The information provided on this site is for educational purposes. Do not attempt to handle a homeless cat before consulting with an experienced rescuer! Injury can be caused to you and/or the cat. You should always consult a veterinarian where appropriate. Feral Paws Rescue is not responsible or liable for any injury to you and to third parties resulting from the use of this information.
 

Humane Trapping Instructions

These instructions assume that trappers are using traps from the

Tomahawk Live Trap Company. Specifics regarding the traps

 may be slightly different if you are using another type of trap.

Make arrangements with the vet in advance of trapping. Be sure

 to tell the vet to use stitches which will dissolve, or do not

need removal, and that the animal is wild.

• Preparation for trapping
• Setting the traps
• Waiting for success
• Holding procedures
• Releasing the cats
• Helpful hints

Preparation for trapping

If possible, get the cats used to being fed at the same

 place and time of day. You might try leaving the trap

unset and covered

 with a large towel during routine feeding so that the

 animal will get used to seeing and smelling it in the

 area. Don’t feed the

 cats the day/night before you are going to trap so

 the cats will be hungry. Be sure to notify others

 who may feed the cats not to leave food out either.

Plan to trap so that you don’t have to keep the cat too

long before surgery. Trapping the night before is usually

 the best approach. Cats should not eat 12 hours prior to surgery.

Prepare the area where you will be holding the cats

 before and after the clinic. A garage or other sheltered,

 warm, protected area is best. Lay down newspapers to

 catch the inevitable stool, urine and food residue. You may

want to use pieces of wood to elevate the traps off the

 newspapers. This allows the mess to fall through the wire

 away from the cats. Spraying the area ahead of time with a

cat-safe flea spray (like Adams or Ovitrol) will discourage ants.

Prepare the vehicle you will use to transport them as well.

Plastic may be an additional precaution. But remember that

you will need to use newspapers or some other absorbent

material in addition. ( Urine will roll right off of the plastic

and that isn’t what you want )

Plan your day of trapping carefully. Remember that if you

trap an animal and release it for some reason, it is unlikely

that you will be able to catch it again….they learn very quickly.

If there are young kittens involved, remember that they should

 not be weaned from the mother before 4-6 weeks of age. If

you are trapping a lactating female, you may want to wait until

you have located the kittens and they are old enough to wean.

 If you wish to tame and foster the kittens to adopt out, they

 should be taken from the mother at 4-6 weeks. If you wait

 until the kittens are older than 4-6 weeks before trying to

tame them you will find the job progressively harder with age.

Setting the traps

Plan to set traps just before or at the cats’ normal feeding time.

This is often at night. Dusk is usually the best time to set traps.

Don’t trap in the rain or the heat of day without adequate

protection for the trap. Cats are vulnerable in the traps and

could drown during storms or suffer from heatstroke in the

 sun. Use common sense !

Fold a piece of newspaper to line the bottom of the trap

just covering the trip plate. Cats don’t like walking on the

 wire surface and the paper helps to keep their feet from

 going through when you pick up the trap. Be sure that the

paper does not extend beyond the trip plate. Too much

newspaper can interfere with the trap mechanism or prevent

the door from closing properly.

Plan placement of traps on a level surface in the area where

the cats usually feed or have been seen. Cats are less likely

 to enter the trap if it wobbles. If trapping in a public area, try

to place traps where they will not be noticed by passersby

(who may not understand that you are not trying to harm the cat).

 Bushes are often places where cats hide and provide good

camouflage for the trap.

Use smelly food to bait the trap. We find that canned Mackerel

 is very effective and relatively inexpensive. It is best not to put any

bowls inside the trap to hold food since the animal can easily hurt

 itself on it in a panic or while recovering from anesthetic.

Soak a small scrap of newspaper (2-3 inches by 3-4 inches)

in the Mackerel juice and place it on the ground where you

 plan to place the rear of the trap.

Spoon a small amount of food onto the soaked newspaper

scrap and place the trap on top of the food so the food is as

 far back in the trap as possible while still not accessible from

 outside the trap. (You want the cat to go all the way into the

trap to avoid being injured when the trap door closes.) Press

 the trap down onto the food so that it squishes up through

the wire. The idea is to make the food a little hard to get so

that the cat has to go into the trap as far as possible and has

 to work at getting it long enough to trip the trap. (Some cats

 are very good at getting in and out of traps without getting caught.

 We don’t want to make it too easy for them to get away with

that trick. Also, having the food essentially outside of the trap prevents

the cat from eating it in the trap before surgery and is less messy.)

After baiting the trap, open the trap door by pushing the top of the

door in and pulling the bottom of the door upward. There is a small

 hook attached to the right side of the trap top. It hooks onto a tiny

metal cylinder on the right side of the door. The hook holds the door

 in an open position which also raises the trip plate. When the cat

steps on the plate it will cause the hook to release the door and

 close the trap.

After setting the trap, cover it with a large towel or piece of towel-sized

 material. Fold the material at the front end of the trap to expose the

opening while still covering the top, sides and back of the trap. The cover

will help to camouflage the trap and serve to calm the cat after it is caught.

Just before you are ready to leave the trap for the cat to enter, you may want

to push the hook (ever so slightly) a little bit back off the cylinder to create a "

hair trigger". (Don’t get too carried away with this step or the trap will trip as

 soon as the cat takes a sniff!)

Waiting for success

Never leave traps unattended in an unprotected area, but don’t hang around

within sight of the cat (or you will scare it off). The trapped animal is vulnerable.

Passersby may release the cat or steal the trap! Wait quietly in an area where

 you can still see the traps without disturbing the cats. Check traps every 15 minutes

 or so. You can often hear the traps trip and see the cloth cover droop down

 slightly over the opening from a distance. As soon as the intended cat is trapped

completely cover the trap and remove the trap from the area if other cats are

 not in sight. You may consider putting another trap in the same spot if it seems

to be a "hot" one. Be sure to dispose of the food left on the ground when you

 pick up the trap. (You don’t want to litter or give out any freebies and spoil

any appetites!)

When you get the captured cat to a quiet area away from the other traps lift

 the cover and check for signs that you have the correct animal and not a pet

 or previously neutered feral. (The FCC marks the right ear of every animal

we alter so we can avoid repeat animals) If you note that you have captured a

 lactating female check the area for kittens and remember that this female must

 be released 10-12 hours after surgery so she can care for and nurse her kittens.

 Cover the cat back up as soon as possible. Uncovered, the animal may panic

 and hurt itself thrashing around in the trap.

Of course, there is always the chance that you will catch some other wild

animal attracted to the food or an unintended cat. Simply release the animal

quietly as stated in the releasing procedures here.

Holding procedures

After you have finished trapping, you will probably have to hold the cats

 overnight until you can take them to the vet. (Unless you have made

 previous arrangements with a vet)

Place cats in the prepared protected area. Don’t feed them. You can place

a small bowl of water in the trap by opening the trap door just a couple of

inches and placing the bowl by the trap door. Try to use a bowl that won’t

be tipped over easily. An empty catfood or tuna can works fairly well. Don’t

open the door too wide or the cat may escape. (Be sure to remove the bowl

before transporting the cat to the vet.)

Keep cats covered and check periodically. They will probably be very quiet

as long as they are covered. Don’t stick fingers in the trap or allow children

or pets near the traps. These are wild animals which scratch and bite. ALL

 ANIMAL BITES ARE SERIOUS! IF YOU ARE BITTEN SEEK MEDICAL

 ATTENTION AND DO NOT RELEASE THE CAT. IT MUST BE

 QUARANTINED. CONTACT YOUR VET FOR QUARANTINE

 INSTRUCTIONS.

Wash and change clothes before having contact with your own pets

 as a precaution against spreading any contagious diseases the cats

might carry.

Always get feral kittens checked out by a vet and isolate them from

 your pets. Some deadly diseases can incubate without symptoms.

Check with your veterinarian and use caution.

Releasing the cats

If a cat does not seem to be recovering well from the surgery, consider having it checked out by a vet before releasing. When cats are ready for release, return to the area in which they were captured and release them there. Do not relocate the animal! It will be disoriented and most likely die. In all likelihood, area cats will drive it away.

If the veterinarian has indicated a serious medical problem

with the cat which you will not be able to treat, you, with the advice

of the vet, must make the decision on whether it is safe to release the

animal or kinder to euthanize it. Untreated abscesses and

 respiratory infections, and a number of other conditions,

 can mean suffering and a slow death.

Make sure the spot you pick for release does not encourage

 the cat to run into danger (like a busy street) to get away from you.

Keep the trap covered until you are ready to release. When ready,

simply hold the trap with the door facing away from you and open

the door. The cat will probably bolt immediately out of the trap. If it is

confused, just tilt the trap so the back is slightly up and tap on the back

 of the trap to encourage it to leave. Never put your hand in the trap! If the

 animal still will not leave, prop the door open with a stick and leave it

for a while. A trapped skunk or possum, which is nocturnal, may decide

to sleep in the trap all day and not leave the trap until dark.

After releasing the cats hose off traps and disinfect them with bleach.

 Never store traps in the "set" position (door open); animals may wander

 into even unbaited traps and starve to death.

Helpful hints

Bring a flashlight with you if trapping at night. It will come in handy for

 checking traps from a distance and might help you avoid a twisted

ankle in the dark.

Bring a cap for the top of the Mackerel can. Nothing smells worse

than fish juice spilled in the car. Don’t forget a spoon!

Females with kittens will be attracted by the sound of their kittens

if the previously captured kittens are placed in a covered carrier

just behind the trap. Similarly, kittens will be easier to trap if the

previously captured mom is in the carrier. Females in heat can be

placed in a carrier to attract male cats who have been eluding the

 traps. Never place the "bait" animal in the trap or anywhere where

 it may be harmed by the trapped animal. Even moms can hurt their

 babies if frightened enough. Be careful not to let the "bait" animal escape.

Some kittens can be caught without a trap but are still too wild to be

handled easily. Use a thick towel to pick up the kitten to help protect you

from scratching and biting. This also helps prevent the kitten from squirming

 away from you.

For advice regarding the taming and/or fostering of feral or orphaned

 kittens consult your veterinarian. You may also obtain information on

these subjects from the Feral Cat Coalition.

Humane Trap Source

The Feral Cat Coalition maintains a stock in excess of 200 humane traps around

 San Diego County which are available for loan, at no charge, to the public. The

 traps that we have found to suit our needs best are available from the following

source:

Tomahawk Live Trap Company
P.O. Box 323
Tomahawk  WI  54487
Phone: (715) 453-3550 or 1-800-27-A-TRAP
Fax: (715) 453-4326

They have sizes available for all animals. The model that we have

 used, that seems to suit our needs, is the model 106. It is constructed

of 1"x1" 14ga. galvanized steel wire mesh and measures 26" x 9" x 9".

They are light, easy to clean and maintain, and are quite sturdy. The model

 106 sells for about $50. There is also a model 606 which is identical

 but has an openable door in the back of the trap. This model sells for

 about $7 more but the added door can be quite handy. Call Tomahawk

for a catalog. They accept orders over the phone and take checks,

 money orders, Visa, or MasterCard.

You can also check out their website where you can view their entire

product line as well as place orders. This link will open a new browser

 window for you...just close it when you finish exploring. Tomahawk Live Traps

 Use the green menu bar on the left to navigate to 'Single Door Traps'.