My feral cat friends: moving in a few weeks. Need advice.

[ceile]

I love my outside babies. I feed between 3 and 6 any given night. 3 of them are lovebugs. Unfortunately, I bought a house across town (15+ miles) and I'm at a loss. One has almost disappeared- I've seen him once in 2 weeks- intact male, but super sweet. I've been flea treating and tucking him in cold winter nights (such as it is Austin) for 2+ years. Norma aka "Squish" is a new convert to petting and love (3 weeks maybe). Priddy is a long time porch cat and we will for sure attempt to take her (3+ years). But how do I do that? I don't want to freak her out, but she HAS to come with us. I can't trust her care to the new renters. Any advice on moving much appreciated.

Baby in question, Miss Priddy:

[roody]

1. You will have to keep them indoors for a long

time if you take them to a new home.

[Curmudgeoness]

2. I don't think that there is a way to safely take any of them.

Unless you are willing to keep them as indoor cats, it is more than likely that they will just take off and head back to where they are comfortable----which is the old place. This never turns out well.

We had a neighbor who did just what you are proposing, and took 6 cats to a new home less than a mile away. Three were hit by cars on a busy street trying to get back here. One made it back here after 4 weeks missing, and was in dire shape....we didn't even recognize him immediately because of the loss of weight and scraggly condition. Another went missing and what happened is still unknown. That leaves just one of the cats who agreed to the new home. It isn't worth it.

[ceile]

4. She absolutely will be an indoor cat.

Sorry your neighbor had such bad luck.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. I rescued a cat from outside after feeding her in my side yard for four months.

I finally had to use a have-a-heart trap to do it, but she wasn't truly a feral, was a cat that got lost when a neighbor moved, found that out after-the-fact. Poor thing had had a really rough time.

I was told by a woman experienced with ferals that this cat wasn't really one, since she'd sit there and let me talk to her. After I brought her in, she became a permanent house cat, liked to look out the window, but never went outside again. My cat needed dental surgery and calmed down a great deal after that, though she was never really comfortable with anyone other than me.

I also used Feliway, which is supposed to calm cats, and got her a plush kitty igloo kind of house, since she often wanted to hide. I wish you all the luck in the world with this. The kitty you posted is a really beautiful cat. Kudos to you for caring so much.

[ceile]

5. I will definately try some Feliway.

I hope I have a smooth transition like you did!

[Warpy]

6. Moving will freak them out

but cats who are social with people deserve a home, so please try.

You'll have to keep them confined indoors for at least 2 weeks to convince them that the new part of the jungle is even better than the old part or they'll take off and go back "home."

It's too bad the cuddly big guy left, but intact males do that, looking for new lady friends above keeping a meal ticket.

Miss Priddy is really beautiful. How could anyone reject a face like that?

[ceile]

7. Thanks Warpy.

Plan is to keep her in one of the spare rooms for a few weeks. But then I had another thought- what is she's FIV positive? How in the heck am I going to get her to a vet? So I'm going to try and find the organization that TNRd her and see if they tested for anything...already stressed and it's not even moving day yet!

[Walk away]

8. I am assuming that you took her to the Vet to be spade....

how did you do it then?

[ceile]

9. She was already fixed when we moved in.

Someone in the neighborhood trapped most of the ferals and had them fixed.