Expert: Jessica - 12/28/2009

Question
Hello,

My husband and I recently bought a house with acreage and a large barn.  We have a horse and donkey in the barn. Well, my mom has had a neighborhood cat live on her porch and her neighbor's porch for going on two years.  She (I think it is a girl) is super friendly and just hangs out and comes and goes freely.  They feed it and it always comes back.  I am planning on bringing this cat home to my barn and want to know the best way to go about adapting her to her new home and making sure she stays around.  One side of the barn can be completely closed up so she can't escape.  Would it be wise to keep her in there for awhile?  Or will she be okay to roam as long as her food is located in the barn?  Also, she has not had any vet care for the 2 years that she has been a porch kitty.  So possibly she is fixed...b/c I would think that she would have had kittens by now.  Do you think? I plan on having her seen by a vet after the move. Any help is appreciated.  I just want to make this as comfortable of a transition as I can.

Thanks,

Kayla

Answer
Hi Kayla.  Yes, I would strongly recommend that she be kept in the barn for a good while.  Cats have a cluster of magnetized cells in their brains that acts as a compass.  It's set to help them return home, even after long moves.  Cats who are relocated but left outside will often try to make their way back home using this homing instinct.  But even those who have a new food source and don't mind staying put tend to disappear.  This is because their homing instinct has not yet been reset to their new homes, and they can become easily lost.  The kitty should be kept in the barn for several weeks to allow her inner compass to reset to her new home.  After one to two months, she should be okay to let outside the barn.

It sounds probable that the kitty is spayed if she hasn't had any kittens in two years.  Very old cats go into heat less often, so if she's an old cat, potentially this is the reason she has not had kittens.  However, fixing old kitties is still important, because they are very prone to a disease called pyometra, a deadly infection of the uterus.  Your vet should be able to tell you if the kitty is spayed.  They can generally feel a thickening where a scar was left from the surgery.  If there is any doubt, an x-ray will often show internal steel sutures that are used to close the tissues around surgical site.

Best of luck with your new kitty!

Jessica