"Arjun Ray" wrote in message
...
| I did try transferring cats when I first started doing TNR and it
| seemed to just stress the cats more.

That may have been a matter of technique - how did you transfer them?
We exploit their preference to stay hidden - putting the trap and cage
end to end, covered, and then uncovering the area where we don't want
the cat. It may take a few minutes, but eventually they move. We
generally don't use carriers except perhaps for release (in which case
they were recovering in a crate, so we use the same principle: put the
carrier in the crate and then uncover the crate.)

Hmmm.... maybe I was doing it the hard way! I might try this transfer
strategy. The point another poster made about them being left where they
have been trapped struck a nerve also -- makes sense to me that it would
cause them some anxiety to remain where they were trapped. At the very
least I could put the trap in the garage and cover it so they're in a
quieter location that smells different than where they were trapped. Give
them more a feeling of safety.


| we have a 'hoarder' down the street that feeds the 'hood strays but is
| absolutely clueless about neutering -- I'm sort of 'working under the
| radar,' so to speak.

Oh man. This feeder is guaranteeing a constant stream of visitors for
you.

Tell me about it. I've talked to them until I'm blue in the face, and they
just don't get it -- so I took the path of least resistance and am now the
"invisible caretaker" of their "colony." The only upside really is that
they're very good about feeding. I put a feeding station near where I trap
to keep them coming thru my yard, but the hoarders keep them fed on a daily
basis pretty well.


| I'm sure I've caught and neutered people's pet cats, because people
| here let them wander around at will, without collars on. Incredibly
| stupid.

Same here, in my neighborhood. It's a nuisance.

It's worse than a nuisance, it's practically guaranteeing that their pets
will live short, miserable lives. If I could change *one* thing about what
people understand about cats, it would be DON'T LET THEM FREE-ROAM. It's a
bit like letting your three year-old out at night and expecting him to
return in the morning in one piece.


[*] Pictures: http://www.picturetrail.com/aray/ . The colony is in
"Colony 5"; one of my favorite fellas, Greystoke, is also in the
"Ferals" album; my foster kittens Katrina and Calvin were also from
there.

Those are some good-looking cats! Nice mix of colors and stripe variations,
you've probably got a nice genetic range in there. Greystoke looks just
like my pet male Rigby -- tho Rig isn't quite that big (yet). I've always
had at least one gray tabby -- my old grinch, Bullet is a grey tabby a
friend rescued in the middle of our busiest downtown street. She's going on
14 now.

Thanks for the tips -- I'll let you know how it works out down here.

LV