A Cat Question...

We are about to make the second step of our move to the country. For the past 6 months we have lived in a condo and kept our 'outdoor' cats from our previous home in our garage. It's fairly large, has plenty of daylight and room for them to roam around a bit. They get to venture out on 'controlled' roams. They seem to have adjusted well and seem 'happy'.

Our new home is in a wooded rural area, about 1.5 acres in size.

We are concerned about how long we should keep this group of cats 'contained' prior to letting them out on their own. The new area has no busy streets or traffic to be worried about. They were always 'homebodies' at our previous house, only venturing into the immediate neighbor's yards. Now they will have 'hugh-space' to explore.

Anyone with experiences or thoughts PLEASE respond.

Thanks for your help.

j

-- j (jw_hsv@yahoo.com), February 15, 2000

Answers

j, there isn't an easy answer. You've done a lot for your cats already so hopefully they will stay in the vicinity of your new home. You probably won't have as good an area to confine them at the new location so I'd suggest keeping them locked up until you are done moving and are back to a fairly regular schedule. Cats love to eat, so establish a feeding area from the start and they'll most likely either hang around it or come back to it daily. You'll most likely lose some to any numbers of things, but that happens.

I've moved cats more than once, and don't have any perfect advice for you. Generally, most of them stick around. I just keep them locked up until I'm home and there aren't a lot of vehicles coming and going for the cats to either get in or get run over by. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), February 15, 2000.

KEEP THEM INDOORS. Cats kill more wildlife than any other animal. Most do it just for the sport.

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 15, 2000.

Hate to disagree with you Stan, but I think people kill more wildlife than any other animal and most do it just for sport. I agree with gerbil about the cats.

-- Patti Morris (pmorris@ecenet.com), February 15, 2000.

J, You must remember that cats are only loyal to as long as they feel like it. It's more like they own you - not the other way around. If they haven't been declawed, turn them loose. If they get a bird or two, well that's life (or death in this case). If they get a few rats or mice, GREAT. Let them enjoy the space. If you loose them, there are plenty more where they came from. God must love cats as much as he loves Yoders, He sure made a lot of them. At our place cats seem to come and go. The hawks seem to get the best hunters. The horses stomp some. But there will always be a few new litters of kittens in the spring. Just don't start giving them names. Keep them fed and they will most likley stay close. You plan to enjoy your new space, why not let them do the same? Good Luck in your new life!!!!! Broom maker

-- BROOM MAKER (elmjem@aeroinc.net), February 15, 2000.

I have had cats all my life (approaching half century milestone in a coupla years)...and I have moved often (every two years or so after about 17) until finally settling down here about 6 years ago. Whew!

My experience in moving cats is to confine them for 3 days or so until they get accustomed to their immediate environment (and yes, feeding them in an assigned place), and then to let them out when I am home and working outdoors for a few hours where they can see me. I admit I have had a few anxious moments when they didn't come home right away (even until the next morning). It's true: they know where they are fed and will come around when they are hungry. I think it really helps, though, for you to be outside where they understand you will be as they explore their new territory.

We currently have no house cats, but have four fixed (and bottle fed as babies) formerly feral female cats who live in a "kennel" which is half inside the garage and half outside the garage. Each side of the kennel is about 8'x4' and 6' high. They go outside and "work" (control rodents, etc) all day, and then come in at night. They all line up to jump up to the "kennel" to get fed around dusk. It amazes me how well that works. We also seem to have recently inherited a young male kitty that must have been dumped, so I am sure he will soon be on the payroll (once he gets fixed, which is soon....like this week)

Good luck! I love cats! We spend a lot of time petting and enjoying ours. Supposed to lower blood pressure and keep you healthy! I would do it regardless, because it's so wonderful!

Hope this makes sense and is helpful.

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), February 15, 2000.

I hope I didn't miss this in your question or in the replies- I'm half asleep and have the flu- forgive my inattention to detail;

How long before you move? Are the cats neutered?

I agree with both the keep 'em inside and let 'em roam folks, so I can't really give a hardline statement on that! Mine are in and out and they do kill for sport- I've rescued many, many baby rabbits, squirrells, birds, lizards, etc.- some make it, some don't and I never will learn to like that; but also, we have very few mice, voles, moles, waterbugs (a polite Southern term for bigbutted cockroaches), etc.

Now, since I don't like the fact that they do kill for sport, I try to keep anymore Sportsmen from being born- all my "barn cats" are neutered, thanks to Operation Catnip. Free castration/spaying and some other nice benefits for your cats- barn cats; the key here is the word "feral"... They have a Website that can give you more detail- don't have the url right to hand, sorry. E-mail me, if you want more info- NO, I'm not a volunteer with OC, I just think they do a wonderful service and I plug for them, when I can.

We have moved several times (hopefully, never again) with cats, all were inside/outsiders. Always kept them inside for 3 days (almost drove us nuts, btw), and always fed them INSIDE from Day 1. Out of 6, I lost one, an UN-neutered male, who went looking for, ahem... went wandering and never came home.

I just had a young, recently neutered male cat get hit (was a very quick death, although that doesn't help me or the cat) which makes me feel like the worst "animal husbander" in the world, but it happens. The bottom line is, a cat will eventually find the road; if they go outside that is a fact you will have to relinquish yourself to. Good luck to y'all and the cats.

-- Sylvia (slydy@intrstar.net), February 16, 2000.

I have moved many times with cats. I always kept mine for a week, moving them on the very last load. You need to be there or they think they have been abandoned. Establish one feeding area. If it is undesireable to permanently feed them where you are confining them, you can gradually move the feed pan over where you would rather have it. Just move the feed pan a few feet each day. Avoid any more sudden and extreme changes in their lives for a couple of months. I have lost a couple of cats over the years when we moved, usually because something happened and they were let out too soon. I also recommend that you try to be outside with them as much as possible the first two or three days you let them out. Then they know where you are and are more likely to stay. Good luck. I hope you enjoy your new home.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), February 16, 2000.

j, lots of good advice for your kitties. when i move my cats, i get some cat sedative from the vet. It really helps if you have verbal cats, mine get very noisy when unusual things happen. Cats really help wih the rodent problem you get in the country, and they will catch the unwary bird. But, as pointed out previously, they are considered prey by many wild animals. Good luck on your move. karen

-- karen mauk (dairygoatmama@yaoo.com), February 16, 2000.

My experience has been to keep them in for a couple of days so they know where they eat. 15 Years ago I moved from Colorado back to NY with my cat in tow, the night I got home I put him in the house for about 15 minutes but he was nagging to go out, I was tired of driving and tired of hearing him yowl so I let him go. Twenty minutes later he was climbing up the screen door wanting to come back in.

In the past 3 years we have moved twice. We have a cat who for the most part is wild, I had to trap her both times for the move but, she has adapted each time and now hangs out in the barn. If she had cut and run, that would be beyond my control, no matter how i handled the situation.

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), February 16, 2000.

For what it's worth, my spouse heard of an old remedy for moving cats, which is to put butter on their paws first thing in the new place. They lick it off and theoretically the scent of the old place. We moved with a mom and 2 of her half-grown males and they didn't go far when we moved, even though they got loose as we moved in and roamed immediately. In any case, I guees the butter won't hurt and could help. Fixed cats, too, obviously have less reason to go far. Good luck!

Rod

-- Rod Perrino (redjouster@aol.com), February 16, 2000.

OK, so I'll be a party-pooper...You mentioned that your new place is about one and a half acres, rural. Does that mean neighbors close by? If so, I have to put in a vote against letting your kitties run free until you check with your neighbors.I have two indoor cats and adore them and all other felines, EXCEPT my neighbors cats who are left to "run free". What they do is run free right to my yard and kill all the songbirds that they can find.One of the few joys that I have is watching birds out of my windows all seasons.I chose to stop trying to attract the birds to my yard rather than lure them into the path of these natural predators from the neighboring acreage. If you do not have "birders" for neighbors who have taken years to attract songbirds and other wildlife to their property, then keep your cats confined for a few days, then take them for small strolls around your property.They'll quickly catch on that you have a great place to live and have no need to wander too far.If you do have "birders", then have a heart and make your cats learn to love the indoors.

-- Lesley Chasko (martchas@gateway.net), February 16, 2000.

While I agree cats will kill song birds I watched a very interesting TV show on the BBC while living in England. England has had a dramatic decline in song birds, often attributed to cats. This show looked at the change in farming practice in England and cited studies which showed many song birds had actually starved to death as the increase in insecticides had destroyed their food source. The decline in hedgerows as farming has become more industrial has also destroyed their habitat. I agree with Patti - people kill farm more birds than cats.

I also think cats have a place on the homestead.

Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), February 17, 2000.

I'd like to thank everyone for the feedback. I'll take a moment and try to make some clarifications based on some of the follow-up questions you have asked.

There are some neighbors but not really that close. I have yet to see any animals at any of the houses. Neither have I seen any bird or squirrel feeders in/on the trees.

I respect all the comments about cats being hard on wild life. Interestingly enough, in our previous home there developed (okay it looked like to us) an implied agreement between the birds & squirrels and the cats. If the wildlife stayed within certain boundries, the cats didn't bother them. I say this based on 10+ years of observing both our cats and the wildlife. We 'knew' certain birds and squirrels by their looks. They also knew us - we would get fussed at if we didn't put their food. So there were 'safe' areas in the yard. Go figure on that one... I suspect the same will develop at our new home.

I do agree with Kim and other posters about man being the hardest on wildlife. I've seen more distruction of habit than I care to comment on. Rampant suburban development of farmlands and woods is horrible and getting worse. On an aside and at the risk of getting seriously flamed, I am also a hunter. But I tend to take a Native view of things. Unless I am activly stalking an animal, then I believe I am honor bound to preserve and protect both the animal and that animal's environment. Too many people forget that we all share the same environment and man is just another part of life's wheel.

Okay, I'll turn off my "Rant-o-Matic"... :-)

Thanks to everyone for the input.

j

-- j (jw_hsv@yahoo.com), February 17, 2000.

Hi,

We have serious birders in our area (maybe 30 feeders out?) and we have been serious birders, too (when we lived in a city and wanted to see some wildlife, we had our own feeders....plus we used to plan our vacations to go to birding spots to view and add to our life list, etc).

Our cats don't go anywhere near our birder neighbors' place....they (neighbors) live on 10 acres across the road. We have so many rodents in the 15 or so acres of grass on our side of the road that our cats are busy all the time!

Occasionally, we find the remains of some poor bird in our yard, but rarely. However, we do find mouse and vole parts more frequently.

The hawks around here are much more voracious around any of the bird feeding stations, and I have observed baby bird mortality from crows (and pretty cruelly, too, and I won't gross you out with details).

I think cats have been maligned since witches were associated with them, or even before. I consider mine allies.

Still a good idea to be neighborly and keep an eye on your own individual cats behavior.

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), February 17, 2000.

i have had cats all my life. we moved up here to new hampshire 2 years ago. kept the cats in for a few days, let them out for awhile each day keeping track of them. have always brought them in at night where ever we have lived. up here we have fishers, who eat cats. lots of my neighbors have lost cats to them because they leave them out at night. our cats are fixed which keeps them alot healthier in the long run and they are definitely part of our family. wouldn't be able to sleep at night if they weren't all in snuggled up with me. laura

-- laura cavallari (ladygoat13@aol.com), February 19, 2000.

Here are some ideas from years of having cats in the city and country, moving with cats, and working with animal shelters. :) It is a good idea to talk to your neighbors before you let your cats out and keep up good relations with them, so they can alert to to any problems with your cats in their yard. Chasing or fighting with their cats, eating their cat's food, bird feeders, footprints on their cars, using their garden or flower beds for a litter box, not problems for country folks but your neighbors might be city folks who took their ideas to the country. If you can afford it, a wire fence around your place to keep the cats in and roaming dogs out is a good idea. You could start with just around your house (or the outdoor pen idea first) and expand it later. If there are coyotes where you plan to live, they eat cats also, and not just once in a while. If they know you have many cats, they will return. Does Animal Control cover the area where you will live? If so, what is their holding time for cats? Many people come in looking for their cat after it has been gone about a week, thinking it will come home on its own, only to find that they are put down after 3 days. If your neighbor traps your cat and brings it to animal control and says it is feral, it may be put down sooner. Microchips are expensive, but they are the best form of permanent ID for your pets. Break-away collars with a tag will make your pet look like it has an owner and will bring it home if it does wander or a well-meaning neighbor thinks it is a stray, and will release your pet if it gets caught on anything. Cats will come running to the ring of a little bell that means feeding time, this is a good way to bring them in when you need to catch one or put them in earlier than usual, or if they are indoor cats and one escapes. Small kittens should be caged or supervised until they are older if you do not want to lose them to hawks, etc. Spaying and neutering does help to keep them from roaming, and vaccines protect against some of the diseases they can catch from other cats. Inexpensive vaccines can be found at your local feed store if you want to give them yourself.

-- dani (teamtc@quixnet.net), February 20, 2000.

Old expression (new, actually-found it on the 'net) says that when you get a dog, you are it's family. when you get a cat, you are it's staff...ain't that cute?? Too true. ref the question, having moved feline furballs more times than I'd like to remember, just keep 'em in for awhile, do the inside feeding place thang until they figure out HOME has moved & they seem settled, back to the norm, then treat them like you always did. Worked for me. Good luck...kt.

-- kate hankins (yarnspinnerkt@hotmail.com), February 21, 2000.

Just found this thread and have to add my 2 (or more) cents worth!

Many good reasons given for keeping your cats as indoor kitties, but I didn't see this one. It comes under consideration for your neighbors. I have a cat who is VERY territorial, despite having been castrated -- more his personality than hormonal, I think. When he sees an "intruder kitty" invading HIS yard, he sprays my house. Oh lovely. I get to clean up my house frequently, daily in the summer, because my neighbors won't keep their cats home. And this is not an easy clean up, nor can I eliminate the smell entirely. (I discovered this facet of his personality after I had become firmly attached to him) I have had some of these wanderers actually spray my doors on the outside -- is it any wonder my cat thinks his territory is being invaded? The cats are just being themselves; the owners don't care what they inflict on others.

I will concede that I have known cats that stayed in their own yards, even though those yards were no more than about 1/4 acre. If you must let your cats outside, I have read that 10 days confinement allows them the time to reorient themselves to the magnetic pattern of the area and almost all will then consider themselves to be "home", especially with other familiar things around (other animals, people, etc.).

-- J.E.Froelich (firefly@nnex.net), February 27, 2000.

I don't necessarily like cats even though I'm allergic to them :) They have been responsible for killing rare species of birds to the point of some actually being extinct because of them. A case of study is a certain species of wren which was killed by a lighthouse keeper's cat. If it hadn't been for the cat then perhaps that wren would be still around and New Zealand has a problem with them as well killing rare kiwis and stuff like that. If you have rodent problems buy a rat terrier or a bunch of corn snakes and release them...they'll eat all the rodents you need! :)

Ted

-- Ted Hart (tedhart71@hotmail.com), January 12, 2001.