The American Cat Project - Relocation of Cats

Sometimes feral cats can be adopted into new outdoor homes at a barn or facility that needs or enjoys outdoor cats and will care for them responsibly.

There are several good pages on relocation. We suggest you visit these or the relocation pages of other organizations you agree with. Then review by checking out our own photographic description below.

Relocation links:

You will see that all pages on relocation begin with the warning that it should be utilized only when there are no other options.

Why euthanize rather than relocate?

In our opinion, there are times when euthanasia will be a more humane option than relocation:

The cat was obviously failing in a feral life. The cat is skinny, scared, has weather-related injuries like frostbite, etc. If this cat was failing in its previous territory, it is not likely to do better in a new territory unless the new territory is an incredible improvement and the cat has been give some time to recover and gain weight before release.
The current weather is life-threatening and the cat cannot be held until the weather improves.
The cat is ill, recovering from an illness, is FeLV or FIV positive and is being introduced to a new healthy population of cats.
The cat has a "pariah cat" personality and for some reason other cats tend to pick on it. This type of cat should not be introduced to a new population of resident cats, as she may choose to leave rather than find a niche within the new pecking order. This cat might be fine in a barn with no other cats, or if housed in a tack room with another new, nonaggressive cat, before release.
The site chosen for relocation is high-risk or shows no regard for the concerns of the surrounding community. It is situated near land owners or land managers who absolutely will not tolerate cats, where free-roaming cats are not appropriate, are illegal to keep, or some similar hazard.

Why relocate rather than euthanize?

Sometimes the only way we can get access to a population of breeding cats, to do anything about it, is to offer a nonlethal option. No nonlethal option...no permission to trap, and the cats go on breeding out of control. Human beliefs always fit into the equation.

Sometimes no one is doing anything, and the only person or group who steps forward and volunteers to help is one who wishes to save cats. They have a program that will successfully reduce the total number of cats by removing kittens and friendly cats for adoption and sterilizing all remaining adults. In that case we will do what we can to help them save cats, within the limits of humaneness, the law, and consideration for other species.

Sometimes the cats involved are, quite literally, outdoor pets. People feed them, care for them, have sterilized them-they simply can't pet them. These people will want to take their outdoor cats with them when they move. Suggesting they kill them will be greeted with the same sort of disbelief you might get if you suggested they kill their indoor pet cat just because they are moving a few miles.

There are many reasons why a cat may need to be thoughtfully relocated, even by businesses or individuals who might normally choose euthanasia for an unwanted feral cat.

Relocation Photos

Addison was relocated in early March, 2004. Addison was a fully feral cat captured from a large barn complex where feeding was discouraged. Nonetheless, he was in good weight and very healthy, therefore we felt he was a good prospect for relocation. He also came from a controversial site and had many, many people who wanted to see him saved. His new barn home was located by placing a newspaper advertisement that referred readers to our webpage.

Making den box The weather varied from 20 degrees F at night to 50 degrees F in the day. The barn was a nice tight horse barn. We made an insulted den box (below). We purchased a Rubbermaid-type container and cut a 5" hole by tracing a paper plate to one side of the front of the box, drilling a starter hole with a cordless screwdriver, and then using a saber saw. (Photo left)

Den Box

We placed rigid "blue-board" insulation on the floor, lined the sides and inside of the cover with reflective insulation, placed a thick towel on the blue board, added straw, and made a flap door with a thick washcloth and duct tape.

Relocation Cage We own a large two-level wood and wire cage. Cages can be built economically by the most inept of carpenters with a handsaw; saber saw, cordless screwdriver, hammer and pound-in staples, welded wire, wire-cutters, metal L-brackets for stability, and plywood. Always use screws instead of nails so you can easily reverse bad decisions. Screws are also more secure.

Carpenters are generous folk. If you know someone who is handy at building things...ask! Or maybe there's a school shop class nearby. A project that may take you a whole weekend may take him or her only a few hours. They may be more than happy to help, especially if dinner or a potluck lies at completion.

Whatever you build needs to fit into a vehicle to transport it. Our cage doesn't fit in our truck unless the cap is removed. We are designing a cage of separate framed wire panels that can be screwed together at the relocation site.

A large folding Midwest cage with a den may be a simpler option.

Midwest cage

We like a larger cage for the safety of a new caretaker. This cage is also large enough for two cats relocated from the same site, if they get along. One den could be on the top level, and one on the bottom, with a smaller litter box.

Addison was transported in a feral cat den like the cat below. It is important to cover the Plexiglas while the cat is in transport and make sure the side hole is secured with a latch or tape. The feral cat den was placed on its side against the hole of the cage den box. We slid the Plexi door open and tapped the feral cat den to coax Addison to move from transport den to cage den. We held the Plexi over the cage den door until we got the transport den out, so I could easily exit the cage. No fear. Addison hid in the new den and never peeked out.

Cat in Den

There is a shelf in front of the den for Addison to lie on, and enough room for him to easily leap from level to level.

Professional feral cat dens can be purchased from Animal Care and Equipment Services or Tomahawk. You can also use a small cat crate or trap, but be certain the cat will not leap back out of the cage before you can shut the door if you use these larger devices. Unlike your garage at home, if the cat gets out in a barn, he's gone and you can only hope for the best.

Horse Cage

The litter box was placed at the rear of the cage on a towel so it could be pulled to the front for cleaning. We could not place it at the front or Addison would not have room to leap up and down. Food and water were in the immediate front, also on a towel. Two towels, each folded in half, cover the entire floor. We use towels because they better absorb water, hold litter rather than letting it slide off like newspaper, and don't make a lot of noise to remove. We left extra towels with the caretaker.

Addison was placed where he could see the livestock and the livestock could see him. The door on this stall will be closed so Addison isn't always getting a face full of his new barn mates, like he is here.

Addison will remain in his cage for one to two weeks, depending on the weather. On the day of his release, the cage door will quietly be left open. All livestock will be confined to their stalls or excluded from the barn, and people will vacate for the day after leaving the cage door ajar for Addison to discover.

Food bowls will be placed throughout the barn, especially near exits, so he will be sure to encounter food as he noses around the barn. If he leaves the barn, he will more strongly associate it with food when he becomes hungry. It is important to pick up these extra bowls of food once you are certain the cat is returning, to prevent problems with raccoons, skunks, and opossums.

Addison will be fed in morning and extra food removed at nightfall, or he will be fed only enough food so that he consumes most of it by evening. Any food left at night should be elevated so roaming wild animals don't easily bump into them, and skunks cannot access them. Opossums and raccoons can climb; fox and coyote can leap. Elevating food will not stop these critters, so small portions of food in morning best prevent wildlife problems at night. Horses may colic on a bag of cat food and chickens eat it like candy. Keep food out of reach of livestock.

Addison update: Addison was released after being held in his relocation cage for three weeks, and we received this email from his new owner:

"I did release Addison last Sunday evening after I fed all the animals. I pushed his cage back in the morning so I'd be able to leave his cage door wide open and keep the stall door closed. He ate the canned food I left out for him that night. I actually saw him in the barn the next morning, he was hiding under the trough. He flew out from under the trough and up onto the haybales and I just backed away and gave him some space. He ran past the animals and out the front door. I haven't 'seen' him since, but I know he's around. He has eaten his food (I kept some in the cage with the door open) and has used the litter box (also still in the cage). I can see his kitty feet prints leading around the back of the barn. I am pretty sure he has been underneath both horse stalls. I think he ventures out a little further everyday. I've seen his prints leading down to the creek and back. I am pretty sure he is going to stay around, but I am not convinced I will ever actually see him. I barely know what he looks like. I hope he will get comfortable enough to let me at least see him occassionally. I'd like to be able to make sure he is alright and looks healthy. I plan to turn the trough into a den for him, hoping he will use that as well. Thanks for writing!"

Details on relocation that you may not find on other pages

Finding the new home

We attempt to find barn homes in advance by placing advertisements in local newspapers and shopper publications.

"Displaced feral (wild) cat seeks new home in gentleperson's farm. He's a hunter, not a lover, but is beautiful, robust, and healthy. Neutered, FeLV negative, vaccinated. We will gladly return in a year to recapture him for his rabies booster. See him at www.americancat.net. We also will consider helping you neuter your 1-3 current barn cats if you will take 1-2 more. For this option a site visit required."

We interact with callers and try to fit in a site visit or ask the inquirer to send some photos of their barn set-up and animals. We warn them many times that the cats involved are feral and they will never be able to pet them. We warn as well that the cat may not "stick" and if they are going to have nightmares if the cat leaves the site, they should not attempt this. We ask if their neighbors are cat friendly. If the next-door neighbor has a barn and hates cats, relocation to that region is probably not a good option. It may be difficult to re-trap the cat immediately for removal if it chooses the neighbor's barn over the intended location.

When we arrive with the cat, we like to be able to meet and speak with any children old enough to be in the barn unattended. Because you can't blame an animal-loving child for wanting to see a cat hiding in a dark den, it's good for the child to get a glimpse of the cat in the crate, trap, or feral cat den beforehand so he or she doesn't try to get a look at the hiding cat when Mom and Dad are out of the barn. Point out how scared the cat is. "See why it's not good to pet this cat? You'll just make him more afraid, or you may get hurt." It is important to make sure parents have discussed the situation ahead of time, and that the child knows the cat may not stay. Only pick robust strong cats, with a history of "making it on his own," for barns with children. The last thing a caring child needs is to be worrying at night about a tiny, timid, skinny little cat that didn't stay in the nice warm barn. They will worry enough about the big, robust, neutered tom.

It is also important to mention to children that the only reason the cat is coming to the barn is because he is used to barns and cannot be adopted as a pet. You do not want your relocation to teach a child that "putting an unwanted cat in a barn is an OK thing to do." It certainly is not OK for cats that are otherwise adoptable or are unsuitable to outdoor life.

If you are relocating at a barn with children who cannot understand the seriousness of Mom's instruction "not to open the cat's cage" consider providing the caretaker with a chain and lock.

Always consider human feelings and safety, as well as the animal's welfare, when relocating a cat.

Confinement for the cat

If there is no secure tack room where the cat(s) can be confined, we provide a large cage. If the cat is at all aggressive when someone approaches within a foot, we provide a two-level cage. The safety of the new caregiver is most important to us. If the cat simply hides when approached, a standard Midwest-type wire dog crate, elevated off the floor, with a den, is acceptable as long as the caregiver knows not to reach into the den.

The cat will need a place to hide, and protection if the weather is cold. Relocation in winter takes special consideration. Barns with tack rooms are ideal. The cat can be confined in this protected area, with a shelter box to sleep in, and the door simply opened after two weeks. The cat then has a very sheltered area to retreat to.

Cats can also be confined in a back room of the farm house, a secure shed, the basement of the farm house, etc. Once the cat is released, food should be kept in both the shed/house/basement and in the nearby barn. When the cat is seen frequenting the barn, feeding in the other location should stop. Many farmers are happy to have the cat come in and out of the house. In this case, the cat can be introduced to the household first, and then be permitted to go outdoors after about a month. Whether the cat will enter the house when someone holds the door open will depend upon how much human contact the cat had while young.

House-to-outdoor relocations should only be attempted on properties where there are many hiding areas between the house and the outbuildings, or the house and barn are in close proximity. If a cat is let out the door at house that has no surrounding plantings, porches, decks, or places to immediately hide where he can pause to consider the situation he is in, he may immediately bolt for far-off cover, and that cover may be your neighbor's shed an eighth of a mile away, rather than the barn right behind your house. If your neighbor feeds her cats on her back porch, she may acquire a new cat, and that may not be something she desires.

One feral cat we adopted to an indoor home escaped. The house had no surrounding plantings or any outbuildings. The cat took refuge under a neighbor's shed a thousand feet away, across the road, and there she remained even though there was no food. Cover is very important to frightened cats. The cat was eventually noticed there three weeks after her escape and was recaptured. She was dehydrated and emaciated, even though there was water in a creek near the shed, and food set out all around the neighborhood. The safety of that shed meant more to her than food.

It is important to place the cat in a sheltered area with places to hide, and make sure the cat associates that shelter with food, so even if she runs off, she will return.

Confinement in winter

When tack rooms are not available and the cat is going to be confined to a cage, the weather cannot be consistently below freezing (32 degrees F). The cat cannot exercise in a cage, the cage itself provides no protection from the cold, and the den box you provide is the only shelter the animal has. Plastic dens are very cold and must have some other insulation, and warm dry bedding.

You might consider a heating pad in or under the den.This should be the type made to be covered for long periods of time, and a heavy duty cord and control switch. Almost everything in a barn is highly flammable. Electricity should be used with care. Always speak with the barn owner before plugging anything in.

Confinement in summer

In summer, it is important that the cat have a snug sleeping spot at night, but cool ventilation in the day. Cool spots are usually readily available in barns. Water must be available at all times, and the cage should be checked multiple times during the day to make certain a place that was shady in the morning is not in full sun at noon.

Flies are a problem in warm weather. Make sure wet food is removed from the cage if uneated so it does not attract egg-laying flies. Cats with new surgical incisions or eartips should be allowed to recover for seven days inside, before being moved to a barn situation, to prevent flies from laying eggs on incisions. Spay incisions on the belly are unlikely to be visited by flies because of the cat's normal posture.

The danger of wildlife and other cats

A cat in a cage in an open barn is vulnerable to visiting raccoons, foxes, coyotes, mink, aggressive resident cats, etc. Cats that are going to be caged should be rabies vaccinated well before caging in an open barn, so that if there is any contact with rabid wildlife, the cat has some immunity. If it is clear that wildlife frequent the barn area, the cage should be closed in a stall or tack room, or the cage should be large enough so the cat can stay away from anything sniffing from the outside.

Kittens should never be left caged in a barn unless the mesh of the cage is small enough to prevent mink or weasels from entering. Small mesh ("hardware cloth") is preferred if you are building your own cage.. If the barn owner keeps chickens or ducks, ask them if they have experienced any predation before helplessly caging a small animal in that area. If a tack room is available, always utilize it.

Checking with the caregiver

When you leave a caged feral cat in the care of a stranger who is new to feral cats, it's a good idea to check in regularly via phone, email, or in person. Ask the caregiver to call you before they release the cat, so you can make the final determination based on weather, the cat's condition, etc. You may wish to visit to make sure food bowls have been placed, and that there are plenty of hiding places for the cat.

After the cat is released

The caregiver should not go looking for the cat if they don't see him. If they go poking around, shifting every piece of plywood and looking under ever piece of machinery, they may scare the cat away. If he chooses to remain he will do so. If he bolts, he's gone until he chooses to return. The most important thing is to keep the area quiet and make sure food is available. This is not the time to start up the tractor, clean the barn with the Bobcat, fill the mow with hay, etc. Give the cat a week of quiet (plan large chores before the release) if you can.

How do I know if the cat is around? Food is disappearing, but it could be a raccoon.

Tracking stations can be made with a plastic bag covered with playground sand, with a bowl of food in the middle. Cat tracks...you've got a cat. Barns with livestock usually have mud. Smooth the mud near the entrances to the barn and watch for tracks. Immediately after a new snow, look for tracks.

When you have more than one cat on site, tracks won't help much. Consider using a camera that is tripped by motion. If you do a lot of relocations, these cameras now cost less than $100 and are a worthwhile investment for a shelter or independent rescuer. Your barn owner will also learn what other critters are frequenting his or her barn and will be fascinated if you offer to set up the camera at the barn for a few nights

The cat is gone. What do I do?

Notify neighbors that your cat is missing. If he is nearby, you may be able to coax him back by creating a feeding station and moving it back to the barn. The cat deserves the same consideration as a lost pet cat. Call the local shelter, and consider putting up flyers. Chances are good the cat is nearby. Remember, relocating a feral cat is just like letting your indoor/outdoor pet cat out for the first time after a move. Both are risky (and perhaps you should consider keeping that pet cat an indoor cat, anyway!) and both require extra responsibility should the cat not return as planned.

If you have adopted a feral cat to a caretaker, and the cat disappears, help the caretaker however you can. They took a risk on this cat for you, and "Oh well, that's too bad," is not the way the story should end for them if they call you in a panic.

Arby & Artie

Arby and Artie (left) were relocated from a colony near a busy four-lane highway, to a quiet country road and the best possible home. They lived indoors for a few weeks, and were released from the house. All was well for a short while, until the family dog playfully chased Artie into the quiet country road, where he was killed by a car. Arby is still doing well and comes and goes from the house.

Good intentions can never safeguard an outdoor cat. This is why whenever possible, cats should be kept indoors. Cats that are unsuited to an outdoor life should not be sacrificed to the outdoors just so we can feel better about not killing them directly.

Food and veterinary care

Outdoor cats need quality food, and clean water. Neutered males should be fed a dry cat diet balanced for urinary health. Outdoor cats can be wormed periodically for hookworms and roundworms by placing pyrantal pamoate in their food (Strongid). If you have a horse, don't make the mistake of using horse wormer on your cats. Speak to your veterinarian first. Cats and horses can indeed be wormed with the same ingredient, however the doses are hugely different! Strongid, ivermectin and fenbendezole for cats must be given in minute doses, and ivermectin in particular can poison a cat if she is overdosed. Speak to your veterinarian.

As mentioned above, food should be placed in morning and removed at night. Or put down only the amount of food the cat will consume before nightfall. Food left out at night should be elevated to prevent a problem with skunks. Food should be kept out of reach of livestock, especially those with tender digestive dispositions, like horses.

Consider feeding your barn cat in a "fake trap" or a wired open trap, so that should you need to recapture her for veterinary treatment or booster shots, she is used to going in a wire enclosure.

Cats that shake their heads may have earmites. They should be recaptured, treated with Revolution or Ivermectin, caged indoors, and treated a second time because a single dose of ivermectin or Revolution may not cure mites. Then the cat can be released again. If you have only one cat and can control the medication she eats in her food, you may be able to treat her orally for earmites or mange with a prescription medication. If she can be medicated via her food, you may not need to trap her. Speak to your veterinarian.

Cats can also become infected with upper respiratory infections. Mild sneezes can often be left untreated, but a cat that is constantly sneezing, coughing, or has discharge from the nose and eyes may need treatment. This can sometimes be managed by medicating their food under direction of your veterinarian.

Any time a cat is recaptured-whether by purpose or accident--the cat should be treated for parasites with a topical like Revolution. If you have the cat restrained for some reason, think of what she may need, call your vet, and do it.

We have not had a problem recapturing cats after a year for rabies boosters, especially if the cat is fed in a fake trap or a disabled trap in advance. If for some reason you capture the cat before a year is up and the cat is not quite "due" for a booster, vaccinate her anyway! The cat will still be protected for three years with a second rabies vaccination, even if a whole year has not passed after the first shot. Do check your local laws to learn what vaccinations are required by law, and how often they must be given.

Remember to visits other sites with short clear Fact Sheets.

Remember to visit the links above for short, clear, printable advice on cat relocation. Use our site for review after reading the fact sheets of other organizations.