Returning the Cats to the same location

You’ve done the hard work: you’ve trapped the cats, taken them to the vet to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and ear-tipped, and helped them through recovery. Now you need to return them to their original colony location where they were trapped.

Here’s what’s left to do:

1. Return the cat. Release the cats out of the traps in the same place where you trapped them. Don’t worry if a cat hesitates before leaving—he’s reorienting himself to his surroundings. Sometimes cats will “disappear” for a day – or a few days – after they are returned. It’s OK; they’ll show up again eventually! Resume the feeding schedule and continue providing food and water even if you don’t see them—they may eat when you’re not around for a while.
2. Thoroughly clean the traps with nontoxic disinfectant after the return. Whether the traps are borrowed or your own, leave them cleaner than you found them so they’re ready for the next trapping adventure. Even clean traps should be disinfected—the scent of the previous cat may deter new cats from entering.

Note that relocation should be considered a last resort under extreme circumstances when the cats’ lives are in imminent danger. In that case, be prepared by reading our "Guidelines for Safe Relocation of Feral Cats".