Help for trapping feral cat

[Spshaffer]

So, I posted earlier about a feral momma cat who had very sick kittens. I was able to get them to a local shelter who sent them to a foster who takes in sick kittens. Anyway my shelter is great but they are not much help with my questions. I’ve been trying for two weeks to catch the mother cat to get her spayed and released. She is skittish and scared when i’m near. I can get her in the carrier but when I get near to close it, she runs away. My local shelter does the spay and are only available Monday and Wednesday morning right at 8am. I’m going to try again for next week because they are already booked. I found a friend who will let me borrow a live trap. She will only go in to the crate for food. How will I get her in the trap without food because of surgery? Should I set it up not to trap so she’s used to it until i’m ready to trap. I can’t keep her trapped for a week. What do I do with her when she’s done with surgery? I have a large dog kennel I could put in our garage. Any tips or advice would help! Thank you!!!!

 

[shadowsrescue]

Start to feed her in the unset trap. Just tie it open and begin placing food into the trap so she is comfortable with it. On the morning you want to trap, be sure the trap is set and then just put a very small amount of food in the trap. A little bit will not hurt her before the spay.

A large dog kennel will work well after the spay. Just be sure the garage is not too hot. With the weather warming it can get hot in there quickly. If you have a spare room, that might work better for you. Also since you will need to get into the kennel for cleaning the litter box and feeding, you would not want her to get out and hide someone in the garage.

I always try to keep the feral cat in my basement or spare room in a large kennel for a few days.

 

[dragonlady2]

I would trap her with food. Once trapped,put the trap between two chairs or stools. Keep it covered. You can feed the cat through the openings of the trap. The cat can relieve itself through the bottom of the trap. Just put newspaper or litter underneath trap. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing. I gave my vet the heads up that I was planning to trap a feral that I was feeding so they were pretty helpful regarding getting him in quickly. The cat won’t die for a short period of time that it is in a trap. You could also check around for another vet that has more days open for spaying.
Thank you so much for doing what you have done for the kittens and now, hopefully, the mother.

 

[fionasmom]

I have usually fed in the open trap set with a piece of wire so that it will not spring shut. Most cats will readily go in for food and become accustomed to it. On the morning that you want to trap, set it with something tasty; my choice is always KFC. Frankly, once the trap slams shut, the cat is going to be too upset to eat, so there is no worry about her gorging herself before surgery. In fact, if it is messy food, it will go everywhere. If trapping bothers you, just remember that this is so much the greater good for both you and the cat.

She should be kept somewhere safe for a short period of time while she recovers. The shelter more than likely won't do this for you as a vet might, so a large dog crate is a good idea.