How To Trap A Feral Cat

What Is The Best Cat Trap

How to trap a feral cat

Rescue organisations agree that the best humane cat traps are either drop traps or box traps. These resemble cages and are considered the safest way to capture stray or feral cats in your neighbourhood.

However, cats, even strays, are protected in the UK by law, so before you find yourself in a legal battle with your neighbour, you must make 100% sure that the cat in question is definitely stray or feral.

Train The Cat To Enter A Trap

If a;trap;can be safely left outdoors in the cat’s;territory for an extended period of time, it’s possible to train her to go in. The area needs to be secure so no one walks off with the equipment, like a secluded backyard or;a private courtyard. You can also train;an entire colony with this method, using one trap per cat. The process usually takes from one to two weeks.;For each trap deployed, follow these instructions:

Secure the front door of the trap in a raised position.;You can run a stick through the sides of the trap to block the door from falling or use a twist tie;or similar item to tie it in place.

Place the trap;in the cat’s;territory near the normal feeding spot. Leave it in place throughout the training.

On the first day of the training,;put the cat’s usual meal on the ground;a foot or two away from the trap’s front door. Use a small plate or bowl. Start further away for a more skittish cat.

Keep putting the plate at this spot,;the same distance from the trap, until the cat starts eating the food.;Then, for the next meal, move the plate six inches or so closer to the trap’s front door. When the cat starts eating from this new spot, move the plate closer to the front door again.

On your scheduled trapping date, at the time the cat is;used to eating, untie or unblock the front door, bait the trap;and set the trigger.

Here Are Some Leading Tips As To How To Make Use Of A Live Trap To Catch A Feral Cat:

Acclimate the cat to the trap

Feral cats will begin to trust traps enough to remain in them for short periods of time if they are set up within their environment and remain open for them to enjoy a meal from.

To gain a feral cats trust in this way, be sure the traps are not set but are simply open and complete with a food source. Consistency is key when using this method, so you will want to be certain to provide the feral cat with food at the same time and in the same place each day.

To help the feral cat to understand the trap is safe place to consume a meal, place the cats food in the opposite direction to what you would do if you were simply using food as a form of bait for trapping. This means placing the meal by the front of the trap with that door firmly shut. Tie back the back door, so the cat can easily see that there is no way for him to become permanently confined within the space.

Repeat this process over a period of several days. When the feral cat is now comfortable eating his daily meal from inside the trap, you can withhold food for a 24 hour period to ensure adequate hunger then prepare an attempt at trapping.

Consider the use of a large trap

Many feral cats will reject the opportunity to enter a small trap even if it means a respite from inclement weather. By nature, cats are more trusting of larger spaces, particularly if the opening to the trap is large. This is often a good first step to luring a cat inside for trapping.

Make use of a trip plate

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How To Catch A Feral Cat

How do you catch a wild cat that doesnt want to be caught a cat focused on survival? Ive learned through my experience in trapping and socializing feral cats that they are REALLY smart and unless you go in with a plan its not nearly as easy as it may seem. ;In this post, Ill explain how to catch a feral cat in a trap in four easy steps.

How To Get An Angry Cat Into A Carrier

Allowing an angry cat to get acquainted with the carrier for a few days is the safest way to get her into it.

If you dont have time to do this, you can use a towel, pillowcase, toys, or treats to get the cat into the carrier, as discussed in more detail below.

Most cats are drawn to laser pointers and will go to great lengths to chase the signal using a laser pointer, try catching your pet cats eye and then luring them into the carrier by pointing the laser light inside.

Once your cat is inside, immediately close the carrier door so he cant escape.

Why not use one of your own cats favourite cat toys to entice him into the carrier? Toss in some of his favourite toys.

When your cat has finished chasing the toys and entered the carrier, shut the door behind her.

Some people may think this technique barbaric, but it also helps to relax your pet so he wont be able to see whats going on around him.

To do this, try to take the cat off balance and easily stuff him into a pillowcase, tying the top so he cant get out.

Place him in the carrier after calming him down with a substance like Feliway Calming Spray.

Feliway Calming Spray, for example, is an excellent pheromone spray for calming, relaxing, and behaving your pet. Catnip, on the other hand, is a well-known herb for calming cats and improving their mood.

Make it a point to speak to your pet in a soothing voice to motivate him to use a carrier or to stay inside one that he is already in.

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Easy Steps To Get A Feral Cat Into A Carrier

CAUTION: this process can be dangerous!! You can seriously injure both yourself and the animal in this process if you are not careful. Please consult a professional if you are unsure about any of the following steps.

Getting a stray into a carrier will be a lot easier than trying to get a feral cat in one, but it can be done. Youll need:

A cat carrier
A towel
To be calm and confident

With the blanket in two hands, calmly approach the cat from behind. As quickly as you can, place the blanket over its head, making sure their entire head and body are covered.;

Keeping your wits about you, firmly place your hands over the towel and the cats shoulders. As you scoop up the cat, make sure the blanket is folded underneath it.

As soon as you can, place the cat in the carrier with the blanket. Trust us, hell find his own way out of it.

Grab the towel and cover the carrier to help keep the cat calm.

Health And Safety Considerations

Trapped feral cats can be dangerous to handle. They will be nervous and aggressive and can inflict serious injuries with teeth and claws. If these cats are killed whilst still in the cage, there should be no need to handle them directly. However, if handling is necessary, leather gloves and a catching pole, or a crush should be used. Operators must be protected by tetanus immunisation in case of infection of scratches and bites. Bite wounds often result in serious infections and should be treated by a doctor.
Firearms are hazardous. All people should stand well behind the shooter when a cat is being shot. The line of fire must be chosen to prevent accidents or injury from stray bullets or ricochets.
Care must be taken when handling live cats and carcases as they may carry diseases such as toxoplasmosis, ringworm and sarcosporidiosis that can affect humans and other animals. Routinely wash hands after handling all carcasses.

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What Is The Best Way To Trap A Cat

When it comes to wily genius cats that will not go in the trap, Patience is the key thing.

Baiting the trap with a small spoon of wet cat food, tuna or mackerel is the most effective way to lure the cat into the trap you use. If you have a two-door trap, make sure the traps rear door is secured. Its also very important to choose the proper size of the trap.

Cover the cat trap, if an uncovered trap didnt work. Use leaves and vines from the environment of cat to make the animal feel more trusted.

Remember, trapping the cat takes the right human trap, good positioning and patience.

You can find further details of Cats Control here.

Cleaning And Return Of Traps

How to Trap a Feral Cat for TNR

Return the traps by the date specified on your trap agreement.
Remove and discard all stickers, tape and newspaper.
Use warm, soapy water and a scrub brush to remove all remaining debris. Rinse thoroughly several times with clean water.
Do NOT use bleach; it is damaging to the trap and bleach residue is dangerous for cats. All traps will be safely disinfected by FCCO before they are used again.
Once the traps are returned clean and undamaged, your deposit will be returned to you.

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Extend The Length Of The Trip Plate In The Trap

Do this to outsmart a clever feline who plans to walk in, have a bite, and leave).

Cut a piece of corrugated cardboard so that it will be 12 to18 inches long and about ½ inch narrower than the inside width of the trap.

Use masking tape or painters tape to secure this cardboard rectangle to the top of the trip plate.

Use another piece of tape to secure the base end of the cardboard loosely to the wire mesh near the trap door opening. This piece of cardboard extends the length of the metal trip plate. It is essential for catching the crafty feline who walks into the trap, and then delicately places one paw over the trip plate, contentedly eating the nice snack you have left for her. When the cardboard platform covers the trip plate, and the wire mesh at the opening of the trap, the feisty feline does not notice that there is a certain point along the path to the food whereupon she will actuate the trip plate.

Youve Discovered A Stray Catnow What

The first step is to identify what she may need. Maybe youre her owner, but she wont come to you because shes scared. If your cat is not familiar with the outdoors, all of the new stimulants can make her confused or nervous. In other cases, there could be a stray or feral cat in the area that requires medical attention, such as spaying or neutering before shes released back into the community. But because you need to be cautious with any unknown felines that could have contagious diseases, this method wont require you to pick up or handle the cat in any way.

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Sparkys Cat Bite Abscess

That red spot is a hole with no skin over it!

Sparky came to Doc Truli in a hard-sided carrier. ;Even though he lived outside all the time, he came for a bowl of canned cat food each morning. ;When his people saw the wound, they got the carrier right away. ;While Sparky was still eating, they quietly and calmly picked him up, and put him directly into the carrier they had waiting right by the food dish. ;He was not happy, but he was safe for transport to the animal hospital.

A huge patch of skin was missing from the side of his right cheek.

Is it a tooth root abscess? asked his dad.

No, this is an infected, old bite wound, said Doc Truli.

Do you think an opossum bit him? ;Or maybe he got in ;a fight with a rat, asked dad.

No, cats care about other cats. ;An infected bite is almost always from a cat fight, said the Doc.

This Post Has 3 Comments

K. Martin 30 Sep 2019Reply

I have had two indoor-outdoor cats trapped. I suspect a third one was also trapped. All were neutered and all were chipped. One was recovered from a no kill shelter and one was recovered because a VET who scanned him. One was not recovered until animal control in a town 9 miles away found her and called me 11 days after she disappeared and a trap was discovered by a neighbor. Two of them were males so its hard to see how they were not immediately released as they were obviously missing the critical piece of their equipment. Please scan them when you trap them before you remove them from the area where they were trapped.

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How To Trap A Cat For Tnr

byOntario SPCA and Humane Society|Interesting|March 12, 2021

Today were talking about how to trap a cat for TNR. Trap-Neuter-Return, or TNR, is the process of trapping feral cats and bringing them to a veterinarian to be spayed/neutered, then returning them to their original habitat.

Feral cats are returned outside because they would be terrified in a home or shelter due to a lack of socialization. ;However, young kittens, or cats who have a good chance at being properly socialized may be successfully adopted and placed into a home.

Spaying/neutering feral cats is important for both short-term and long-term benefits. The most humane way to tackle the issue of feral cat overpopulation is by trying to stabilize the population so that cats live out their lives without reproducing. We can start to accomplish this by spaying/neutering.

How to trap feral cats

Neighborhood cats has a great resource ;here on how to trap feral cats in your community. Some of their steps are outlined below:

Know your stuff Training is important to make sure you know how to work with feral cats properly. Community Cats Toronto has a monthly training workshop that is available online. Learn more and register here for the workshop happening March 27: communitycats.ca/workshop-registration

Read the full steps 3-7 on their website!

Ally Cat Allies also has this resource for feral cat caretakers during COVID-19: Feeding Community Cats During COVID-19.

Available supports for feral cat caretakers

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If you’re looking for a reliable trap that is great for small animals, you’ve found it. The Tru Catch Traps Model 30LTD works on cats, skunks, rabbits, and other small animals. This trap is a favorite among feral cat trappers who conduct Trap-Neuter-Return or “TNR” projects. This trap matches up with the T18E or the T18TE Carrier and can be used to transport animals to the veterinary clinic for tagging, neutering, and/or spaying.

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Keep Them In A Carrier

Because there is no telling what time of day you will trap a cat, there is a chance you wont be able to get it to a vet or rescue centre immediately. If this is the case, you will need to transfer it from the cage into a suitable sized carrier until you can transport it. We suggest placing the carrier up against the trap and opening the door slowly.

Make sure the carrier has blankets or towels to keep the cat comfortable, as well as food, water and a litter tray.

Tip Dont let a feral cat loose in your home. Not only will you have a hard time catching it again, but it could also passinfectious diseases onto family members and your pets.

Dont Withhold Food Or Water

How to set a Feral Cat Trap

While it makes sense that a hungry or thirsty cat is more likely to wander into a trap searching for food and water, we strongly recommend that you dont withhold either. Cats can become seriously ill if they go for more than 48 hours without eating and drinking.

Trapping feral cats for the first time can be somewhat intimidating, and even the best-laid plans can go wrong. If youre not sure where to start, watch this video

If you have any experience with TNR or know of a local hero in your community, we would love to hear about them in the comments below. And dont forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter for helpful articles, special offers and members-only rewards.

Melinda Connor

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Moving The Cat Once It’s Caught

After you trap the feral cat, place a burlap bag, towel or blanket over the trap to help calm the animal down.

Wear a pair of leather gloves when handling the trap and place the trap in your vehicle on a prepared surface. ;

It helps to arrange details ahead of time with your local Humane Society or shelter before transporting the cat.

How To Get A Semi Feral Cat In A Carrier Time To Trap Your Kitty

Feral cats should not be disturbed. Cats of feral are wild and prefer to hide out. She will be nice to you and allow yourself to feed her, however she needs to be outside.

A wild cat is not to be dressed. When you get her in, shes still always going to play and take her out and try to abandon most of her life.

If you want to get a semi feral cat in a carrier, prepare the crate in the same place, out of sight of the cat. Sneak up behind them, cover them with a blanket, pick them up, and place them in the crate. It might take a few tries, or it might not fit for ferals.

Final Words

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