Moving Colonies as a Last Resort,
Why & How.
CARE Feline Rescue is only a Trap Neuter Return program for Feral and abandoned cats. We ourselves are not involved in relocation or adoption efforts. That said we have gathered information for those of you that need help with placing cats in new homes.
Vacuum Effect
First, understand that removing feral cats from a colony will not limit the colony for long. new cats will soon move in.
Feral cats establish territories based on availability of food sources and shelter. When the cats are removed from this environment, more cats quickly move in to take advantage of those resources. These new UN-sterilized cats will breed to the capacity of the site. The vacuum effect as been documented around the world http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/07/10/mrtraile.htm
And related to this please read Alley cat allies About the Vacuum Effect http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=434&srcid=488
Moving Cats
Second, understand that relocation of feral cats is never a guarantee that they will be in a better situation. Relocation efforts are difficult and success rates low. If the cats are truly feral (they cannot be held even by their main caretaker) it is best for them to stay in their home territory. Cats bond strongly to their home and moving is difficult if not impossible. This should be a LAST RESORT and only done if there is no safe alternative for the colony.
If you have a situation where the cats are unsafe or have lost their caretaker they may have to be moved. Find out more about how to move them here http://www.feralcat.com/relocate.html
Friendly cats(strays), pets and all kittens should be placed into homes. Releasing these cats in a “safe” colony with little or no human interaction is not a humane or responsible alternative. There are several groups that are willing to help with this process and we have a list of some in our Adoption Groups page. If this is a pet you have run out of options for or non of the adoption groups have space to assist you when you need it you can also try http://www.10thlifesanctuary.org/. They require a large donation to pay for the cats ongoing food and medical costs but they do provide a life long home.
