Catching an injured feral kitten

[OwnedByScout]

We've been feeding a mom and her kitten for about a month now. The mom is friendly and does come near us but the kitten is super skittish and every time we are near, s/he runs and hides away under some car. Then for two days, the kitten disappeared. Today she resurfaced with a swollen paw and some sort of injury. probably got into a fight with other cats or got hit by a vehicle. I don't know really. I want to get it to the vet but I can't seem to catch it. I live in a country where we do not get the traditional TNR cages. I do have a regular cage of my own and a smaller carrier. Today I waited for more than 45 mins but the kitten would not come near me and the food bowl (even if the mom-cat was all around me). Any ideas on how I can get this kitten to the vet?

 

[Jcatbird]

You can rig the cage as sort of a trap but you need to be hidden close by. I do it by convincing the kitten to go inside to the back to eat. I remain still and hidden under a blanket or tarp nearby. When the kitten goes in, I very quickly close the door. It takes quick reactions as well as being quiet. Let the kitten be fully engrossed in eating before you act. You can also try righing the door with heavy string so that you can pull it shot tight. The trick is making sure it is tight so the kitten cannot get out. The string does allow you more distance but if it isn’t rigged properly, the kitten will push out.
Another way would be to use a cardboard box and use an extra heavy piece of cardboard to place through slots i the box. As the kittens enters, slide the piece of board closed.You would only allow a small hole to be open since it would be had to cover much space up before it escapes.
You can also use fishing nets to catch a kitten. I keep one handy for this. You might even be able to figure out a way to drop a net over her from a distance. Not really sure about that but similar to a drop trap. Have gloves on in case you must pick her up. She’ll be scared. I do hope you can get her. Even if it takes time, feeding her ,and others, inside a cage is always a good idea in case you need to catch them. It may take time for them to trust eating there but once that is established it should make any occurrence much easier for you to handle.
I’m so glad you came to TCS to ask about this. Many here can offer helpful
Information and we welcome you here! Thank you for helping these kitties!! Please let us know what happens. I hoping you catch the baby quickly.

 

[OwnedByScout]

You can rig the cage as sort of a trap but you need to be hidden close by. I do it by convincing the kitten to go inside to the back to eat. I remain still and hidden under a blanket or tarp nearby. When the kitten goes in, I very quickly close the door. It takes quick reactions as well as being quiet. Let the kitten be fully engrossed in eating before you act. You can also try righing the door with heavy string so that you can pull it shot tight. The trick is making sure it is tight so the kitten cannot get out. The string does allow you more distance but if it isn’t rigged properly, the kitten will push out.
Another way would be to use a cardboard box and use an extra heavy piece of cardboard to place through slots i the box. As the kittens enters, slide the piece of board closed.You would only allow a small hole to be open since it would be had to cover much space up before it escapes.
You can also use fishing nets to catch a kitten. I keep one handy for this. You might even be able to figure out a way to drop a net over her from a distance. Not really sure about that but similar to a drop trap. Have gloves on in case you must pick her up. She’ll be scared. I do hope you can get her. Even if it takes time, feeding her ,and others, inside a cage is always a good idea in case you need to catch them. It may take time for them to trust eating there but once that is established it should make any occurrence much easier for you to handle.
I’m so glad you came to TCS to ask about this. Many here can offer helpful
Information and we welcome you here! Thank you for helping these kitties!! Please let us know what happens. I hoping you catch the baby quickly.

Thank you! These are helpful ideas. I'll try one out and keep you posted on how it goes.

 

[OwnedByScout]

So I rigged up my existing cage to close the door from afar with a string attached to the door. I stood about 20 ft away but the kitten won't budge. It sat there under another car and then eventually disappeared Today, my wife and I are going to tag team and see how it goes...

 

[Jcatbird]

That’s the tough part about catching kitties, sometimes it takes awhile. Patience is the key though. Once the kitten no longer sees you as something threatening or new, as well as seeing the cage as safe, it will go inside. I know it’s frustrating. I’ve been through that too. I didn’t use traps either. Just make sure you get that door closed tightly when you do catch the kitten. I’ve had to catch them more than once before. That was frustrating too but they do come for the food. They always come eventually. Keep trying and don’t give up. I’ll keep checking back with you too. Thank you to you both!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I wanted to see if you were able to catch the kitten.

 

[OwnedByScout]

Hi. I wanted to see if you were able to catch the kitten.

Hi, unfortunately, no I even called a local rescue organization but they were not able to catch it too. I have not seen him since then. It looks like it may have moved away. I see the mom every now and then though.

 

[tnrmakessense]

You can rig the cage as sort of a trap but you need to be hidden close by. I do it by convincing the kitten to go inside to the back to eat. I remain still and hidden under a blanket or tarp nearby. When the kitten goes in, I very quickly close the door. It takes quick reactions as well as being quiet. Let the kitten be fully engrossed in eating before you act. You can also try righing the door with heavy string so that you can pull it shot tight. The trick is making sure it is tight so the kitten cannot get out. The string does allow you more distance but if it isn’t rigged properly, the kitten will push out.
Another way would be to use a cardboard box and use an extra heavy piece of cardboard to place through slots i the box. As the kittens enters, slide the piece of board closed.You would only allow a small hole to be open since it would be had to cover much space up before it escapes.
You can also use fishing nets to catch a kitten. I keep one handy for this. You might even be able to figure out a way to drop a net over her from a distance. Not really sure about that but similar to a drop trap. Have gloves on in case you must pick her up. She’ll be scared. I do hope you can get her. Even if it takes time, feeding her ,and others, inside a cage is always a good idea in case you need to catch them. It may take time for them to trust eating there but once that is established it should make any occurrence much easier for you to handle.
I’m so glad you came to TCS to ask about this. Many here can offer helpful
Information and we welcome you here! Thank you for helping these kitties!! Please let us know what happens. I hoping you catch the baby quickly.

Agree with Jacatbird's excellent advice. Wanted to add that since the kitten is light, if you use a string on a cage you need to weight the cage so that when you pull the string, the cage doesn't move. I learned that lesson the hard way.

 

[Jcatbird]

Just wanted to let you know that kitties are excellent at being unseen. If Mom is still around, chances are the kitten lurks somewhere nearby. I’ve had them turn up long after vanishing. Don’t give up.