What can I do with my dads semi-feral cats? I can't even catch them!

[Mikocat]

Long story but my dad has gone into sheltered housing as he has Parkinson's, he has left behind two semi-feral cats that he's had for about eight years since they were kittens. The cats are very suspicious and jumpy around everyone, even my dad sometimes, although they tolerated him better and even let him brush them at times.
We and a friend of his are taking it in turns to drive over to his currently empty house (about 2 miles away) and feed them every day, but this cant carry on as we need to sell the house to pay for his care.
I've rung every shelter I can find and got on long waiting lists for some of them, but most just say "no space". I have two fairly wimpy cats and a new baby in my house so I don't fancy taking on some ferals too and the friend Who's helping feed them boards dogs for a living!
Via Facebook I have managed to find an old school friend who will be willing to take them on his farm if I can deliver them (about 75 miles), but we can't catch them! My husband has been there for hours (I'm no help as I have to look after the baby) but as soon as he gets close to them or close to the door to shut them in the house they bolt out again. There is a cat flap, but only a cheap one, not one that you can lock.
Someone suggested taking some cages down there to trap them, but surely that would only catch one, as the other one surely wouldn't come near after seeing the caught one?
I'm at my wits end, can you drug them with something? Get someone round with a tranquilliser gun?
At the moment I'm angry, but at the end of the day it isn't their fault that they are so bloody unhelpful!

[milktraylady]

Make sure they are in the house- go to back door & gaffertape the catflap shut.

Minimises the horror of trying to catch them?

Put 2 proper cat carry baskets in a room in the house, with a fleecy blanket in each.
Cats are bound to sleep in them.

Don't feed them one day.
Come back the next day, put food at back of basket.
Cat goes in.
Shut door.

Good luck!

[recall]

I caught one with a very large blanket once, I cornered him, and then tossed the blanket on top of him, and he went all still, so I sort of bundled him up and supported him and could then carry him. It sounds scary, but it was less traumatic for him because he went all still.

[issey6cats]

get in touch with cats protection and explain what you have just said here and see if they can lend you a couple of traps, the way they work is the dooor is up, you put food in the back of the trap and when the cat steps on the plate in the middle to get to the food the door drops down and cat is caught, you would be able to transport them in these aswell as they are just like a wire cat carrier easier than trying to get them into carriers

[Mikocat]

A combination of gaffer-taping the catflap and the blanket strategy did the trick - thanks ladies. The beasts are on ther way to a new home on a little farm on the Suffolk coast!

[milktraylady]

Yay I'm really pleased for you!
Yippee

[RedwingWinter]

Well done!!

[issey6cats]

well done sounds like they will have a purrfect life