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HUMANE TRAPPING INSTRUCTIONS By Share Bond, Protect R Wildlife, and Diana Kruschke, Feral Cat Alliance
Humane Trapping Instructions are some of the educational materials that TNR + promotes for the welfare of all backyard wildlife. Please join us in this international campaign, go to www.oocities.org/tnr_plus and become a member! Let's all learn how to be good neighbors with our wildlife. Sometimes all it takes is a little tolerance and understanding. This is true even with our human neighbors! There is no reason why humans and wildlife can't co-exist. Moreover, it is entirely possible to even come to enjoy your backyard wildlife. Following are guidelines that will help you to be wildlife-friendly while you are also resolving the issues you have with your wild neighbors! Although humane trapping is not usually necessary when dealing with wild animals, it IS necessary when dealing with feral cat management. Trapping Feral Cats for Spay/Neuter A feral cat is a free-roaming cat that is partially or completely wild, not people- friendly, yet are dependent on us for a reliable food source. Cats are now part of our backyard wildlife. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the most effective AND humane solution to reduce feral cat populations. Spay and neuter for these cats is an act of kindness. TNR involves: trapping a homeless cat, having it sterilized and vaccinated by a qualified vet, then restoring it to its familiar surroundings and continuing its food and water supply. This vastly improves the quality of the cat's life, and stops annoying behaviors like spraying, howling, fighting and mating. Please see more about TNR and feral cats under CATS. Trapping a Wounded or Sick Animal for Medical Help Although it is generally safe enough to trap a cat to take to the veterinarian, we don't recommend that the public handle a wounded or sick wild animal. Whether or not a wild animal has gone into a humane trap or not, you will want to call your local wildlife rehabilitator to care for it. DO NOT CALL animal control or trappers/exterminators. By law, these agencies have a policy to kill most wild animals, especially if they are wounded or sick. (See "Professional Trapping is Not Recommended" below.) Trapping Laws In all states it is against the law to intentionally hurt, abuse or torture an animal, and in most states it is a felony. Some cities have laws against trapping animals without a permit from the local animal shelter. Since each state trapping laws are different, we recommend that you do a web search or other research to find out your most local trapping ordinances. Another informative web site to read is http://www.voicesforpets.org/pages/defending_trapping_laws.html Even "Humane" Traps Can be Used Improperly Humane traps must be left where the sun won't hit the trapped animal at any time. Water and food must be left for the animal until it can be picked up. The traps should be monitored often to prevent harm done to the animal inside. Oftentimes wild animals will end up inside, and any animal is vulnerable to predators even in the trap. Sometimes raccoons will try to pull the animal in the trap through the wire! We are very concerned about the methods that people use when using humane traps. If not done correctly, it is not humane at all. The general public is normally not aware of humane solutions to trapping; what trappers, pest control agents or even animal control do with the animals once they pick them up; or that trapping rarely works and that they are just wasting their money for these services or in purchasing traps. There are Always Humane Solutions for all Wildlife Problems In most cases, the presence of a "nuisance animal" is just the "effect" half of a "cause and effect" scenario. The "cause" half is where our answers lie, and is almost invariably a food source for an attractive bit of habitat. The trick is to fix the cause. Merely removing animals doesn't work - as long as attractants remain, more animals from the surrounding area will take the place of any removed. It can be a vicious cycle and is the reason why animal removal rarely works to solve a nuisance problem. It merely makes trappers rich. A better approach is to modify the habitat so it provides less food and shelter, which in turn encourages the animals to go elsewhere. We advise against trapping wild animals unless there is an immediate threat to you, your family, or your companion animals. When animals nest in your attic, chimney, or basement, the best strategy is to give the animal a grace period (especially a mother with young) or, if absolutely necessary, place deterrents such as a blaring radio or bright lights around the nesting area to encourage their departure. Then find all entry holes and seal them with hardware cloth. There's no need to panic or pay hundreds of dollars for trapping services because most problems can be easily resolved with some simple advice and household materials. Many conflicts occur in spring and summer when raccoons, opossums, squirrels, skunks, bats, etc. take advantage of cavities in human dwellings to raise their young. This is why it's vital to solve problems in a way that doesn't separate a mother from her young. Even though raccoons, skunks, and opossums are nocturnal, the mothers sometimes forage during the day when they have nursing babies depleting their energy! Cat food and garbage left outside will attract these animals to an area. Coastal wildlife take advantage of the tides and are often seen by day. To keep raccoons and other critters from coming through pet doors, there are strong, electrically-controlled doors that you can purchase which only let your designated pet in. You can call RC Steele at 800-872-3773 for more information on the Electronic Dog Door (Item #LA30-2296). Very often garbage disposal companies don't close dumpster lids after emptying them in the early morning. Raccoons and opossums are enticed by the food smells, jump in, and can't climb the slippery sides. The problem is easily resolved by putting some strong branches or plank-like pieces of wood inside so they can climb out. If your company leaves dumpster lids open all the time, we strongly recommend posting a sign telling employees that it's vital to keep the lid closed so animals don't become trapped inside. Sometimes raccoons, skunks and opossums make a mess of lawns. They are going after the grubs in your lawn. If you keep your lawn well watered, this exacerbates the problem since it drives the grubs to the surface layer of the soil. The good news is that the grubbing activity, although unsightly, does not permanently damage the lawn. A long-term, ecological solution is to apply the product "Milky Spore" to the soil. This natural bacteria will spread and get rid of the grubs, but it takes a long time to work (1+ years). We don't recommend chemical pesticides due to their toxic effect on the environment, people and animals. We don't even recommend deterrents such as ammonia or moth balls for the same reason, besides they rarely work. If raccoons, opossums, foxes, etc. get into your chicken coop, reinforce the coop so that they cannot have access to the chickens. Heavy-gauge welded wire should be used and another layer of finer mesh put over it to prevent raccoons from being able to reach through. Although an inconvenience, once an animal pen is well reinforced and maintained, there will be no more problems. Professional Trapping is Not Recommended Live trapping is very traumatic for wildlife. There are people now in the business of removing "nuisance" animals for pay, yet we have concerns about the killing methods used by some of them, such as drowning an animal. If you must hire a nuisance wildlife control person, we recommend that you find someone who gives you a written guarantee that he/she will: 1) use non-lethal methods only 2) release the animals together (so juveniles aren't separated from their mothers) and release them on-site (relocated animals have low survival rates when released in unfamiliar areas) 3) do the necessary exclusion and repair work to prevent wild animals from entering your home. Ask the right questions so you don't pay hundreds of dollars for an inhumane "solution". Seek Advice from the Many Wildlife Welfare Groups (See "Wildlife Help on the Web" at the end of this article.) For more information choose an animal:
If a bat gets into your house or is roosting in your attic, don't panic. Bats have been plagued by centuries of "old wives' tales", but they are actually one of nature's more gentle creatures. If you are positive that the bat has not bitten anyone or been in anyone's bedroom overnight, confine the animal to one room and open a window or exterior door. The flying bat will locate the opening by echolocation. All you need to do is turn out the lights, stand in a corner, and you should see the bat fly out. If the bat is not flying, check draperies or other places where the bat can hang easily. Wear heavy gloves and capture the bat either by placing a shoebox over it and then carefully sliding a piece of cardboard underneath, or by carefully putting a towel over the bat and carrying it outside for release (put the bat on a wall or tree limb since they cannot fly up from the ground). Avoid direct contact with the bat so you don't get bitten. If the bat has bitten someone, contact your local health department for instructions and contain the bat for rabies testing, if possible. Bats enter buildings through holes under roof overhangs, in eaves, vents, cracks around windows, through spaces under ill-fitting boards, and around pipes leading into the house. They can squeeze through openings as small as a dime-sized hole, so when the bats are gone make sure to repair or patch all entry points which are usually discernible by oily stains. To locate bat entry holes, watch at dusk to see where the bats fly out. DO NOT patch any holes from May to September or you may entrap flightless juvenile bats inside! For bat exclusion methods, please contact Bat Conservation International. Humane traps aren't usually a good idea with beavers because they can drown in the traps should they get into the water. Roosting birds' droppings can be annoying to people. Poisoning is extremely cruel and does not solve the problem because other birds will soon move in to fill that vacancy. A better solution is to modify the habitat which encourages them to go elsewhere. While a flat ledge is attractive to pigeons, a false ledge can be made by placing a board at an angle of at least 45 degrees so that birds will slide off when they land. You can also use bird netting or a stretched out "Slinky" from a toy store, to make sure birds will not land on your ledges, rafters, or other horizontal surfaces. If you use a slinky, stretch it so two fingers will fit between the spirals. The Bird Barrier Company specializes in humane bird exclusion devices (call 800-503-5444 for a free catalog). When birds seem to attack windows, it is because male birds commonly do this during mating season. The bird wrongly assumes that his own reflection is a rival in his territory! You can prevent this by hanging an old shirt, or squares of aluminum foil outside the window to brake up the reflection, or put post-it notes all over the inside of the window. It's also a myth that birds abandon their chicks if a person touches them. Just put the baby bird back in the nest. If the original nest was destroyed, hang a wicker or woven stick basket close to where the original nest was. You should watch for an hour to make sure the parents return to the new nest to feed their chicks. If they don't return or if the chicks have no feathers, call your local wildlife rehabilitator. The so-called "soft" leg-hold traps commonly used for coyotes and bobcats aren't humane at all, and many times chew off their limbs being held. Besides the fact that they can still chew off the trapped leg, smaller non-target animals still have lost legs in these traps, and many are domestic companion animals. When considering to be involved in trapping cats, remember this should only be done for the purposes of Trap-Neuter-Return, but friendly homeless cats and kittens should be found loving homes. Taking a trapped cat to your local animal shelter will lead to the cat or kitten's death. Their policy is to euthanize wild cats and kittens. Again, removing animals will never ultimately solve your problem. This only creates a vacuum where other non-sterilized cats will move in and the breeding cycle will start all over again. Relocating cats is almost never successful; taken away from its familiar territory puts the animal's life in great danger. Because free-roaming cats are usually a mix of outdoor pets, abandoned pets, and feral cats and kittens, it is important to keep track of who is in your neighborhood and where they belong. If you trap a cat, it could very well be your neighbor's beloved family member. Shelter workers can't always tell if it is a wild cat or not and may not hold it to be reclaimed by its owner. And if it is a homeless cat, it may need your help. Please be observant, and considerate. Trapping feral kittens after they are weaned (four weeks and older) is recommended for the purposes of taming and finding him/her a loving home. Socializing a feral kitten is almost always successful. (See instructions on Trapping and Taming Kittens from the recommended resources below.) There are many humane, non-toxic products available to keep cats away from your property, solve flea problems, etc. Cats are rarely a health risk for humans and are actually of great benefit in reducing the rodent population where they live. Abandoning unaltered pets created this homeless cat crisis; they are the innocent victims of human neglect. There are many feral cat groups and rescue animal groups nationwide who are willing to help you if you make the effort to help these cats. Get involved - helping homeless cats is simple and rewarding. For Trap-Neuter-Return, you will need a humane trap that is sized for cats, specific trapping instructions from a resource below, the name of a local veterinarian who does low-cost spay/neuter and who is experienced in sterilizing feral cats. Your local pet supply stores are an excellent source for knowing who your local rescue groups are. Pet Cats Cats have toxic bacteria in their mouths which become lethal unless the victim is put on antibiotics immediately. You can save more wild animals by keeping your cats indoors. Remember that in the spring and summer, wild animals have helpless babies on the ground where cats can get them. If you absolutely can't keep your cats indoors, you can use multiple-bell collars which will alert some wild animals to your cat's presence. Also consider purchasing the Cat Fence-In System which is a unique humane barrier that keeps cats from climbing over fences or up trees (for ordering information, call 720-359-4575). Pet supply stores sell a variety of breakaway collars - purchase two additional large bells (sold separately with S-hooks) and attach them to the cat's collar. The bell on most collars is too quiet to do much good, and stealthy cats learn how to keep it still. Therefore, you need two large bells per collar. People mistakenly assume that a fawn is orphaned if found alone. Rest assured that the mother is nearby. The doe will only visit and nurse her fawn a few times a day to avoid attracting predators. At 4 weeks of age, the fawn will begin to travel with the mother. Just leave the fawn alone unless a) you know the mother is dead, b) the fawn keeps bleating, or c) is lying on his/her side. Mother deer are wary of human smells. If you have handled the fawn, rub an old towel in the grass and wipe the fawn to remove human scent. Using gloves, return the fawn to exactly where he/she was found. Gophers and Woodchucks To prevent these rodents from eating the tender roots of new plants, before planting, make a fine-meshed chicken wire basket around the root ball of your plant. Or line your garden with a 3-foot high floppy chicken wire fence which will bend backwards, if the woodchuck tries to climb it. Create an L-shaped barrier by sinking hardware cloth 6 inches into the ground and then bend it at a 90-degree angle, away from the garden for another 12 inches to create a "false bottom" so they can't dig under the barrier. You can prevent mice and rats from coming into your home by sealing all holes and small openings (rodents can enter buildings through holes no larger than a half inch in diameter) with caulking, steel wool, or copper-mesh (like "Stuf-It") and expandable foam which you can buy at hardware stores. Use hardware cloth to patch larger holes and to screen all vent openings. Also, it is crucial to store food in secure containers and to make sure lids fit tightly so that you don't attract rodents. If you have mice or rats in your home, you can order catch-and-release traps from the Tomahawk Live Trap Company (800-272-8727) and then release the rodents far away from your home. You must then follow-up by rodent-proofing your home or the problem will recur. (To catch multiple mice easily, put a 55-gallon garbage can partially under the kitchen counter and put cheese pieces, sunflower seeds, peanut butter mounds, and lids of water inside the can. The mice will walk on the counter, jump into the can, but not be able to climb out.) The best solution to stop moles from tunneling in a yard is a new, environmentally-friendly repellent called "Mole-Med", which is available at hardware and garden supply stores or by calling the company directly (800-255-2527). Mole-Med is made of emulsified castor oil and will last one to two months per application, but you should reapply it after heavy rains. Pesticides are never recommended for mole control as they are toxic to humans and domestic animals as well as wildlife. Opossums are generally nomadic creatures, constantly looking for a food source. If you see an Opossum in your yard, be patient, chances are she/he is just passing through! Also, this does not mean that the Opossum is sick-diseases like rabies and viral diseases like distemper are almost unheard of in Opossums. They do not attack any animal that they do not see as a source of food. It is important that animals like Birds, Rodents and Rabbits who are kept outside be furnished with predator proof enclosures. Opossums generally get along well with adult Cats-they usually ignore each other! When confronted by an attacker, the usual response from an Opossum is one of defense-baring of the teeth and hissing. If this does not scare the attacker off, they will "play Opossum", appearing to "die". They can remain in that state for several minutes or a couple of hours, whatever time it takes for them to perceive the danger have passed. This does not mean that they are safe to pick up! Never handle a wild animal even with gloves on! They have the ability to eat "carrion" (dead animals) and not get sick, and so are a subject of study by scientists in the field of human health. Opossums eat insects, snails, worms and rodents, and so are quite beneficial to have around. Opossums are not destructive; they do not dig nests, will not dig up your yard or chew wood or wires. If they are on your property, it's because there is a food source! To discourage their visits, do not leave pet food outside, keep your garbage in a container, pick up fruit dropped from fruit trees, and cover your compost piles. Opossums occasionally help themselves to bird feeders so try emptying them at night, when Opossums are most active. Try to eliminate hiding places, where Opossums like to sleep during the day by not piling brush in your yard, cleaning up leaf piles and removing any debris. If you find a dead opossum on the road, while wearing gloves, move the dead animal off the road. If it's spring or summer, check to see if the opossum is a female and if there are live babies still in her pouch or in the immediate area. If found, call your state wildlife agency to locate a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Rabbits are most active at dusk and at dawn. They will neatly clip plants in your garden, and will also leave another tell tale sign: Pellet shaped droppings that are usually brown in color. If you have these signs, here are a few simple things you can do to discourage them from visiting your garden: To keep them out of your vegetable or flower garden place a fence of chicken wire or hardware cloth about 2 feet high around the perimeter of your plants. It's important to bury the fence 6-8 inches into the ground or securely stake it down. To protect trees the same method can be used around the trunk of the tree. Remember that in the winter, as the snow piles up, the trunk guard you've built gets shorter and shorter, and so you may want to plan a taller fence or trunk guard if you live in an area that gets lots of snow. Don't forget to trim back low hanging branches from your trees, as Rabbits prefer buds and twigs over bark. Piling up the cut branches a good distance from your yard will provide them with food and cover. If you have not yet put in a garden, consider using the raised bed method. A bed raised 18 inches above ground discourages most Rabbits from entering your garden. They will of course be happy to trim any over hanging plants! For occasional damage, or to ensure that young plants get a good start, you can cut the bottom out of a pail or other container and simply place it over individual plants. Removing dense brush (cover) from around plants also discourages Rabbits, as does removing brush piles from your yard. If you find (or your lawnmower hits) a nest of baby rabbits, leave them alone, if the nest is intact. Mother rabbits only visit their young 2 or 3 times a day to avoid attracting predators. If the nest has been disturbed, or if you have reason to believe that the babies are orphaned, you can put an "X" of yarn or sticks over the nest to assess, if the mother returns to nurse her young. If the "X" is moved by the next day, the mother has returned to nurse them. If it remains undisturbed for 24 hours, call your wildlife agency to locate a rehabilitator. Keep all cats out of the area because they will surely find and kill the helpless young rabbits. Don't touch the babies (unless orphaned) because mother rabbits are very sensitive to foreign smells and may abandon their young. If you find a cat-caught baby rabbit (or bird), scientific studies show that one of the biggest killers of these animals are free-roaming cats. If the rabbit or bird appears unharmed, put the animal back where he or she was found and keep your cats indoors. Luckily, rabbits are fully weaned by the time they're only three weeks old and the size of a chipmunk! If you must relocate the rabbit, use a lawn or field that has brush or other cover nearby. Look very carefully for puncture wounds, which can be almost imperceptible. If the rabbit or bird has any wounds, bring the animal to a veterinarian or rehabilitator quickly. Cats have toxic bacteria in their mouths which become lethal unless the victim is put on antibiotics immediately. You can save more wild animals by keeping your cats indoors. Remember that in the spring and summer, wild animals have helpless babies on the ground where cats can get them. (See Cats.) In spring and summer, mother raccoons may use chimneys and attics as denning sites for raising their babies. The best solution is to wait a few weeks for the raccoons to move out on their own, which they will do when they are big enough to go on outings. Raccoons rarely create any smell or mess. Mother raccoons clean their babies meticulously to avoid attracting predators. Once the raccoons are gone, promptly call a chimney sweep to install a mesh chimney cap (or seal any holes leading to the attic) and this situation will never occur again. If you must evict a raccoon family, remember that raccoons look for a quiet, dark and non-noxious-smelling place to raise their young. By creating the opposite conditions, you can encourage them to leave sooner, if absolutely necessary. For chimney raccoons, place a blaring radio (loud talk shows or rap music) in the fireplace. For attic raccoons, leave all the lights on and place a blaring radio inside. Apply these deterrents at dusk ONLY; even harassed mother raccoons won't move their babies in daytime. It may take a few days for the mother to move her young, so be patient. Remember - the only permanent solution is to seal all entry holes once the animals have left. To keep raccoons from continuously knocking over garbage cans, put them out for pick-up in the morning, after the nocturnal raccoons have returned to their dens. If you must put out your garbage cans at night, try building a simple wooden box outside and storing your garbage cans inside. For easy access, the top should be hinged and have a latch in front secured with a snap-hook. A third option is to get a good plastic garbage can with a four-inch high TWIST-ON lid, such as the kind made by Rubbermaid. Keep the can upright by wrapping bungee cords around the middle and securing it to an upright object. To keep raccoons out of your fish pond maintain a higher water level (at least 3 feet deep) and stack cinder blocks, large rocks, or ceramic pipes in the bottom of the pond so the fish can escape from the raccoons and take refuge. Skunks commonly wander into open garages (or homes) when the door is left open. Just open the garage (or house) door before dark. Skunks have terrible eyesight so as long as you move slowly and quietly, the skunk will hardly notice you. Leave a two-foot band of flour across the outside of the garage and watch for footprints to confirm that the skunk has left. To neutralize any unpleasant odor, a non-toxic deodorizer called Odors Away can be purchased from hardware stores for approximately $4. Skunks are not good climbers so they normally can't get out of window wells. If the window well is shallow, put a piece of wood in the window well (at a less than 45 degree angle) to serve as a plank so the skunk can walk out. If the window well is deep, the same ramp works if covered by an attached carpet or a towel. Or you can put on gloves and place cheese in the far corner of a pet carrier or rectangular garbage can (tipped on its side) and slowly lower it into the window well. The skunk will be attracted to the food and will walk into it. Then slowly raise the carrier or can to ground level, elevator style, and let the skunk stroll out. Skunks have terrible eyesight and will not spray if you move slowly and talk soothingly to them. Remember, skunks also give a warning by stamping the front feet, which gives you a chance to back off! Most importantly purchase or make a window well cover out of mesh so this situation doesn't recur. Squirrels commonly fall down chimneys and can't get out. Hang a 3/4-inch thick rope or long branch down the chimney (securely fastened at the top) so the squirrel can climb out. Then be sure to put a chimney cap on the flue to prevent reoccurrence. Chimney caps will also prevent squirrels from building shallow nests at the top of the flue which may make it dysfunctional or a fire hazard in winter. If the squirrels are in your attic and it is baby season (spring, late summer, or early fall) chances are good that you have a mother with young. Try to find the nest so you can monitor it. Wait a few weeks until the squirrels leave on their own, or wait until they're fully furred and mobile and then apply a one-way door over the entry hole. You can make a one-way door or purchase one from the Tomahawk Live Trap Company (800-272-8727). Once the squirrels have left, seal the entry hole permanently with hardware cloth. You can spray Miller's Hot Sauce (to order, call 800-233-2040) onto the hardware cloth to deter them from trying to chew back in. To prevent access to your roof, trim any overhanging tree branches. You can also put a three-foot band of sheet metal around the base of any access tree six feet above ground to prevent them from climbing up, but first make sure there are no active nests in the tree! You may have a difficult time keeping the nimble squirrel away from a free buffet - your bird feeder. You can contact your local nature center or Audubon Society, or specialty bird stores for a good baffler design for a free-standing feeder, or purchase the "absolute" bird feeder which has a lever that closes off the bird seed when a heavy animal like a squirrel lands on it. Another newly-designed, battery-operated bird feeder, "The Yankee Flipper", twirls fast when a squirrel lands on it, literally flipping him off. We strongly discourage the use of any capsaicin-based "hot pepper" powder mix which, although advertised as a "humane" repellent when mixed with birdseed, reportedly makes squirrels quite sick and can be irritating to birds' eyes as well as the humans that handle it. Alley Cat Allies (Washington D.C.) www.alleycat.org Bat Conservation International (www.batcon.org) Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife (www.telenet.net/users/beavers) (www.beaversww.org) Bird Barrier (www.birdbarrier.com) Cat Claw (www.catclaw.com) Deerbusters (www.deerbusters.com) Deer-Resistant Landscape Nursery (www.deerresistantplants.com) Feral Cat Alliance (Southern California) www.feralcatalliance.org Flight Control (www.flightcontrol.com) Flock Fighters USA (www.flockfighters.com) Geese Peace (www.GeesePeace.org) A New Way to Solve Beaver Problems (www.fund.org/library) Living With Deer (www.fund.org/library) McClintock Metal Fabricators (www.mcclintockmetal.com) Opossum Society of the U.S. (www.opossumsocietyus.org) Scarecrow (www.scatmat.com/scarecro2.htm) S.K.U.N.K.S. (www.StinkyBusiness.com) Strieter-Lite Wildlife Reflectors (www.strieter-lite.com) Tomahawk Live Trap Company (www.Livetrap.com)
Contact us For more information on TNR + please contact us at: TNR_plus@yahoo.com. Join us in this international campaign - becoming a member has many benefits for you and all our backyard wildlife. @2003 Protect R Wildlife. This Project article MAY be reproduced and distributed without permission; however no changes may be made and appropriate citation must be given to the co-authors and PRW www.ProtectRWildlife.org.
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