Tomahawk Roundhouse trap

moxiewild

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Anyone tried this or heard of anyone who has?

Traps :: Feral Cat Traps & Accessories :: Feral Cat Traps :: The Humane Roundhouse Trap

I can’t seem to find any reviews for it anywhere. I also asked on some rescue/TNR Facebook groups and couldn’t find anyone who’d used it.

I was thinking it might be a good addition to the arsenal, especially for trap savvy cats (and less of a pain in the butt than setting up the drop trap...).

I’m a little worried with the diameter only being 19” in regards to tail clearance, but maybe the turn around effect does a good job of resolving that. It’s difficult to tell/visualize without seeing it in action or knowing the door dimensions.

Seems like overall though, it’s very possible that some cats may feel safer entering it than a regular trap.

We had intended to buy the Tomahawk Set Over Capture Cage (https://www.livetrap.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=33008) since I think we run into enough timid strays that we can approach but not handle at this point that I think it justifies the cost for us. Seems like it could potentially be less traumatic and more predictable than a regular trap, and also allows for easier target trapping for those types of cats too (again... I love our drop trap, but it is such a pain to lug around and set up).

But like the Roundhouse, I worry about tail clearance. It’s only 21” in length, so unless kitty has tail curled around their body when eating, it could be a potential risk. I’d buy it in a heart beat if it was at least 10” longer.

Anyway - now we’re thinking we might just keep mulling over the Set Over trap (and emailing Tomahawk to suggest longer dimensions) and buy the Roundhouse instead.

We figure that - unless cats are more inclined to feel especially unsafe going in it, or there being an especially prominent tail hazard - the Roundhouse would get a lot more use for the money.

Just wish I could find literally ANY review from someone with experience with it!

If y’all don’t have any experience with it, do you have any thoughts or concerns I should consider? Do you think ferals would be more, less, or equally inclined to go in vs a regular trap? Why or why not?

Thank you for any input!
 

Willowy

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The set over cage isn't meant to slam down on them, so I don't think any tails are at risk. You can control how fast/hard you put it down. It's a brilliant idea, really, I might need that for some of my pet cats!

And the roundhouse trap looks cool too. I would think the way they go in would prevent any tail slamming. It kind of looks like the food bait is behind the door. Do you know how it closes when the trap goes off? I can't tell just by looking at it.

Nevermind, I found a video. Yeah, the bait is behind the door so the tail should be all the way inside before anything goes off.
 
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fionasmom

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I agree that the set over trap is meant for gentle placement over a friendly cat and I do wonder if it would work even inside. The tail issue should not be a problem, but I do see it as not working for a cat who is only partly approachable.

The roundhouse trap looks interesting as well. I appreciate you posting this as I am always in the market for new and different traps and have never been able to successfully use a drop trap.
 
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moxiewild

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Never thought about using it for the indoor kids!

We have two we have to “trap” with food in the carrier, but I always worry about what we will do if they are sick and uninterested in food - so something like this would be great!

The roundhouse trap looks interesting as well. I appreciate you posting this as I am always in the market for new and different traps and have never been able to successfully use a drop trap.
Yes, I feel more confident the more options I have, and sadly there aren’t too many on the market, so these caught my attention!

Lately I’ve also had some success with TruCatch’s Homesteader trap for large animals (42D - Homesteader Deluxe). I usually use it for small-medium dogs, but cats seem way more willing to go into it than our other traps.

There are down sides to it, though. It’s big and bulky (TruCatch has a collapsible version, but it is MUCH more expensive), it’s tricky to transfer to a regular trap, and it’s also pricey, especially if you purchase the divider (which is very helpful for transferring).

I hope these new Tomahawk traps are a sign that we will see more innovation in traps in the coming years, though. Some of these kitties are just too smart for their own good!
 

Sian Panter

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I do have a roundhouse trap and LOVE it! It is very sensitive which makes it ideal for the lighter weight cats and kittens. The cat has to go around the door to get the bait so the risk of catching the tail is small. I did replace the bait dish with a makeshift hanging dish - the dish provided is too deep and narrow. The sensitivity of the trap increased to the point that it needed repair after several uses - mostly due to human error (nearby workers sat on it!). If you are transporting a feral cat to TNR clinic, the cat will need to be transferred into a rectangular trap to enable sedation. But the trap lines up nicely with the Tomohawk live traps (and other brands with adjustments).
 
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