City Cat Retiring to Countryside!

OldNotWIse

We currently live near the city centre, and have what we refer to as "halfcat". She was wild when we found her, and very sick. We took her to vet and crated her for a week to give her tabs every day and allow her to recover. Then had her neutered and vacc'd. All good. She comes to us every day now for food and sleeps in on the sofa at night. During the day she has a chair on our balcony she lounges on. We still cant touch her but she comes close enough to take food out of our hands and will tolerate us walking past without going mental.

In a couple of weeks we will be moving and I dont want to leave her behind but I am so afraid that she will stray if we take her to the country! Also, the relatives we will be staying with (who have agreed to have her) have three elderly, quiet cats. They are not particularly territorial.

So, leaving her isn't an option, wondering if anyone can advise how we transition. Do we keep her in for a while? How do we make sure she comes back? Do they always come back for food? What if she disappears?

boomerang

You need to keep her in for a minimum of three weeks, ideally in a place where she will continue to be fed, and where she has a view of where she will be out and about. Is there a secure shed there?

OldNotWIse

boomerang wrote: »

You need to keep her in for a minimum of three weeks, ideally in a place where she will continue to be fed, and where she has a view of where she will be out and about. Is there a secure shed there?

Ok, I can sort out something like that. I was thinking we could design some kind of "run" for her to spend time in during the day so se could get used to smells, sights and sounds with a kennel or something to retreat into if she gets freaked out, and keep her in at night?

boomerang

For relocations we have a pen that's 6x6. It's a wooden frame with strong wire and a little wooden door built into the front. You can put a kennel in for hiding, and a big litter tray. It is open to the elements so we usually stand it in an open hayshed. Will be doing a relocation this week so I'll get pics of the pen set-up for you.

But if there is a very secure shed with a window, that's just as good.

OldNotWIse

boomerang wrote: »

For relocations we have a pen that's 6x6. It's a wooden frame with strong wire and a little wooden door built into the front. You can put a kennel in for hiding, and a big litter tray. It is open to the elements so we usually stand it in an open hayshed. Will be doing a relocation this week so I'll get pics of the pen set-up for you.

But if there is a very secure shed with a window, that's just as good.

Sounds like a great idea. I'll have to try and fashion something. Pics would be great

boomerang

Here's two pics of the first pen we built. We've improved on it since.

It all fits together with cable ties, and we put in a cat house (we used to use blue barrels sometimes) a litter tray and lots of hay or straw, if the cats are going on a farm. Hay is better in the short term as it's softer and has no spiky bits but it absorbs wet/moisture more quickly. Your cat would probably prefer the bed she usually sleeps in, though.

We've put stronger wire on the frame and now instead of opening up two sides a crack to put in food/change the litter we have a small door on the front.

The kennels are always pointed away from the front door because the cats find direct eye contact very threatening. They run into the safety of the kennel when they hear someone approach.

Will take pics of one of the newer pens for you on Friday.

You could look on one of the online buy and sell sites as well for small dog runs - sometimes they're completely enclosed.

OldNotWIse

Wow they look great. (Calls Dad to see if he can make something the same!)

So, we just leave her in the enclosure for a few weeks and then let her out? I suppose at some point we will have to take that chance!

boomerang

That's right. Three weeks minimum, feeding her twice a day.

On the day the three weeks are up, let her out of the pen but leave the pen open and keep putting her food there. Take away the pen about a week after the release. She should be just fine!

Qualitymark

And go in and sit in the place where you're keeping her for an hour or so every day - read or listen to the radio; ignore her if she doesn't come up to you, but just give her the feeling that you're here and this place is cool.

fatmammycat

Not being smart, but where did the 'three week minimum' thing come from? We've moved a number times- once across the continent - and we never kept our cats in when we did so. The big male would have lost his mind if we'd tried to do it. The older lady was content to stay inside and close to us no matter where we lived, and the youngest liked to explore his surroundings and retreat to the house the second he was done. But we never lost a cat or had them lose us, so I'm wondering about the 3 week thing?

OldNotWIse

fatmammycat wrote: »

Not being smart, but where did the 'three week minimum' thing come from? We've moved a number times- once across the continent - and we never kept our cats in when we did so. The big male would have lost his mind if we'd tried to do it. The older lady was content to stay inside and close to us no matter where we lived, and the youngest liked to explore his surroundings and retreat to the house the second he was done. But we never lost a cat or had them lose us, so I'm wondering about the 3 week thing?

Maybe just to get her used to the place. It's a huge change for her tbh. The vet told us she is quite old so I guess she has lived all her life in the city and then all of a sudden she will be in the countryside Maybe it will give her long enough to forget? We are going to get her chipped before we go too

fatmammycat

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Maybe just to get her used to the place. It's a huge change for her tbh. The vet told us she is quite old so I guess she has lived all her life in the city and then all of a sudden she will be in the countryside Maybe it will give her long enough to forget? We are going to get her chipped before we go too

No no, get that, and you are right to want to keep your cat safe after a big move like this, especially such a huge change- I'm just curious where the '3 week' thing came from. It seems a very long time and I"m wondering about the validity of it since we have never done this, nor indeed has my friend who moved from one end of the country to the other with two sibling cats (I literally just asked her two minutes ago and she didn't either).

Regardless of time spent indoors, I think your cat will thrive in her new home. Ours lived in both rural and urban locations and I can tell you rural was by far their favourite. Although when we moved back to the city they did discover easy pickin's from a neighbour. The two boys would have breakfast, then have second breakfast a few hours later in the house next door :rolleyes:We wondered why they were putting on weight.

Apropos safety: I have always kept our cats indoors at night, I think the vast majority of fights and so on happen in the wee hours, but they've always had free reign to come and go as they please during the day light hours, resulting in a lot of snoozing around the house after the morning patrol. Both the big male and the female lived into their twenties, and the youngest here, an ex-feral street cat, is rolling up to fourteen now.

Whispered

This thread makes me smile. Love the title and love how this little moggy landed on their feet with a caring owner.

OldNotWIse

Whispered wrote: »

This thread makes me smile. Love the title and love how this little moggy landed on their feet with a caring owner.

Wish we could save them all One thing I thought was so sad was when the vet told us she only has two teeth years of flu and gingivitis not being treated We switched her to wet food only then but she prefers dried and will go around hoovering up the dogs dried food! :P

gctest50

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Wow they look great. (Calls Dad to see if he can make something the same!)

Be as easy to make something like this :

( Added bonus : increases security around back of house & you can sit out under it in all the warm wet days )

OldNotWIse

gctest50 wrote: »

Be as easy to make something like this :

( Added bonus : increases security around back of house & you can sit out under it in all the warm wet days )

Thats lovely! I could put a barbeque and water feature in for her too lol

gctest50

you need to start pricing up stuff then dontcha

http://www.donedeal.ie/buildingmaterials-for-sale/clear-corrugated-perspex-for-roofing-etc/3286454

gimmick

fatmammycat wrote: »

Not being smart, but where did the 'three week minimum' thing come from? We've moved a number times- once across the continent - and we never kept our cats in when we did so. The big male would have lost his mind if we'd tried to do it. The older lady was content to stay inside and close to us no matter where we lived, and the youngest liked to explore his surroundings and retreat to the house the second he was done. But we never lost a cat or had them lose us, so I'm wondering about the 3 week thing?

My sister in law moved in with us a few years ago and she brought her cat. For about the first week the cat was completely distraught. It found a corner and wouldn't leave it. Then all of a sudden she was back to normal whinging to get out, and once she was left out it was like she had lived here for ages.

So it depends cat by cat I guess.

fatmammycat

gimmick wrote: »

My sister in law moved in with us a few years ago and she brought her cat. For about the first week the cat was completely distraught. It found a corner and wouldn't leave it. Then all of a sudden she was back to normal whinging to get out, and once she was left out it was like she had lived here for ages.

So it depends cat by cat I guess.

Totally. Two of ours spent the first day under the sofa. But the big male demanded to be released the second we unpacked, so off he'd go to explore and get a feel for the place, THEN he'd relax. He was an ex-street cat too, so I think he always preferred to know the lay of the land, so to speak. Gosh I really miss him