How to transfer from carrier to a trap for spay/neuter clinic?

[moxiewild]

Hello everyone!

Like most spay/neuter clinics, mine requires ferals to be in regular humane box traps.

But sometimes the only way I can trap a feral is by using a carrier or wire dog crate!

I have yet to work out the kinks with making the transfer safely from carrier to a trap. Some cats are easier than others.

And in the past, I’ve always had a room available to make the transfer in as a failsafe in case of escape - however, right now we’re pretty much over max capacity here, and do not have the luxury of this safety net.

Our laundry room and bathrooms are both way too small to maneuver in order to make the transfer.

I have one Mom and four kittens I need to transfer. They are only semi-feral, but I already know the clinic does not make such distinctions - they will expect them to each be in individual traps. We can’t handle/pet them at all yet.

Anyone have any advice on how to pull this off? I have about a week to figure out a solution here.

By the way, this is our current set up (I only have 3 kittens trapped so far). I can usually just gently coax ferals into that carrier and then close it.

I am sure I can just grab the kittens with a blanket if necessary, so I suppose I am more concerned about Mom.

How do you guys handle this when you’ve been forced to use the carrier with a string on the door method?

 

[Jcatbird]

A cardboard box used as a tube from one place to another. It’s never an easy task. Will Mom be in the same trap as babies? Often Mom will follow babies.
I usestrong pieces of cardboard all the time to block exits or guide cats to other places. You can cut to fit any openings ahead of time. If Mom won’t leave the carrier I just use a small spatula to stick in the back. The intruding spatula usually sends Mom running into the next hiding place which is where I need her to go. I use the squared tube box to put a short distance from the carrier door. I use a three sided box to drop over Mom and the carrier door as she exits the carrier so she can only enter the tube. Am I explaining this so it’s clear? Lol I have dealt with a transfer in a tiny bathroom too. A bit nerve wracking but it worked. I covered the trap too. A blanket over it made it seem like a good place to the Mom. Good luck and thanks for helping them!
If you haven’t trapped Mom and the last baby, it might be easiest to get them straight into a trap together. Mom is probably staying close to that last baby right now. From
the photo, it kind of looks like Mom is already caught. Sweet little baby face! Please let us know how it goes!

 

[moxiewild]

Jcatbird I think I understand what you’re saying. I’m having a little trouble envisioning the later steps, but I probably just need to reread it a few more times

We’ve used cardboard before, but I have no idea why we never thought of making it more into a tube/tunnel rather than a blockade to help herd them! Doy!

I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to trap Mom and baby together, although that’s the hope!

However, if trapping together, I can’t use a humane trap anyway - kitten is always lagging behind and I fear the door closing on her.

Plus, it would mean holding them in the trap for a week until I can take them to the clinic! That’s why I’m using the crate.

And everyone has to be in individual traps, unfortunately! So I figure easiest thing to do would be to pick off the kittens one by one, then go for Momma? The kittens are already adjusting very well, so even if “hand picking” them will set us a couple steps back, I figure they’ll bounce back pretty quickly.

And no, we don’t have Momma yet! You are probably seeing the Snuggle Kitty in the carrier. It’s a calming aid, particularly for kittens. It has a heart to mimic mom’s heartbeat, and we have a rechargeable handwarmer in there for added heat. Here’s a slightly better photo of it-

 

[kittychick]

Jcatbird Thought I'd heard of - or tried -everything, but the "box/tube method" is a new one! And yes ---it does sound like it would very likely work. Kinda brilliant in its simplicity!!!

Since Mom hasn't been caught yet, what I usually do (since I usually end up trapping babies first) is use trapped babies to lure mom into a separate trap.

We set up a "trap tunnel" - with two 2-door/single trip plate traps set up end to end. One (completely shut) w/a baby (or multiples) inside, placed at the far end of an open one (w/trip plate set to trip) in "mom's" trap. Just butt the closed end of "Mom's" up against the completely closed trap w/kitten(s), & with open end of Mom's facing out. Cover both traps completely (we usually use 2 large towels, but a sheet, etcworks fine too!) EXCEPT for the open end of "Mom's." 9.5 times out of 10 she'll be concerned for her babies, hearing them cry, & she'll usually pretty quickly head into the open end since she thinks it's a tunnel to her babies. Her mom instincts will help her overcome any fear of going into "the tunnel." She'll rush to the far end where kittens are, tripping the trip plate as she goes! Voila! Trapped mama!

Sounds like you'll be able to separate babies into individual traps fairly easy -- so hope this'll help you get Mom so the whole family can all go in at once!!!!! If you then need to transfer babies into individual traps easily --- you can push them toward another trap pretty easily if you use a trap divider. Just be sure to do "kitten transfer" in a VERY small, secure room. We try to always do ours in a bathroom (ours are small too too, bc the LAST thing you need is one (or more!) scared fluffballs loose! Our bathrooms aren't big either, but we've learned the hard way to transfer in a small enclosed space!

Hope that helps! And please keep us posted!!!

 

[moxiewild]

kittychick I currently have another thread going about my difficulties with trapping this little family! I’m not terribly experienced with trapping kittens!

I did use the last baby I trapped as bait for an hour two nights ago when I last went out, but the kitten was dead silent and Mom would have nothing to do with the trap/crate after seeing me trap that little one

It stormed all day yesterday so I wasn’t able to go out.

Overall, I’m not too worried about Mom! I can very easily trap her with a regular trap. But the kitten I only feel safe manually trapping, so I’m using the string on a wire crate and also a carrier right now.

Unfortunately, this last kitten never seems interested in bait. He/she would only approach any traps before by following siblings in.

I’ve thought about bringing the kittens out again to use as bait to hopefully trap their sibling, but I’m trapping over an hour away, and the commute is a lot of stress to put them through I’m hoping to save that as a last resort if I still haven’t trapped the kitten in a few days from now.

My hope is the last kitten will now follow Mom. But that means I need to be able to convince Mom to go into the wire crate or the carrier.

The spring loaded trap is too dangerous since this kitten is always lagging behind and I don’t want 1. The door to close on her, or 2. Trap Mom and risk leaving the kitten on its own.

 

[tnrmakessense]

Have you considered disconnecting the trip plate and putting a string on the trigger ? I do that so that I can be sure everyone is in and tails etc. are safe. Of course you have to have a good sight line for the trap, but it sounds as though you can get fairly close to your guys.

 

[moxiewild]

Have you considered disconnecting the trip plate and putting a string on the trigger ? I do that so that I can be sure everyone is in and tails etc. are safe. Of course you have to have a good sight line for the trap, but it sounds as though you can get fairly close to your guys.

I thought about it, but since I already had three manual options going (drop trap, wire crate + string, and carrier + string), I didn’t really see much of a point to rigging the trap to be manual as well.

I don’t want to get too into it here because it’s more to the point on my other thread about this that I’ll be updating, but I ended up trapping Mom because the kitten would not go into anything for HOURS last night, so I resorted to using Mom as bait. I was able to trap the kitten with the drop trap and the kitten escaped and disappeared for two hours, so I released Mom

No idea what I’m going to do now. I’m going to be a wreck until I know the kitten is safe/still around.

 

[tnrmakessense]

I thought about it, but since I already had three manual options going (drop trap, wire crate + string, and carrier + string), I didn’t really see much of a point to rigging the trap to be manual as well.

I don’t want to get too into it here because it’s more to the point on my other thread about this that I’ll be updating, but I ended up trapping Mom because the kitten would not go into anything for HOURS last night, so I resorted to using Mom as bait. I was able to trap the kitten with the drop trap and the kitten escaped and disappeared for two hours, so I released Mom

No idea what I’m going to do now. I’m going to be a wreck until I know the kitten is safe/still around.

I'm sorry ! I understand completely. The whole business is as emotionally exhausting as it is physically exhausting.

 

[kittychick]

I'll look at your other thread soon as I can. Sorry if I misunderstood anything - I read the initial post thinking your main issue was trapping mom without trapping her WITH the kittens, since separation at that point would be much more problematic. So I was trying to offer suggestions as to how to do that. But sounds like I might have misunderstood, so I'll check out your other thread soon as I can. As tnrmakessense says above - trapping can be very exhausting, mentally and physically!!!! Especially when it involves "unhelpful kittens" AND a long drive. I've used the carrier/string multiple times and been pretty successful, but it's definitely not the easiest or fastest method. But I COMPLETELY understand your reluctance to involve a trip plate style trap with young ones - - - little ones scare the bejesus out of me with those! And the last thing you want to do is hurt a little one when all you're trying to do is help!

Just a quick note (and I'll read your other thread tomorrow!) - - - using Mom and/or Mom and the already gathered little ones is probably the best way. We've done it that way (it's not easy - - but it can be done!). The other thing I was going to suggest - - does the baby you haven't caught yet have ANY little food (even through they look young!) that would really tempt him/her into a carrier? You've probably tried both - - but I've used both canned mackerel and "kitty crack" (human baby food - Gerber's 2nd Stages Chicken and Gravy - --dab just a bit at the far, far end of the crate of either (or both - - since both smell to high heaven!). And if possible - - -I'd put Mom - in whatever she's in right now - - at the end. Even thought the back of a carrier is basically solid and the kitten won't see mom, it'll hear and smell her. What I've done is tape up all the holes in our carrier except the ones at the back, so that the smell of mom is most strong at the back of the crate. Then I've put Mama in her trap outside the crate at the back, pushed up as tight to the carrier as possible. Again, putting a blanket over both the carrier and the trap with Mom in it, leaving only the opening of the carrier uncovered. For us, the combo of stinky food, and the scent and sound of mama, and it took just seconds for baby to head to the back of the carrier - - we pulled the string on the door, rushed to actually lock it, and voila! Kitten in a carrier!

Again - - -I may have something wrong since I haven't read the other thread yet - - - and maybe I missed something. So I'll read that -- - but maybe this suggestion will help!

Good luck, stay strong, and keep us all posted!