# Moving city cats to a farm...any advice?



## deb7788 (Jul 13, 2009)

We will be moving from a city to a small farm in lower Missouri and will be taking two adult cats with us. Both are males and both are fixed. I was hoping they wouldn't run away, but not for sure how to keep them there. Heard some old wive's tales but not sure about them. Does anyone have any advice how to get them accustomed to the new home and farm?


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## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

This is how I have done it in the past. The last time we moved with 4 cats, ranging in age from 18 years to 6 months old. We just kept them in the house for about 5 days and then we let them out. All stayed. Hope that helps.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Are they indoor cats? Cats should want to stay with their owners and where the food is.

I rescued my indoor/outdoor kitty when he was two months old from the inner city. Brought him home to our farmette and he never looked back. 

I have one word of extreme caution; please take a lesson from my heartache. Your cats will be involved now with a strange sub-species known as the Barn Cat, either from a neighbor's barn or your own. I thought this interaction was pretty much harmless, good old Bosco would forever have scratches on him, but he was a tough old kitty who could hold his own. Until he got a disease from them. Bosco had his normal shots, rabies and such (and this will be imperative now) but the disease that is taking him from me has no vaccine. The majority of people who have barn cats have barn cats, meaning they are a sort of self-perpetuating thing with no real interaction except maybe some food given to them, seldom do they got shots and such. Even if your own cats stay on your property, barn cats can have a pretty wide roaming area. Please just look into what kind of additional shots you can get to offer a wider range of protection. It stinks to lose a loved kitty to a disease gotten from another.

Also, if your guys are outdoor cats, NO COLLARS or find some kind of breakaway collars. There is a new obstacle course for them now that involves thick underbrush, broken fences and such, and a cat can get hung up on these by his collar. Also at first I would let them out during the day and coax them back in at night, there is also a new batch of night hunters they might run into and they should learn where they can run to escape them by the light of day.

All those dire warnings out of the way, I bet your cats will LOVE being on the farm. I really think if you and your family are there, and you keep them fed, they'll stay right where they are. I betcha more kitties are running FROM the city TO the country!!


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## Willow101 (Feb 20, 2008)

With rescue cats I never know what their history is so I have to treat them all like once indoor cats.

First few days they are either in a crate with litter, food and water...or in a small room with the above. This gives them a chance to settle in and develop a comfort zone.

Next step is letting them out into the house. This step can be done in several ways. For cats that don't seem to be adjusting....I let them out for small periods of time and then lock them back up in their safe room. Once they are completely adjusted to the new 'indoors' I let them out. Adjusting to the new house can be as short as a couple of days and as long as several weeks. Their body language will tell you. If they pace and act like they are looking for a way to escape....don't let them out. Curiousity is allowed but not out and out escape mode.

If they are settled in....going outside will be an adventure. If they are traumatized and not ready to go out because they haven't accepted the new home....they will disappear...likely trying to find the old house.

I had two cats that came to me and my gut told me they weren't ready to go out but it had been a month. I let them out and they were gone. I felt horrible.

I have a momma cat right now that seems to be looking for escape routes even though she has been here a month and has a litter of kittens in her room. She will remain confined until her date with the vet on the 28th, come back and be confined until stitches are out and then we will attempt to broaden her horizons. Hopefully by then she will be more settled.

I guess my point is there are no hard and fast rules. Let the cats tell you when they are ready for each step.

Good luck...

Willow101


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## deb7788 (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks so much for the advice. I had heard that if you put butter on the paws and leave them in a room or closet until they lick that off they will stay without problem. That is a little far out there, but I'm sure they would like it. I'm worried that my males might start spraying to act out in defiance of being moved, but if we give them alot of attention maybe that won't happen.
Again, thanks.


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## Janis Sauncy (Apr 11, 2006)

Also, if they're going to be outside eventually, chances are they will be hunting (and eating) rodents, which are a major source of worms.

Regular worming and vaccinations are necessary.

Janis


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## Zorro_Bones (Nov 1, 2005)

As long as they understand that that's home for them, they should stay around for the food. In fact you'll probably end up with more cats coming out of the woodwork.
(Of course keeping them in a dog cage or fenced in pen until they are use to being outside helps tremendously.)


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