Welcome to my FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page
Now and again I receive email asking advise, "How To" type questions, etc... This page represents the most frequently asked questions that I have received and was created in hopes you may find answers you may be looking for. Don't get me wrong, I love to hear from anyone on this topic and encourage you to contact me but I also know how frustrating it is to send emails that are not responded to promptly. (I have a job that keeps me busy days, nights, weekends and requires frequent travel)
How do I catch the little buggers?
The way to trap feral cats is with a live animal trap. You can buy them at most feed stores (were the farmers go) or borrow one from the SPCA or a feral cat group in your area. There are other methods that I am happy to share with you (e.g. what I did before breaking down and buying a live animal trap) but they dangerous to both you and the cat and usually only work for kittens.
Step 1: Read "Okay I caught one, now what?" FAQ. This will make life much easier for you and is the most important step in preparing to trap a feral cat.
Step 2: Begin feeding them. Feed them in the same place (somewhere sheltered, meaning dry and shaded), at the same time, every day and if possible, somewhere you can observe them. I prefer to feed them at dusk, after work but while and still can see. (I feed them canned cat food. It has odor and is often on sale. For some of the more wiley cats you may need to use something more tempting like canned fish)
Step 3: Introduce the trap. While there are differing opinions, I use twist ties (from bread or garbage bags) to wire open the trap and actually begin feeding the cats inside the trap. While they are wary at first, they soon come to feel it is safe enough.
Step 4: Skip a feeding the day before you plan to trap the cat. (This makes them more interested in the food and less wary about the trap) Set the trap (remember to remove the twist ties if you used them lol). The live animal trap will typically have hooks that hold open the door and are released when the cat steps on the trip plate. When you set the trap set it for a "hair trigger" which means set the hook so it just barely holds the door open Vs hooked completely. (I have set traps only to watch the cat walk in and carry the food out.)
Step 5: Check the trap periodically to see if you got one. Once caught, I cover the trap with a sheet or blanket (it calms them) and bring them in the house or garage depending on the time of year. I place the trap on 6 evenly spaced wood blocks over newspaper (they will use the bathroom).
Okay, I caught one, now what?
Before catching the cat, work with a "feral friendly" Vet and determine when you can bring the cat in for spay/neutering. By working with the Vet, you can determine when to actually trap or prepare yourself for hosting the feral cat until the you can take it to the Vet. Some Vets accept walk-ins but I don't know any that can guarantee same day service for walk-ins.
By far the best approach is to have an appointment setup with the Vet so you can trap the night before the appointment and take to the Vet the next day.
If this is not possible, you need to be prepared to host the feral cat until the day of the appointment. Personnally, I have a cage that I purchased to host adult feral cats. It provides them with space and makes it possible for me to later corral them into a pet carrier without injury to myself or the cat. A large dog carrier could accomplish the same thing and prevent you from having to I guess corral later but cleanup of waste is a problem whereas the cage offers a handy pullout tray and has room for a small litter box. For feeding, you can either slip food just inside the trap door ( I use saved cat food cans for water and food) or use a feeder that attaches to the wire door of a cage or pet carrier that can be filled through the wire (tip use a baster to fill water and dry cat food)
For feral kittens, (they bite too), I usually place them in a bathroom where they can not hide under anything and can be corraled into a pet carrier later. In many cases (depending on the age of the kitten and Vet policies) you may have to wait until the kitten is older to be able to spay/neuter in which case hosting is much longer if not forever depending on how attached you become. In either case, setting them up in the bathroom allows for introduction of a litter box and allows you to spend time in their presence getting them acclimated to humans (see "Can I tame a feral kitten?" faq on the next page) |
