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Oh, yes, I did research barn cat programs! I was not able to find anything. I would be willing to drive her a few hours if needed, but couldn't find a program.
Look for the nearest and thriving racetrack as they have feral cats which keeps the rodent population down in the barns, keeps the horses company and if they seem hungry most people will give them a handout.
Just my experiences in working in that industry for many years. I hope this helps you out and the feral cat as well. Good luck!
I have a former feral cat who is at least thirteen years old. He was living under a porch on the hose when I moved in. He would a approach me but never come closer than about six feet. I looked all over for information and called several people who claimed to be feral cat experts. They all told me that I could never make a pet of him, but I did. I trapped him, took him to my vet for shots, examination, and neutering. When I brought him home he disappeared. I knew that he was alive because he was eating and using his box. This went on for more than six months.
Then one day when I went into the kitchen he was sitting on the counter. I cautiously stroked him and he liked it. He slept on top of me that night and has done so every night since. He met my other cat and there were no problems. He did let my younger dog know that he did not allow face-licking, lunging, and similar. He preferred the old one who only sniffed him.
I've had him for twelve years. It worked because I was patient and let him become part of our little society at his own pace.
You can turn a feral cat into a pet who will love his new safe life.
Definitely don't take her to a "shelter" - I've tried to volunteer at a shelter and just couldn't bear how hard being stuck in those small cages was on even the calmest cats. Cruel and inhumane.
The place you are moving to - are you able to create a "catio" there? Even in places that seem not to have outdoor space, and even rentals, can be easily adapted for outdoor cats with a "catio". Your feral would probably do fine over time if she's able to go outside in a "catio".
If you'd like more ideas about how to build a "catio", a lot of us would be happy to share our own experiences with this.
As someone on a farm who has barn cats, I wouldn't advise just taking her to any old barn colony and expect her to survive. Most barn colony cats are not at all accepting of new cats from different bloodlines being added to their group, and they will fight. Sadly, most of the cats dumped out here don't survive unless I can catch and neuter/spay them and figure out where they'd fit in best.
You can turn a feral cat into a pet who will love his new safe life.
We had a feral colony in back of our property.
I put out food for them and after a while, some of them got to know me.
When we moved, we took eight of them with us.
That was about ten years ago.
Two have passed away, the others have turned into affectionate kitties who like to lay on our laps, sleep on the bed with us, and love to be petted and rubbed.
On a sunny day they like to go out on the deck and lay in the sun and watch the Coons and Deer.
Our rule is that all cats have to be in my sunset. They follow the rules. Nobody has ever stayed out all night.
Thank you so much, everyone! So the consensus seems to be to set her free.
I am a renter, so catio is not an option. If she was thriving, I would give it all the time in the world, but she mostly hides and it has been 3 months. If it wasn't for the fact that I was moving, I would not have brought her in. I just wanted to try and see how she did. She is eating little tiny bits and using the litter box, but I wouldn't think hiding most of the time is conducive to her well-being (I have tried treats, baby meat, tuna, etc).
She will occasionally bat toys around in the middle of the night - for about 20 minutes, but the second I approach her, zoom - she runs and hides.
When I was a renter I had someone build me a catio that just abuts to the building on either a window or door. No physical attachment at all to the building, so the landlord didn't object. You really can do this if you're on a first floor or on an upper floor with even a teeny balcony; please try!
Also, if you've had her inside 3 months already she probably can adapt just fine to inside life over time. If she's not crying and screaming at the outside door there is still hope! There are lots of posts on this forum about cats that lived in hiding for a few years even who later become calm and happy in indoor life.
In my previous post I just meant between a shelter or set free, setting free is a better option for a feral.
Catio is definitely not an option in my rental, plus I am moving soon.
This morning, she was "hammocking" under the bed in the other room, which was a first. Is this good or bad?
That is a very good sign ! Give her more time, keep her inside let her get acclimated at her own pace and you might just be surprised at how nice she will be. Don't approach her, that is perceived as a threat. Feed her often enough, fresh water, leave a treat on the floor in the same place every day. You will be thankful for your efforts. Be careful she doesn't get out by accident, and don't get discouraged …… best wishes ….. Get a large dog crate for when you move and entice her into that, leave it open with food in it and don't try to put her inside. She will go in by herself at some point. This may sound like a lot of effort … but the love and care will pay off.
When I first started reading this post, I was going to say that setting her free was the "best" option. However, it seems she is making a bit of progress indoors! Are you using Feliway? I would suggest that to help calm her.
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