Rehoming Feral Cats to the Country
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2024
- It's almost time to move so Ashley found a new home for our feral cat colony out in the country.
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Feb 9th Update: All 3 cats are doing very well at their new home. I just asked the lady today about them. She said they all are doing good and all 3 have stuck around and she can get really close to the whiter calico. :D
Out in the Country thank you so much for checking up on them now I can quit worrying about them. May you do well on all your projects you really have your hands full. Enjoy the journey as much as the results.
@@jenniferrice5877 where did you take them? I have two in my backyard in BK I would love to give them a new home.
For those wondering why we didn't bring the cats with us: While there are several reasons we chose to rehome them, these cats are not as friendly as they appear on video. They are feral cats and if I so much as try to grab one of them, they run or bite. We had to trap them to catch them. In trapping them, we have to short time to rehome them because we don't want them sitting in cages for days. We would then have to drive them hours away to the new property and then release them and drive hours back home. The cats would be alone on the new property for days. They would likely venture to neighboring properties looking for food and may not come back. We felt that it would be disrespectful to our new neighbors to just drop three feral cats on the property that could become a problem for them. The best solution was to bring them somewhere close by where they would have food and shelter. As with all animals, we just have to do what is best for them and us. Bringing them with us would not be the best option for either of us.
You did the right thing. Plus they have an established colony in the new place to 'show them the ropes'. They couldn't have asked for a better landing spot. Well done!
Ditto on the good job. I do TNR - have done hundreds. Most folks don’t realize ferals are not friendly and are not adoption candidates. Even if you forced them to stay in a house there’s no guarantee they will use a litter box. Plus they would be miserable. You did the best thing for them - thank you! Best of all you were responsible about it and got them all sterilized before moving them (and even before that). Kudos - well done!
I don't agree at all! These are not feral cats! Feral means feral they will not come near you at all and the moment you trap them they flip the traps! I did TNR for years and fed established colonies. But if an outsider cat came along some of the more dominant cats will go after them! They are similar to wolf packs! And they can be extremely cruel to each other! I live right now with 11 cats! One is in my room because she was a throw away and when she came was awful! I got bit scratched etc. but she came around and I can pet her now but not pick her up! One of my older girl cats gets bullied sometimes by a couple of the younger boys whom I am constantly reprimanding. She came from my original group I moved with and is now 18. Some semi feral kittens can be worked with to be great house cats. I have two that were TNR that I decided to keep since they bonded with me and initially I got bit but now they are luv bugs! I know it is hard and takes an incredible amount of patience to do and the younger they are the better! And they always bond with whomever is feeding them. Plus taking care of small kids and moving alone is stressful! So while I know it may not have been the ideal situation it certainly was better then doing nothing! I hope they stay at the new place!
katgirl1958 - I hear what you’re saying - I domesticate any feral kitten under 3 months of age, sterilize them and find them inside-only homes. If they are over 3 months of age - they get sterilized and released. I don’t like to do it and it’s not because they can’t be tamed but because (as you say) the older they are the longer it takes. I only have room for xx number of cats at any given time. Instead of holding a 4 month old feral kitten for 6 months to make it friendly I can TNR 24 other cats and prevent countless litters).
These cats ARE feral - they are only friendly towards Doug because he feeds them (just like you said about the cats acting differently with their caretakers). So I hear what you’re saying and essentially agree but unfortunately most of the colonies I work on are 30+ cats - time and space are limited to get the group under control and preventing more kittens. I (personally) hate seeing any cat living 100% outside but that’s the reality in my area.
All 3 are doing very well at their new home and I just asked the lady today about them. She said they all have stuck around and she can get really close to the whiter calico.
God bless nice people.
You could have told the new owners they were feral cats and left it at that but you went the extra mile and found them a new home and even delivered them. You are such people of compassion and integrity.
You are such good people and you did what you had to do! They will be fine. Glad the lady will feed them and look out for them. If you took them to the shelter they would have put them down. We raised five feral kittens, they are our babies, one was hit by a car and we lost her it broke our hearts. They have cost us a bunch in vet visits and flea meds and food but I wouldn't change a thing! :)
Thank you so much. They will love their new place especially with that huge barn to sleep and hide in. We had a bad experience when we took a nice bottle fed kitten to a shelter once and they euthanized it. grrr. So now we don't trust shelters. They definitely would have euthanized these 3.
God bless you for caring so much that you go to such extreme measures to secure an environment for the ferals!!! Most people would simply go about their biz n not think twice about "just a cat". I very much appreciate your efforts, so thanks! The gray must be WISE!
Thank you for respecting these cats and caring for them! ♡
Thanks for the update on the cats! Grumpy will be happy to go with you!
I remember you saying one time that you guys weren't cat people...well, we certainly can't say that now, can we? LOL! But in all seriousness, building that wonderful cat house for them and now making sure they're in a place where they will be provided for...that really says it all. This world needs more people like you.
I could see the emotion as you said, "hopefully they'll have a great life here". II know you will miss them greatly. I'm so glad you're keeping Grumpy, especially since its quite obvious that a special bond has formed with him. I will keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers as you adjust to your new home. Thanks for sharing your life with us. :)
Thank you for all you've done for those poor ferals. I hope they will realize that barn is their new home, but they may not... hopefully all 3 find each other again. The lady feeds the cats, so they'll possibly figure that out and stick around.
The joke is on the a-hole who bought your home, because with this TNR'd established colony gone the void will swiftly be filled with other ferals who aren't altered, so there will be spray marking, fighting, kittens galore being born.
That's true. These ferals did help keep other cats away. Sometimes random cats will pass through, but they never stay, but they may now!
So-o True!
I give you both credit for trapping & finding them homes. Instead of just leaving them behind. Who knows what new owners would have done with them all.
Congratulations!!! You guys did amazing work!!! I trap frequently and take ferals in for spay/neuter then adopt out babies, find placements for elderly or sick, and release healthy adults back where trapped.
With all my experience, there are still misses with them, and kitties hard to trap.
Your persistence, resourcefulness, and sense of responsibility is admirable. Too many people would have left the kitties behind, often to a horrible fate...
You two are awesome!!!
Understand completely. I would've done same thing. Thank you for doing what u did for them for so long. Lots of ppl would have dropped off somewhere or worse. Great job guys!
Great follow thru with the cats!
Thank you for trying to do the right thing. Us cat lovers appreciate and understand how hard you worked. (The perfect scenario would have been if the buyers of your property wanted to continue to feed them esp. since they had a chicken coop house. But life is rarely perfect. I am assuming the folks in the cats new location will continue to feed them. But, if they don't the cats hopefully will hunt and adapt. I totally feel your pain. I have the greatest of respect for you two. You did the right thing.
Ashley said in a previous video that the woman feeds these cats. The cats have a much better life in their new situation than to be left to roam and be attacked by other animals, or they could have been euthanized.
The two y'all trapped are beautiful cats, too bad they are feral. Happy Ashley found them a farm home, they'll be okay.
I'm glad ya'll found a great home for the cats it's sad but a good thing also... ✌💗🌻
You guys are great! I hope your bite won’t be too bad. Hope more people will raise the awareness of respecting the animals as the way they want to be treated. Thank you for doing all these.
Last cat was pretty slick. They are all much better off in the country!
If you ever end up with feral cats again, contact the people who tried to shame you and let them come and take them. Sorry but it is so easy for people who don't know the whole situation to criticize those doing the best they can. Anyone who recommended to take the cats to a shelter are very naive. You went above and beyond what 90 percent of people would do. I hope you will always do what you think is best and ignore the rest. Love your family. ☺️
OITC, Yes, I commend you for going the limit for these animals. You are a great example for your children to follow.
Another job well done the cats will settle down no problem at least you looked after them well best wishes
The kitty situation is hard. You're doing the best u know to do for u and the kitties. Sorry for being judgemental in my last comment.
So glad you take good care of feral cats. That is so nice!
Great job catching the kitties. It's good you knew the new owners didn't want them there before you left and you had a chance to rehome them. They'll have plenty to eat catching field mice and although they will miss you all it's safer for them where their are now Looks like they went to Omish land. No pollution for them... which is a good thing...Lucky Grumpy...I'll bet he's not going to be so grumpy in his new home. ♡
Thank you for finding a new home for the cats. They will be fine. I think you did the best you could. Don't let people guilt trip you.
Agreed, Jenny!
Thank you !
They will love it out in the Country for sure. They are feral and will eventually find their place and the last one will find the others scents and catch up with them. A lot more land to roam thats for sure and a lot of field mice to catch which is great for grain farmers.😃
You guys are awesome
I just need to say thank you again!!!! Please don't let the neg. comments get you down. XXXXX
Great job! I know you said you like Chipotle. Is there one near you? If so, I'm going to send you guys a Chipotle gift card. You deserve it after all you did for the cats.
Yea, there is a Chipotle near us. Thank you, that would be really nice of you. We greatly appreciate it. :D
Ok. I don't think I need your address. I think I can just e-mail it to you. Is the e-mail address you have listed here the correct one?
They'll love the country.
Thank you for doing the best that you could for the cats. I hope they all settle in nicely and maybe we could get an update about them in the future. :) I'm glad you're taking Grumpy and can't wait to see your future videos!
Love that you're rehoming your babies. Is there lots of food for them because resident cats can hurt or even kill newbies. Please follow up on them if you can. I'm so worried about them. A friend of my did that with his cat and it did not survive. But, you can only do what you can do and hope the resident cats will except them and they get enough to eat to survive. Please, please, please follow up to let us know.lol
Jennifer Rice also need an update on Grumpy at your new place! 😁
Jennifer Rice I was thinking the same. They will be hunted down by the resident cats and end up with wounds from fighting and eventually die. Aso, it's a bit naive to think, that the resident csts will let them have from the food. Not a good job, as so many claim. It just shows, that they are actually not cat ppl. I am pretty sad for these three cats.
They were lucky they stayed. Most cats have to be confined in a large cage for a few weeks are they will run out of the barn and try to find their way home. it could have been the cold weather or the fact that they were more used to humans then most ferals that’s why they stayed. We do NOT recommend releasing in an area where they can get outside immediately .
You guys always have interesting projects on the go. I like all your videos although I first began watching them when I saw you metal detecting. Fun to watch! Also, you have great kids.
Thanks, we appreciate it! :D
thank you for taking care of these animals. i'm sure your good karma will follow you for the rest of your life and into the next.
Hope they'll be okay and not to lonely, they are used to your family:( and that the lady will feed them and be nice to them. I take care of 8 feral cats (there were 19 but they are or killed by a car or a disease(FIP)), very sad because I love them as much as my housecats. But you had no other choice and this is always better than a shelter, in my country these kind of animals will be killed also:( and it's forbidden to feed them but this is a rule I gladly break without feeling guilty:) Hope you will be happy in your new place and God bless!
My mother started out feeding 1 feral cat and before she knew it,she had 30.There's a non profit that live trapped them,neutered them,and released them at old farmhouses.Problem solved.
Thank you for caring and for creating/sharing this video.
It will be an adjustment for the cats but they will be safe from humans and cars there. It's the mice in those fields who have to worry now!
😢your cats are so scared. I hope they will be ok at their new home. I hope they stick together. They are very pretty. I always had cats growing up.
They were scared, but these ferals are very smart and very tough. Ferals especially don't like being caged. I think they will adjust to their new home just fine. :)
I think you are right. They lived on their own before you came along. I am thinking positive. It is easy for US to say you should have done this or that. We are full of talk and you are full of action.
Thank you
Contrary to what people think, many feral cats can be domesticated. I bet all 3 of those cats could have gone to an inside situation with patience.
How many people chiming in about what to do and not do with ferals/strays have actually ever looked after AND relocated them to a new house? Not many I'll wager. I have and it's not nearly the nightmare you try to make it out to be. And the stupidity of saying things like you need to keep them caged for 4-6 weeks is just that, stupid. I had everything set up at the new place, drugged the cats with their morning food - can't recall the name of it but it's melatonin for cats. Put them in their carriers. They slept the whole way - two hours. Put them in their outside cat house with food and water. They surfaced a few hours after that. Did some initial exploring, were happy to see me, went back inside to sleep. They spent a week exploring but staying close to home moving further and further afield over time. They're not stupid, they know where their food and shelter and safety is. Inside of a month it was business as usual and like they had always lived there. Stop making mountains out of molehills. And if they do run off, they're cats! One of the best predators on the planet. There's zero shortage of food for them out in the wild. You help wildlife as you can but it isn't a career so don't mistake it as one.
Loved this video! Sad to see the cats go! Also so much fog, where are u guys from? :)
Indiana. There was an unusual amount of fog that day!
Weren't there a lot more cats floating around, between your old barn and the the river bank? A couple of glorious black specimens as well. Sorry, just stressin'.
The black fluffy cat died and we never figured out the cause. We adopted out some of the nice cats, but we kept Grumpy the striped cat and took him with us when we moved. These 3 were the last ones left.
I am facing a similar situation. But if I can find a farm like you did that's great. But somebody has to feed the cats. Maybe they can catch some field mice, but they will need food. And hopefully, the barn has enough protection from the elements. We can get near-zero temps in the Wintertime. But I have to do this because I can't physically care for the cats I have anymore. I am headed into Senior living, and likely assisted living after that.
how are you??
As long as they can get enough to eat they may make it. As long as the farm feeds well and doesn't expect the cats just to hunt rodents. The mother cat has to teach babies to hunt and that it is food or they will never eat it they just kill it and put it under your sock or in your shoe for you to find. A lot of farms want cats because they a ways have a turn over. Still you did all you could for them. I would've looked to see if there was any food down for them and asked to check on them later to gage the people. Still you did what you could. Try to keep your sanity with all you have going on. Best of luck on your adventure.
It looks like they will need to fend for themselves.
All 3 are doing very well at their new home and I just asked the lady today about them. She said they all have stuck around and she can get really close to the whiter calico.
Good news-glad everyone is adjusting to their new homes - excited to follow your journey. I lived near some people that had an old school house that they worked on. Turned out beautiful but yep lot's of hard work.
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What we learned from you until now?
there always hope to continue our lives lyrics
There's always a way forward.
I'm from Saudi Arabia follow you 🇸🇦
Good luck
Hello, I saw your comment. I think it is great to find you here. I hope you are doing very well. I clicked your name also to see if you had a channel with videos up. But I hope I see you around some more & in lots of places on youtube.
Love the Omish whip at the end
Thank you for taking them to another home but I wish you could have taken all of them with you to the new home 😕Will anyone feed them regularly like you guys did ?
The woman said she feeds her cats regularly. We didn't want to take them to the new property for several reasons and we feel that it would be irresponsible to release the cats on our new property where they would likely end up on one of the neighboring properties.
You can always use a mouser, and if belle likes her then she must like belle, so that makes sense.
I do think there’s positives and negatives to re homing the cats. What’s important is that you are doing your best for the cats. Cats are very independent animals that can feed themselves without humans. It’s hard to turn feral cats into house cats.
Are you taking there house with them the one you made?
No, it's just way too heavy.
Excellent job rehoming the ferals. Not an easy task!
Be especially careful of cat bites and scratches. They can cause very bad infections, very fast! Please get checked by a doc and ask about antibiotics shots. They are nothing to play with.
Thank you. Luckily my gloves were thick enough so she didn't pierce my finger, it just really hurt from being crushed by her teeth.
Whew! Good news on that front, although not so fun getting bit. I'm a pet-sitter, so I always worry about cat inflicted injuries. (One of my clients ended up in the hospital for 4 days on I.V. antibiotics over a similar incident.) Hope it feels better soon!
I have gotten bit too many times to list. One of my cats bit my face and neck. It was not his fault he got scared when I was holding him and I would not let him go! But I got a serious infection and had to take these super large antibiotics. I have a supply on hand now. It was worse because it hit my lymph gland and my neck swelled terribly! I still love him he is a Maine Coon and would never bite any other time but that is what they use when they have too and get scared! I have been bitten by numerous wild animals as well rescuing them! Squirrels are the worse because of their long teeth and their little jaws are strong even in a young one!
@@katgirl1958 I have trouble being sympathetic because some people get out of balance with their emotions and are irrational about animals. They become totally out of balance with no sympathies at all for human beings, especially young children who are at risk when there are wild, frightened animals. You should not put yourself at such risk but it IS your choice.
What kind of camera do u guys use? 😀 always look forward to see ur videos! I feel like friends!
Because Grumpy is cool
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the cats wanted to be wth u. it sucks to be them. never know when they be separated or put to a new place..
Feral cats are tough and MUCH better off where they can be fed and stay warm and dry and allowed their freedom.
What about the other cats? What happened to them? Like Puff and Tan Boy?
We sold Tan Boy to a guy with land who wanted a buddy for his feral cat, and Puff unfortunately died and we never figured out the cause :(
She is not happy. She's like Doug, Ashley what are you doing?
Kinda like herding cats huh? LOL.
The first time we set our trap it snapped.
I don't understand why u didn't take them with u to your home with the 3 acres. They would greatly cut down on the mouse population and they know you already. A part of our journey in life is to grow our hearts. You missed that opportunity with the kitties.
They did what they had to do. Listen to the entire video. I applaud that they found another place for the cats to live and roam. The cats are totally feral.
Even though you both seem nice and well intentioned, there were so many mistakes made. Please consult next time with a feral cat group before going about things. If you don’t have one in your area, you can still consult with rescue groups even out of state and they will coach you thru the process. These people care about the cat’s wellbeing so would be glad to help.
Also consider taking down this video so viewers do not mistakenly think this is the correct way to go about a feral cat location - or edit it to voice over the mistakes you made and what should, have been done differently.
Below explains how you ideally should have gone about things.
First, the trap
- cover while trapping so looks like a tunnel they go into (vs uncovered)
- you feed them a few days in the trap (with the trip plate deactivated) so they go in easily the day you need them to
- better to have a trap that automatically shuts when a cat steps on a trip plate
- esp when not very familiar with trapping vs a manual pull to shut it
- put something like cardboard or newspaper on the bottoms of the trap to make it more appealing and comfortable to walk on for the cat
Second, a relocation decision
- if changing a feral cats location, you minimize trauma by keeping as much consistent as possible
- you also go about the introduction to the new environment slowly
- so would have advised you to relocate them to your new property
- vs sending them to an unfamiliar caretaker
- not to mention a caretaker who has several other cats
- the person you chose introduces 3 new elements to the cat (new area, new caretaker, new cats) vs 1 if you took them with you (new area)
- would have advised you to take them with you
Third, proper relocation process
- this should have been followed whether you took the cats with you or when they arrived to the new caretaker’s farm
- she clearly also is not familiar with feral cats in this regard, even if she has several already and feeds them
- so cringe to see them immediately released AND also in a very large open area
- very high risk they will run off and never see them again
- instead you transfer the cats from their trap into a very large dog crate (like for a Great Dane) or some enclosure (catio playpen, small room in barn like a bathroom) they cannot escape from
- setup the enclosure with bedding, a cardboard scratcher, litter box
- small spaces make cats feel safe, esp in unfamiliar territory
- you then leave them in the new enclosure for anywhere from 3-4 or 5-6 weeks depending on their feral level
- this length of time is to slowly acclimate them to their new home
- during their confinement they will associate things like regular meals, feeling safe with this new environment with this new area
- so when released, will have established and engrained a sense this is now their “home”
- plus if any new cats, these few weeks give everyone time to smell/see get used to another (esp if using a very large dog crate, our catio playpen)
- this minimizes any hostility between newcomers and resident cats
- when you do finally “release” them and open the enclosure after a few weeks, you again shift the routine slowly for a bit
- IE, continue to feed them inside the enclosure for a while just leave the door open now
- then after some time, you can move their feeding station to a different area at the new location if desired
Risks with your release approach:
- if you just release immediately upon arrival, they will instinctually try to return to what they remember as “home”
- and if it’s far away like seems, often get lost or killed in that attempt to return
- intros to new adult cats need to go slowly vs instantly; a cat’s first response to new cat is hostility in order to protect territory
- and a cat receiving hostility, has the first instinct to leave the hostile area
- so your cats, as the newcomers, could also have run off by the established cats without a slow intro
- if the cats are feral, they will also be scared of the new caretaker too initially
Traps:
- you should either zip tie or Velcro tie the trap shut to avoid accidental escapes
- you can keep a cat in the trap for @1-3 days
- there is something called a trap divider which would allow you to go in/out to give them food or water (mixed into wet food) without them escaping
- also allows you to change any soiled areas
- you can also get a sedative from a vet to help keep them calm while in the trap during that period if need to keep in a trap over 24 hrs
- if giving a sedative, very important they are not released into the open or escape since would be dangerous for their survival
Trap to enclosure transfer:
- needs to be done carefully and ideally with someone skilled
- again all to minimize escape
- an experienced person would also teach you how to go in/out of the enclosure for the coming weeks
- all to avoid accidental early escape
- once the cats are in the enclosure they will give signs indicating if should be held @3-4 or 5-6 weeks before release
- an experienced person could coach you thru what to look for
You make some good and valid points but some are excessive and ridiculous. Most people do not have the time, money and space to keep a feral cat somewhere for a month or two to acclimate to their new home. And you should never keep and animal in a trap a moment longer than necessary. That's stressful and traumatic for them. If you transport their cat house(s) to the new location, release them into it with food and water and you on hand, they'll be fine. It's a familiar environment and smells - from their house and you - that's important. They won't go far initially anyway. And ultimately, they're cats. One of the best predators there is. I've seen plenty of ferals out in the country who do just fine without any help at all.
I just watched your video on you building cat house for cats. This was next vid I saw an I'm really sad for all these cats. As you said in last vid you re -homed a few an person have cat away after month or so. I know people an animals and many, many get animals( I won't say pets cuz pets you don't just give up!!) ....then give them away or get rid of them any way possible. Or just treat them like crap!!! The way people abuse animals these days is disgusting & rampant!!! I'm not blaming you.....just sad to see!!
Did you ever seen the cats there ?
They must to be cage at least for a month in their new house… if not they will no stay 😢
We asked the woman a while later how the cats were doing and she said they were doing great. They stuck around.
Why not take then to your new home?. They know you.
The new home has several neighbors that are close by and we didn't want to bring the cats there and have them end up living on someone elses property. We didn't want to create a problem for others.
That's sad hope they make it feral cats are territorial they might get chased away by others that lived there first.i feel bad for you but worse for those beautiful cats.
They have been there for 3 weeks now and all 3 of them are doing great. The lady can even get super close to the whiter calico. There have been zero issues.
Aren't there more than three? What about the rest?💜🐸😭
We sold some of the kittens and kept Grumpy the striped cat.
Why did u have so many cat's?????
Bob Tom Gold I think they just kind of lived there and they took it into their hands to care for them
The whiter calico was here when we moved in 5 years ago. In 2015 she had 2 kittens (grey cat and other calico). In 2016 those 2 had more kittens, Grumpy was one of the kittens. That is when we caught all 3 ferals and got them spayed.
Awesome!
Would you give up your children if the new landlords asked you not to bring any children onto their property? Your cats should be treated as your family. I don't care how nice the person is who told you they would look after your cats and take care of them. Your cats are family and where you and your wife and children go to live, your cats expect you to take them with you. If you leave them behind, bad karma will befall you.
These are not our cats and cats are not children. These are feral cats that we chose to watch over while we lived here. We tried doing the best we could for them considering the circumstances.
Rocco Hilly ...get screwed clown!
Jan Hollon - I don't see you stepping up to adopt them. Also - learn the difference between tame cats and feral cats before flapping your gums. I'm a professional pet-sitter and wholly endorse the way the situation was handled.
HoosierDeb444 ...hey dude I have had cats most of my life from household types to raising a baby cougar. I currently have 2 indoor cats now and to answer your rudeness against my comment, I say go f*ck yourself!
Jan Hollon - you obviously have problems with reading comprehension (I am not a dude), so your 'skill' in other areas comes under scrutiny now as well. you aren't winning any points for your limited ability at creative insults either.
They will be hunted down by the resident cats and end up with wounds from fighting and eventually die. Also, it's a bit naive to think, that the resident cats will let them have from the food. Not a good job, despite so many claim it was. It just shows, that you are actually not cat ppl, as you have admitted yourselves not to be. I am pretty sad for these three cats.
Would you rather us leave them and let the new owners have them trapped and euthanized? We did the best we could. We can't please everybody I guess.
Out in the Country It's not about pleasing me... It's about three cats, who have to fight for their lives now, only b/c you did not want to take them with you. Feral cats (and for that matter even non-feral cats) have their territory. Feral cats are bound to their territory - this was taken away from the three. This alone would be still ok, as they would get a new territory with their ppl - which would shy away with their presence other cats from your ground. Your three cats are thrown into a new territory not only without their known care takers, but into a territory with a group of feral cats, that will fight for their ground. They will be injured and eventually die a miserable death, if the new owner won't be checking on them (abcesses) - which I doubt, as no one can take them into their arms. All, who think, they will live a fairy tale life now on this farm doesn't know anything about feral cats. Really sad and disappointing.
" A cat released “cold” in the presence of other cats may hit the ground running and never return to the release location where shelter and daily food are provided. The cat, of course, has no way of knowing that the human intention is for the cat to stick around and live happily ever after." Source:
www.animalalliancenyc.org/wordpress/2013/09/relocating-feral-cats/
She is right about that. Mixing cats is never easy much less in a new place! I don't understand why you did not just take them with you! I drove back with my younger son with a 6 month old kitten for 7 hours no problem in a cat carrier. He just slept the whole time. Unless this person keeps them inside for months they will probably run away! They have no idea what you are doing or why! And will want to get away from these people and foreign cats. Groups of cats bond together and do not get along with other groups! Plus they know you guys! What are you doing just letting them out! Sorry but I also am not happy with what you did! I lost one of my cats by moving them and letting them out to soon! Really they don't know what you are doing! Why did you not take them with you? There certainly was plenty of room and they are good mousers! And sorry guys I think they will not be seen again!
All 3 are doing very well at their new home and I just asked the lady today about them. She said they all have stuck around and she can get really close to the whiter calico.