Spraying Feliway On A Trap Cage

Would you spray some Feliway on the mesh of a trap cage to improve the confidence of a cat towards the trap?
Did anybody do such a thing before?
I have a feral cat who I am struggling to trap, this could be my last resource...
Thanks!

I spray Feliway into the carrier prior to a vet visit and it seems to help but I dont know how long the smell lingers. Maybe you could spray it on a rag and put inside the trap as well as spraying the mesh. Its worth a try. That little blighter has been evading you for some time but I dont think he realises how determined you are.

I have rubbed tuna oil on it. That attracts them.

Hi V verna davies , this morning I've been waiting not far from the cage for over two hours for that cat to get in. He/she walked around it a couple of times, an hour apart, he/she ate part of the bait I had laid right on the doorstep of the cage. This little morsel outside the cage should have lured the cat a few steps further into it, but it didn't work...

Two other cats walked in. I shooed away the first, then I was getting tired and I remotely activated the trap on the second cat. It was a tom, he will be neutered tomorrow.

I'm going to give up on my target...

surya said:

I have rubbed tuna oil on it. That attracts them.

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I spread some tuna on the mesh in order to have the whole cage have the same good smell.
He/she is a very shy and fearful cat. The slightest noise and off he/she runs...
This cat is very suspicious about the trap. He/she entered that trap just once, about a month ago... The only time when the trap failed to close!

I cant imagine you giving up on anything Antonio. Just leave it for a couple of days or so and give it another try.

So, do you think that investing in a €25 bottle of Feliway spray is a good idea, or just a waste of money?

I don't know, but another scent that cats love is Calvin Kline's Obsession for men cologne.

Is that true surya ?
The Feliway should just tell the cat that everything is fine, the place is safe and harmless, just the purpose it has when sprayed at home or in the carrier.
This cat I'm trying to trap feels a bit insecure, I might think that the Feliway might help it a lot to feel safe.

I would try catnip instead. I think Feliway is calming, but the spray doesn't last long at all. Also with it being outside, it might just get mixed up in the air with all of the other scents floating around.

I like to line my traps with puppy pee pads. They are pretty quiet and don't seem to spook the cats like newspaper. I try to get tuna or mackerel in oil. I place a tiny piece right at the front and then drizzle the oil all the way back where there is another few flecks.

I also have had luck with just plain old cat food. I had one cat that I had been feeding for a few weeks. He only wanted his dry food. Once I put his regular bowl and the dry food inside the trap, he immediately went inside.

Good luck to you. I know how much you really want to catch this one.

Have you tried using a laser pointer to lure it in? Worked for me on a hard to trap kitten.

Yes, I found out about it online and bought some. It works, they love it and it puts them in a good mood. I have not used it for trapping though. Feliway might work, it is just so expensive. Have your tried sardines or fried chicken? Some cats like that. I also put some dry food too. I leave a little trail to entice them in.

My secret weapon was to leave the empty cat food or tuna can out side the trap, so they would lick it and start to crave the food. Then that would give them the motivation to be brave enough to go in the trap. But then someone pointed out to me that cats can get cuts from the sharp edges of the can and I shouldn't do that.

Also if you are desperate to catch them. They can sense it. So you have to be calm. Seriously it's true.

I think catnip as suggested by shadowsrescue would be better than Feliway. You could sprinkle it inside the trap, moisten some and rub it on the mesh or even put a toy covered in it at the back of the trap.

Just to clear some things up

The cat is very scared, fearful, shy. It doesn't even like the company or the sight of other cats. Runs and hides at nothing
So I think the laser pointer would be something that might scare it more. And, likewise, any kind of toy/game to try to entice it, would only serve the opposite.

I'm using a very smelly tuna cat food, so smelly that I can smell it 20 feet far in the open space.
I'm also tracking the way to the trap with tiny bits of food to let it understand that the "prize" is in there. It follows the trail up to the doorstep, then it runs away as it had seen a monster.

I'm not even in the cat's field of sight, I am in a concealed position, quite far from the trap, so I think it's unlikely it could sense my anxiety. The remote control works from a good distance, I tested it from 150 feet far. I'm currently about 30 feet away, not in direct sight.

I could try the catnip, but I fear it could cover the smell of the tuna, or distract the cat from its aim.
I've always thought that catnip was more related to the playtime...

Thats one determined cat your hoping to catch, your trying everything. I have read that catnip mimics feline pheromones and triggers those receptors. I hope the tuna works but what about a something like tinned sardines they are pretty smelly.

V verna davies , you know what? This cat is very suspicious about any change in the habits. The tuna I've been using in the past weeks had put it off at first. Now it seems it is accepting the novelty... I suspect that changing to the sardines would make it more suspicious again

Believe me, this cat is a tough guy/lady

Are you skipping feedings so the cat is very hungry?

surya said:

Are you skipping feedings so the cat is very hungry?

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Yes, yesterday I left less food than the usual. Today I left even less, close to nothing, just what remained in the can of wet food after having used part of the can as a bait.
Tomorrow the cat should be hungry!

I had tried this before, with nearly no results...

Good luck, don't give up.

If the cat has been trapped before, he may never enter a trap again. Feral cats are very hard to re-trap. You may need to see if you can borrow a drop trap from someone.

I wouldn't use Feliway, and I agree that the scent of catnip might overpower the tuna. When I set a trap, I put a small towel on the inside bottom and cover it with grass, dirt and twigs so it feels natural to the cat when he's walking in. I don't cover the top of the trap as some do. This is what has worked for me.

I wouldn't withhold his regular food from him for more than a day, you don't want him to go elsewhere in search of food. If he's determined to not go into the trap, he'll simply go elsewhere.

Do you know if he likes tuna? As someone else has suggested, you could try putting his regular food inside.

That's great you trapped cat who needed to be neutered, even if it wasn't the specific one you wanted to catch!