Expert: Jessica - 6/21/2011

Question
Hi Jessica,
 This past winter I had 9 feral cats T-N-R. 7 of these cats are around everyday. I have named them and 3 of them love to be pet and brushed. All 7 will eat in front of me. In a way it's hard for me to even think of them as feral. My problem is two weeks ago I found out we may have to move. I am sick to think of ever leaving them. When I took on their care-I thought we would be in this area for a very long time. I asked the lady who helped me do the tnr about can these cats be relocated? She said she didn't advise it etc..and said see if a neighbor can take over. The only other neighbor who cares about these animals is 83  yrs old and is mostly wheelchair bound. I guess my question is Whats the best thing I can do for them? Is there a sanctuary you know of that would take them if I provide donations for their care? I have been online searching for answers but to no avail...yet. These kitties have a huge peice of my heart and I can't fathom leaving them without good care. The move I mentioned wouldn't take place until Feb 2012 but I need help/advise now-so I can sleep again.

Answer
Hi Shannon,

Unfortunately, I don't know of any feral sanctuaries that are taking cats right now. They are very few and far between, and couple that I know of don't intend to open their doors anytime soon. They are also on the east coast.

It is difficult to relocate ferals because they have a homing instinct to a degree. When moved, cats will often try to make their way back to their previous location. It takes a month or two for their internal compass to reset to a new place. If there was any way to keep the cats indoors, in a garage or in a kennel for this time at your new home, I would say chances of relocating them would be very good. I have relocated ferals this way with a 100% rate of success. But if you have no way to contain them for a period after the move, I think you are very likely to lose them.

If there's any possibility of making them indoor cats, I think this can be done with relative ease. I know 7 can be a lot of cats to have indoors. But perhaps you could at least take the 3 who seem to be former strays rather than true ferals, or work on making all 7 outdoor cats after the initial adjustment period.

If you won't be able to take any with you, I recommend that you slowly start feeding them less and less and spend less time with them. As difficult as this is, you need to wean them off of you so that they can start establishing more independence. They'll need to sharpen their hunting skills once again, so they can become self-sufficient.

I wish you the best of luck!

Jessica