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trying to trap feral cats (and going crazy)



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 18th 04, 07:24 AM
Sheri
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Posts: n/a
Default trying to trap feral cats (and going crazy)

Help! I'm at my wit's end. A family of 4 feral cats has been living in
my parents' front yard for the last 6 months --- I'll call them Mama
Cat, Daddy Cat, and Big Sister and Little Sister (their 2 female
offspring). My mother feeds them every day, but we want to get them
"fixed" and vaccinated for rabies. I trapped the Mama Cat and Big
Sister with no problems. However, Daddy Cat and Little Sister have
been elusive. (Both witnesses Mama Cat and Big Sister being trapped.)

The trap I'm using is a Tru-Catch trap, which basically works on the
same principle as the popular Hav-a-hart traps. I've baited it with
sardines, tuna, Fancy Feast, and mackeral (even heated in the
microwave to make them really smelly). I've put food half way in the
trap to make a path to the food beyond the trip plate. I've put catnip
& catnip treats in the trap as well. I put newspaper on the bottom so
they wouldn't feel the metal cage under their paws. I also place Mama
Cat in a carrier behind the trap with a towel over both so any cat
wanting to get close to her would have to walk down the "tunnel" to
see her better. She was in heat, but Daddy Cat wouldn't fall for that
(even though he'd been chasing her around the yard the whole day
before). I also thought Little Sister would want to be with Mama Cat
but she too wouldn't go in either.

Unbelievably, Little Sister actually went into the trap one time,
tripped the plate but managed to zoom out as the gate was falling. The
gate falls very fast so I wouldn't have believed this if I hadn't seen
it with my own eyes. Little Sister also wandered into the living room
when I put a bowl of wet food near the cage where Mama Cat and Big
Sister are now recovering from being spayed. I hid behind the door and
tried to slam it when Little Sister was about 10 feet inside. Yes ...
she managed to get out as the front door swung shut.

Daddy Cat and Little Sister are now taunting me. I stopped feeding
them so they killed a squirrel and left its dismembered remains on the
porch. This was particularly upsetting. We like squirrels and keep a
feeder for them. As far as we know, these cats haven't killed anything
before when my mom was putting out lots of food for them.

I know the trap is reasonably effective. I keep catching the same poor
possum in it!

I'm actually laying awake at night agonizing over this situation. Any
ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm desperate to keep Little
Sister from reproducing and would like to have Daddy Cat neutered just
so he'll stick around (and of course not contribute to the
overpopulation problem). I thought about buying a different brand
trap, but I'm afraid they won't go near any trap at this point.

Thanks,

Sheri
  #2  
Old January 18th 04, 08:40 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

snip story of difficult to catch ferals

First, I would get a second trap and set it up as well so that if you
get a possum you still have an open trap set (plus you'll have better
odds of catching at least one cat.) Use bungee cords to tie the doors up
on the traps. Feed these cats on a strict schedule and start by placing
the food a foot away from the traps. Move the food closer to the traps
by a few inches each day. Once you see the cats are comfortable eating
right in front of the trap, put newspaper in the bottom to cover the
trip plate and start moving the food inside the trap, again by just a
few inches at a time. Once you get the food to the point where it's all
the way to the back of the trap and the cats are eatng in the traps for
a few days, don't feed the cats for a day, or cut their portions so they
only get a very small amount. You want them to be very hungry. Remove
the bungee cords, set the traps, and bait them with something you know
the cats favor. You should have them that night.This will take a little
time, but I have had a lot of success using this method.

Mgan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray


  #3  
Old January 18th 04, 08:40 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

snip story of difficult to catch ferals

First, I would get a second trap and set it up as well so that if you
get a possum you still have an open trap set (plus you'll have better
odds of catching at least one cat.) Use bungee cords to tie the doors up
on the traps. Feed these cats on a strict schedule and start by placing
the food a foot away from the traps. Move the food closer to the traps
by a few inches each day. Once you see the cats are comfortable eating
right in front of the trap, put newspaper in the bottom to cover the
trip plate and start moving the food inside the trap, again by just a
few inches at a time. Once you get the food to the point where it's all
the way to the back of the trap and the cats are eatng in the traps for
a few days, don't feed the cats for a day, or cut their portions so they
only get a very small amount. You want them to be very hungry. Remove
the bungee cords, set the traps, and bait them with something you know
the cats favor. You should have them that night.This will take a little
time, but I have had a lot of success using this method.

Mgan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray


  #4  
Old January 18th 04, 08:40 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

snip story of difficult to catch ferals

First, I would get a second trap and set it up as well so that if you
get a possum you still have an open trap set (plus you'll have better
odds of catching at least one cat.) Use bungee cords to tie the doors up
on the traps. Feed these cats on a strict schedule and start by placing
the food a foot away from the traps. Move the food closer to the traps
by a few inches each day. Once you see the cats are comfortable eating
right in front of the trap, put newspaper in the bottom to cover the
trip plate and start moving the food inside the trap, again by just a
few inches at a time. Once you get the food to the point where it's all
the way to the back of the trap and the cats are eatng in the traps for
a few days, don't feed the cats for a day, or cut their portions so they
only get a very small amount. You want them to be very hungry. Remove
the bungee cords, set the traps, and bait them with something you know
the cats favor. You should have them that night.This will take a little
time, but I have had a lot of success using this method.

Mgan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray


  #5  
Old January 18th 04, 10:56 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
(Sheri) wrote:

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.


I have had situations like this at my colony. One very effective tactic
is to get them hungry. Very hungry. Make sure nobody else in the area
is feeding them. Then withold food for a day or two (you can feed the
altered cats, but only if they will eat while you monitor them). Try to
set it up so that nobody gets any food unless you give it to them, and
then only at assigned times. A feeding pattern (same time and place
every day), established beforehand, helps a great deal.

The baited trap will soon begin to seem much more interesting to the
recalcitrant-but-increasingly-hungry animals. Note that this will only
work if you can control the artificial (which is to say, human sourced)
food supply very throroughly. Don't worry about the prey catches;
they're neither sufficient nutritionally nor reliable enough to keep
the kitty stomach from rumbling. The important thing is to drive the
cat to distraction from hunger so it ignores its own cautionary
instincts.

The only other thing that worked for me is time. One feral queen had
two litters before I was able to get her (I often felt like Captain
Ahab against the great white whale)...but I DID get her (sometimes I
get the oddest feeling that she surrendered herself to me), and she
lives in the colony to this day, as smart and cagey as ever she was.
Just don't give up, whatever you do.

BTW, I have also seen one or two cats get out before the trapdoor
closed fully. I have also seen small kittens merrily walk all over the
trip plate, eat all the bait and walk out without ever tripping the
blasted door.

Trapping animals is an incredible PITA, an exercise in frustration and
patience. To think that frontiersmen sometimes made their living at it
is appalling. You do get better at it with practice, though.
  #6  
Old January 18th 04, 10:56 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
(Sheri) wrote:

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.


I have had situations like this at my colony. One very effective tactic
is to get them hungry. Very hungry. Make sure nobody else in the area
is feeding them. Then withold food for a day or two (you can feed the
altered cats, but only if they will eat while you monitor them). Try to
set it up so that nobody gets any food unless you give it to them, and
then only at assigned times. A feeding pattern (same time and place
every day), established beforehand, helps a great deal.

The baited trap will soon begin to seem much more interesting to the
recalcitrant-but-increasingly-hungry animals. Note that this will only
work if you can control the artificial (which is to say, human sourced)
food supply very throroughly. Don't worry about the prey catches;
they're neither sufficient nutritionally nor reliable enough to keep
the kitty stomach from rumbling. The important thing is to drive the
cat to distraction from hunger so it ignores its own cautionary
instincts.

The only other thing that worked for me is time. One feral queen had
two litters before I was able to get her (I often felt like Captain
Ahab against the great white whale)...but I DID get her (sometimes I
get the oddest feeling that she surrendered herself to me), and she
lives in the colony to this day, as smart and cagey as ever she was.
Just don't give up, whatever you do.

BTW, I have also seen one or two cats get out before the trapdoor
closed fully. I have also seen small kittens merrily walk all over the
trip plate, eat all the bait and walk out without ever tripping the
blasted door.

Trapping animals is an incredible PITA, an exercise in frustration and
patience. To think that frontiersmen sometimes made their living at it
is appalling. You do get better at it with practice, though.
  #7  
Old January 18th 04, 10:56 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
(Sheri) wrote:

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.


I have had situations like this at my colony. One very effective tactic
is to get them hungry. Very hungry. Make sure nobody else in the area
is feeding them. Then withold food for a day or two (you can feed the
altered cats, but only if they will eat while you monitor them). Try to
set it up so that nobody gets any food unless you give it to them, and
then only at assigned times. A feeding pattern (same time and place
every day), established beforehand, helps a great deal.

The baited trap will soon begin to seem much more interesting to the
recalcitrant-but-increasingly-hungry animals. Note that this will only
work if you can control the artificial (which is to say, human sourced)
food supply very throroughly. Don't worry about the prey catches;
they're neither sufficient nutritionally nor reliable enough to keep
the kitty stomach from rumbling. The important thing is to drive the
cat to distraction from hunger so it ignores its own cautionary
instincts.

The only other thing that worked for me is time. One feral queen had
two litters before I was able to get her (I often felt like Captain
Ahab against the great white whale)...but I DID get her (sometimes I
get the oddest feeling that she surrendered herself to me), and she
lives in the colony to this day, as smart and cagey as ever she was.
Just don't give up, whatever you do.

BTW, I have also seen one or two cats get out before the trapdoor
closed fully. I have also seen small kittens merrily walk all over the
trip plate, eat all the bait and walk out without ever tripping the
blasted door.

Trapping animals is an incredible PITA, an exercise in frustration and
patience. To think that frontiersmen sometimes made their living at it
is appalling. You do get better at it with practice, though.
  #8  
Old January 18th 04, 12:32 PM
Angela
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Trapping animals is an incredible PITA, an exercise in frustration and
patience. To think that frontiersmen sometimes made their living at it
is appalling. You do get better at it with practice, though.


They weren't trapping cats, so they probably had it easier, LOL.


Angela (Aol.com doesn't hop!)

www.rabbitadoption.org Rabbits & small animals for adoption--worldwide links,
including vet referrals & other rescues, care tips, mail order products, etc.
  #9  
Old January 18th 04, 12:32 PM
Angela
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Trapping animals is an incredible PITA, an exercise in frustration and
patience. To think that frontiersmen sometimes made their living at it
is appalling. You do get better at it with practice, though.


They weren't trapping cats, so they probably had it easier, LOL.


Angela (Aol.com doesn't hop!)

www.rabbitadoption.org Rabbits & small animals for adoption--worldwide links,
including vet referrals & other rescues, care tips, mail order products, etc.
  #10  
Old January 18th 04, 12:32 PM
Angela
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Trapping animals is an incredible PITA, an exercise in frustration and
patience. To think that frontiersmen sometimes made their living at it
is appalling. You do get better at it with practice, though.


They weren't trapping cats, so they probably had it easier, LOL.


Angela (Aol.com doesn't hop!)

www.rabbitadoption.org Rabbits & small animals for adoption--worldwide links,
including vet referrals & other rescues, care tips, mail order products, etc.
 




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