Moving to the countryside with cats - GPS trackers an option?

SelfBuild2019

We are in the final stages of building a house in the countryside, and will be bringing our 2 cats with us just after Xmas. One was rescued as a kitten 12 months ago, and the other is a stray that started coming to our back door, and is now a firm fixture on the couch! We currently live in an estate, so our rescued cat hasn't gone beyond our back garden and that's only when supervised. He has managed to jump over the fence a couple of times, but we've always got him back. The 2nd cat is a free spirit who we just let out and he comes back when he's hungry and/or wants to come in to the warm house.

My worries are that when we do move to the countryside, ideally Cat 1 will get used to being outside more, but we're afraid he might just run away or get lost in the unusual surroundings. Where we are going is rural and quiet, but we will be next to a road which sees some cars passing during the day but not much to be fair. However it's still a worry given he isn't used to being outside as it is. I feel sorry for him where we are now because he loves to go out and play with his new buddy, but we can't let him out unsupervised.

The worry with Cat 2 is that we're taking him away from what he's used to, and whether he will panic and bolt as well. Other people in the estate all know him, he's a beautiful timid big black cat, and i'm sure he has been to all their back doors too!

So any tips on how to handle the move would be welcome - we'd be heartbroken if they ran away. I'm just wondering has anyone ever looked into GPS tracker collars? There are loads online, but like anything the best way to know is through other people's experiences. Some of them look very chunky, and would definitely be pulled off by our 2 lads. We would be willing to pay a bit extra for a good one if it actually worked. We'll be getting them both chipped before we leave as well.

Faith

When you move, you'll need to keep both cats totally indoors for a good 3 weeks so they get used to the new house and can start learning, through the windows, what their surrounds look like. Then you should practice letting them out for very short periods, around mealtimes, and calling them back with treats and food. Each day, increase the amount of time they're allowed outside, but make sure to call them back. Keep doing this until you're confident they know their way back.

Trackers are definitely an option. There are two main types: GPS and radio wave. The GPS trackers allow you to track their location from home, but they are quite large and your cats could find them irritating. The GPS signal also gets easily interrupted by things like undergrowth or thick walls, so they're not great if a cat might get trapped somewhere that doesn't have good GPS coverage. You also typically have to buy the tracker and pay for a recurring subscription.

Radio wave trackers are smaller, but work like a metal detector - they come with a kind of remote that beeps more rapidly the closer you get to the tracker. This means you can't just look at a map and figure out where your cat is, but the benefit is that the signal is much less susceptible to being blocked. I know some owners have also trained their cats to associate the beep of the remote with treats, so as soon as you turn on the remote and it beeps, it triggers the cat to come to you for treats. The cost of these is usually just the investment in the tracker with no subscription.

There are good reviews of all kinds of trackers here: https://allaboutcats.com/best-cat-tracker

edit: Oh and remember it's essential that the cats wear quick release collars or they run the risk of accidentally getting strangled if a collar got caught on something.

Potis 2020

I have no experience of GPS trackers, but what we have done in the past is keep the cat somewhere secure (a shed, a glasshouse, the house) for a few weeks until she really began to feel it was her home. We then brought her outside on a harness and lead every day for a week or so and let her explore. After that phase, we let her loose while we were in the garden, keeping an eye on her and calling her over for rubs every now and again. The final step is a leap...but it worked out for us. We just had to leave her free and hope for the best!

I would suggest having a kennel outside/access to inside so they have shelter ad comfort when they want it. I've also read that leaving a cat's litter tray outside the first while helps them find their way home should they wander a bit too far.

Best of luck!

Car99

The biggest danger to cats in a rural setting are roads and cars. I don't really think you can mitigate the danger if you let a cat roam free but cats will be cats and it goes with the territory.

New Home

You might also want to invest in a catio, as a transition between inside and outside. So, like Faith suggested, 3 good weeks indoors, then I'd have the catio installed by a window so that the could access it from there as an outdoors outlet but while still confined and protected. I'd give them another good 3 weeks of that, so that they get used to sounds, smells, dangers and other animals nearby (and vice versa, allowing their scent to become known).

SelfBuild2019

Thanks for the replies everyone. The problem with Cat 2 is that he is really an outside cat, so I'm not sure if keeping him indoors is an option. He has never used a litter tray, as he just goes to the door whenever he wants to be left out.

Faith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118214658#Comment_118214658

Obviously you have to make the best decision yourself, but I think the benefits keeping cat 2 indoors for 3 weeks far outweigh the downsides, especially considering the incredibly high risk of him getting lost. He'll complain like a mofo, no doubt, but he'll get used to it, and it's not a long time in hte grand scheme of things. Just make sure he has his own litter tray, not sharing one with the other cat. You can leave the litter tray near a door if it helps him know where it is.

New Home

Also, I'd probably check with your current neighbours, in case he does belong to someone after all and he's just a Six Dinner Sid

SelfBuild2019

No he's definitely a stray. I know of one lady who was feeding him before he came to us, and his ear is clipped as the local animal welfare association had him neutered previously.

cocker5

Can’t give you any advice re: cats and your new home BUT I can give you advice re: GPS tracker - https://tractive.com/en/

we’ve been using the GPS tracker above for our rescue each day for nearly 2 years while hiking / walking - we find it excellent!

for your new home you can also have an invisible fence for your property and if the cat leaves the area you’ll be notified on the app!

SelfBuild2019

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118218479#Comment_118218479

Hi, thanks for your recommendation. The reviews of this product on their website are very mixed it seems? I wonder is it more aimed at dogs? Seems a very big device to have hanging around a cats neck

Faith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118226168#Comment_118226168

They are definitely very large for cats. You can see it in this picture, and this is a large breed, long haired cat!

If you want a GPS device, you could also consider something like a Tile, which is a bit smaller and neater.

The radio wave trackers are smaller than GPS ones, but still notable in size. e.g.:

cocker5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118226168#Comment_118226168

to be honest I’ve read a lot if the reviews and it seems to be more around their customer service .. from my experience and I’ve been using the Tractive nearly 2 years we’ve found it brilliant.. I lost his first Tractive last December (I didn’t have it on his collar correctly) and they sent me a brand new one within a week - no issues .. so I suppose I can only speak from my own personal experience.

it may be a little big for a cat in fairness!

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118214709#Comment_118214709

Agree totally. Especially with an outdoor cat. They especially need to reorientate to know where home is.

Fakediamond

Can you keep cat 2 on a harness and long line for going out in the first three weeks? It is really important to keep them contained in those first weeks.

pottokblue

Best of luck but I wouldnt be up for GPS anydomestic cat who is already chipped, I feel sorry for my recent visitor who is still wearing collar and bell 3months in! But each to their own. My cat is chipped but not GPS early years he'd be AWOL for up to 6days now I'd worry after 36 hours but what willbewillbe

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118216013#Comment_118216013

That's what I'd be thinking! He could have several homes and would be perfectly happy & content on his patch if he never saw you again!

But as regards the question, keep indoors for a few days. Then let out just before feeding, show the food first, so cat knows it's there. Keep an eye out initially but it won't stray too far and be back for the grub soon enough. Another few days of that and you'll be grand.

I wouldn't bother with GPS trackers unless you're really really worried and even then, things around a cats neck are hazards anyway and need to be releasable.

SelfBuild2019

UPDATE

So we moved in over the weekend, and brought the 2 cats in on Saturday evening. We have put them into one of the living rooms for now with the door closed and covered all the furniture etc and left their toys and familiar blankets around. They were obviously pretty stressed with the whole thing! They haven't eaten a whole pile, or haven't pooped yet either - hoping this is normal. Cat number 1 always uses a litter tray as he is a house cat, and he peed in it for the first time overnight. But cat number 2 won't use the tray so we're a little more concerned with him as he hasn't gone to the toilet at all in a couple of days. He's sitting by the window looking out (he loved doing that in our previous house too). We let them out to do some exploring of the rest of downstairs last night, and they were a little more relaxed. Cat number 2 just went to the windows looking out and meowing, so he obviously just wants to get out. He's a very relaxed soul, very laidback with life, so I might try and let him out later and watch him. There's a lot of open fields etc around - he would have been used to a housing estate previously.

Am i mad to think about leaving him out already, 2 days in? We actually put a little lead on him yesterday morning but that seemed to completely stress him out. As if moving into a new house wasn't stressful enough, these 2 little guys are doubling the stress 😄

New builds are also very warm with all these new regulations, so we're periodically opening a window for them - not sure if cats feel the heat as much as us! They have water but don't seem too interested in that either

cocker5

Yes you are crazy even considering jetting him out after 2 days .. I believe a few weeks is recommended before u even consider it

bertiebomber

a month is normal to calm them down before a release into the garden 2 days might be taking a chance but you have to make the cat happy put a box outside wit his bed & things in it so if he comes back he will know its the right house !