two walking around howling than having all 18 making a racket at once. (Mr Husband and I took it turns to sleep at the new place so that there was someone with them nearly all of the time.)

I've still got 2 of the more feral-feral cats, as opposed to the friendly-feral cats, that I have to go back and trap. I'm having problems with my cat-proof fence at the moment and I want to make sure it really is cat-proof before I bring any more of them up here.

I kept the traps and cages covered with blankets that had been sprayed with Feliway while the cats were in them. It did seem to calm them down a bit.

Good luck with the move. I'm sending you vibes for successful trapping.

 

[goholistic]

If ferals rely on their colony for support and strength, then my initial thought, also, is to move them all at once so that they can be together. So I guess I'm looking at this from a behavior standpoint. Would moving one and putting him in the new location by himself cause fear and apprehension? Would keeping them apart for too long inadvertently create aggression and tension among the colony? Maybe move them them in two batches to have a similar effect that Norachan described? I'm really asking. I certainly don't know.  I have only ever cared for one colony in my lifetime, so I'm not the expert. But I wanted to send lots of vibes and wish you the best of luck during the relocation. 

 

[ldg]

Thank you all for your thoughts and experiences.

They're not going any place they can be released - no room, no enclosure. They'll have to be caged. And they're not a "colony" as in any kind of cohesive unit. That used to be the case before Baloo arrived in 2011. He is aggressive in attitude, and basically broke up the "colony." He's why Tabby and Babygirl no longer eat here, let alone visit. Inkblot and PBJ disappeared at some point. Only their sister, Peanutbutter stuck around, and I hear her meowing at meal time at the edge of the woods every few weeks to a month. She was here steadily for a few weeks at a time during the storms and coldest parts of winter.

I have three girls, Little Dot, Froggie, and Khol that are independent. Dottie and Froggie are only here for meals. Khol doesn't stay the night here, but is around quite a bit of the time because she enjoys being around me, and is strong-willed enough to hiss at every moving thing, and manages her fear of the other cats by rushing at them - so the boys back off.

Smokey puts up with Baloo's bossiness, so they are now good buddies. Treebie and Bean skirt the edges, but have become friendly with each other.

Tommy ... is a survivor and a loner, and is never here on any regular schedule.

So ... we have two pairs of males that get along: Treebie-Bean ; Smokey-Baloo ; a loner male, and three independent females. I don't know that Tommy is trappable to be relocated. I'd love it if we were able to trap him to bring him, but I do not fear he will not survive if we aren't able to relocate him.

I think it best if we can remove at least Baloo and Smokey at the same time. Baloo's absence may make it more comfortable for the girls (and Treebie and Bean) - which may make it easier to crate/trap them.

 

[Norachan]

I think moving the bossy cats first will make the shy ones easier to trap as they'll be around more often. I moved my alpha girls, Susy and Chicken, and Little Boy, the bully, in the first few weeks. After that the shy cats who only used to show up at meal times started hanging around the house more, so I had more chances to get them into the carriers.

It's funny how quickly word spreads on the cat grapevine. Once I had moved Susy Aunt Tokiko and Great Aunt Molly (two females that I TNR'd over a year ago that now get fed by my neighbours) started showing up every day to see if there was any food on offer. When Susy was here I'd only ever see them about once a month because she used to chase them off.

 

[ldg]

Yep, that's Baloo. And he's training Smokey too well.

Froggie was here every meal, every day all winter. Little Dot was here frequently, but once the worst of the weather was over, she disappeared for ... about six weeks.

In April, they overlapped exactly one day (they eat at the same area of two feeding stations - I have 5 set up for 10 cats in three disparate locations because of how they DON'T get along!) - and Dottie has been here every meal, every day since, and I hadn't seen Froggie until this past Wednesday.

I was in a different location of the park, and saw a gray and white kitty dart across the road. I stopped, grabbed a can of cat food, and headed her direction. I kneeled down at the edge of the trees and did my dinner time MEOW. She stopped and turned - and I saw the white stripe on her leg and the white dot on her nose/mouth, and knew it was her. I popped the can and called her, and she came RUNNING. She was rubbing all over me, purring, and ravenously eating. The neighbor across the way came out to see if everything was OK - I explained. And she said Froggie had been hanging out at the RV park garbage cans all season (it opens in April).

I grabbed a crate, and after she'd eaten a bit, I just put her in it. Drove her home, and released her at the feral villa (where she ate over the winter) after I put out more food and water. She didn't bolt, but ate.

And she's been here each meal since, and soooooooooo purring and loving! :heart2:

And today, she got too bold. She came out of the grasses - and Smokey went after her.

It just makes me heartsick.

The problem is that she looks terrible. So she is NOT living well on garbage. And with the RV park closed over the winter, there won't be garbage to eat.

I don't know what will happen when they're relocated, but.... they all have to come.

 

[ldg]

The feral kitties that will be coming with us.


Baloo

_Baloo on dirt 140810.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 10, 2014

Smokey

_Smokey on back 140115am.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 10, 2014

Khol

_Khol sitting 140810.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 10, 2014

Her sister, Froggie

_Froggie 140810.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 10, 2014

Little Dot

_Dottie 130513.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 10, 2014

Treebie (He's really not the sad sack he looks like in that 2nd picture!)

_Treebie 140810.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 10, 2014

_Treebie friskies 140810.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 10, 2014

Bean (I just realized I don't have a closer, non-fuzzy photo. Ooops!)

_Bean 140713.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 10, 2014

...and if we can trap him, Tommy. :heart2:

_Tommy 140523.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 10, 2014

 

[goholistic]

I laughed out loud at the picture of Bean. You DID say she/he skirts the edges, and your picture demonstrates that! 

 

[mani]

Love the shots, Laurie..

Thank you for sharing.

 

[ldg]

Peanutbutter turned up this morning. :heart2:

IMG_20140814_131536.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 14, 2014

 

[ritz]

Happy Dance Happy Dance....

 

[ldg]

I know. It's always a relief to know they're still alive - and well!

 

[ldg]

Bean. He will eat near me, but is very skittish.

IMG_20140811_200617.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 14, 2014

IMG_20140811_200612.jpg

• ldg
• Aug 14, 2014

 

[ldg]

Won two crates on ebay. Saved $24. With Pawley's cage, six to go....

We've decided to house them in a tent for the relocation. Even though we'll have a divider, which should prevent anyone escaping, if anyone does, they'll escape into the tent. Knock wood.

 

[goholistic]

We've decided to house them in a tent for the relocation. Even though we'll have a divider, which should prevent anyone escaping, if anyone does, they'll escape into the tent. Knock wood.

Good idea!  

 

[feralvr]

I have to say that I just get a giggle on the names you and Gary come up with. Bean is really handsome and I know that you will be successful in getting him trapped and neutered. Somehow, you always make these things successful. :bigthumb:

When I had to relocate feral cats from barn to barn, we always try to trap them around the same day or two and move all together. The one barn we moved too had a back barn - unused - so that is where we set up all of the crates. There were 11 cats in all to relocate. There was only one of the 11 that took off (after a two week confinement) and never returned after our move. The other 10 stayed around. We do the best we can, Laurie !! This is quite the adventure for all of you to embark on but I know that this will all work out and the kitties WILL stick around no matter where you move. They know the RV !!!! So where the RV (and Laurie goes :lol3 the cat's go and the cat's will stay. :cross: :cross: :cross:

I am sorry to hear about Babygirl and Tabby but as you know, the dynamics do change within the groups and that is definitely a worry on our hearts and one we can't prevent. Again, doing THE best you can for all of them, always. :heart3:

So glad to hear about Froggie, poor baby. I hope that she will stick around and that Baloo will stop running them off. :wife: I still wish that someone would take Baloo in - and that your outside crew could be free of his ruling's. Although, will say, there always seems to be another one to step in that position (Smokey :slant thus never freeing anyone from these torments. Such is a life of a feral kitty but a much better one under a caretaker such as yourself.

 

[feralvr]

I also wanted to mention that I was able to borrow some crates from a few local rescues and feral organizations during the big barn move. I really did not want to have to purchase THAT many crates but if I did, I would have donated them to my feral organization. I wonder if that is a possibility for you to find some crates to take out on loan for a few weeks? Believe it or not, even some vets have them in the back and may be willing to support your effort. I was, also, thinking that I could send you a couple that I have here as well and would be very happy to do so! :sun: :heart2: