Idea To Try If Cat Won't Go In Trap.

[Feral Mom]

I offer this
as an alternative way to get a cat in the trap.
This will only work if you are able to pick up the cat, which is NOT the case for most ferals.

But,
If you Are able to pick up the cat,
this method is worth a try. It requires 2 people, though, imo.

Most TNVR places require the cat to arrive in a trap to neuter and spay.
It is very hard to stuff a cat into a trap who does not want to go in a trap, as the cat sticks all 4 legs outwards and scratches brutally and squirms like a shape-shifter,
so,
I came up with this method, for strays and a few ferals
who do allow me to pick them up.

Sorry for lame drawings, we have no photographer here! hahaha.

EDIT :
PERSON 2 SHOULD WEAR GLOVES, TOO !!! Thanks to 1Bruce1

THE ONLY REASON I DO THIS----- IS BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT
TO STUFF A CAT INTO A TRAP-------
BUT IT IS NOT TOO HARD TO JUST DROP A CAT IN A BOX----
AND
THE TNVR VETS
REQUIRE THAT ALL FERALS ARRIVING FOR SURGERY MUST BE IN A TRAP.

and some cats are so trap savvy it is stunning. And some females you have to get them there pronto. It is now or never kind of thing, at times.

STEP 1:
Preparing
Get a TALL sturdy box (if you have to fit the box into your car to get where the cat is, factor that in).
Cut a few, very small airholes in the box, near the top.
Tape all seams of box securely shut.
Leave top flaps open.
Cut a trap door near bottom, cutting only 3 sides, so it is a flap.
Tape that flap shut, leaving a small tab of tape folded over, to grab the tape later. (see pictures)
Toss a pillow you do not care about into the bottom of box.
GEt an accomplice.
Place a piece of cardboard on floor of your trap, to prevent the feeling of the bars bothering the cat. I recommend using brown "Tru Catch" traps. YOu can borrow these traps from local TNVR groups.

Practice ALL the moves a few times. Make certain your person2 truly does understand what to do, s/he has to rapidly move to close and press down the flaps at top of box. The cat can quickly climb up the box and try to squeeze out the flaps. Person 2 role is important. She may need at least 1 glove to push cat back in.

Usually, prior to capture day, -------- you have to
Feed the cat in the intended trapping location for at least several days,
at same time,
to ensure that the cat knows when and where to show up for dinner. Feed cat near box for several days,
so cat gets comfortable near box. (You can't leave box outdoors cuz it will get ruined by dew and rain)

Over a few days, I usually pick up cat briefly randomly a few times, and put him back down, so he gets less freaked out by that. Not all cats allow this, only strays usually, almost all ferals will refuse being touched,
and if you can not pick up the cat, ------this method will Not work for your cat.
Sorry.

STEP 2:
the day of the capture.
Person 1 puts on animal control thickness gloves, (amazon)
and picks up cat, and quickly drops cat into the TALL box with the pillow at bottom. and pulls off her gloves.
Person 2 quickly shuts the top flaps before cat can climb up and run out. MUst be super fast at this step, no hesitation, just bam! shut the flaps, holding and pushing the flaps shut to prevent cat from getting out. Do not relax, you are not done, that cat can pop right out between the cracks.

Person 1 grabs the package tape dispenser, and begins to tape the seams of the top flaps shut. Often the weird sound of the tape being pulled kinda makes the cat go back to bottom of box. Person 2 joins in taping as soon as possible, but it is more important to keep holding the flaps pressed shut tightly.

STEP 3:
Hardest part. It seems dicey, but I haven't lost one yet. Well, okay, i have only done this 3 times.
Move the trap right up to the box, which is now taped shut at the top. Put the trap right next to the trap door that you have previously cut 3 sides for, and had taped shut. Hopefully, you did remember to leave the end of the tape on the door folded a bit, so you can grab ahold of that tape to remove it.
Person 1 keeps hand on trap door, but removes the tape from bottom and sides of the previously cut trap door, I have made kind of scarey noises at this point,
to help cat inside Not begin to squeeze out of trap door sides Before we are ready.

Meanwhile
Person2 has trap "set" to go off,
and holds trap riiiiiiight up against the soon-to-be open trap door. Have a sheet over trap, so it appears to be dark safe place for cat to run to. Have blankets to fill in any space between trap and box.
Soon as Person1 has all tape off, press trap right up against trap door.
Cat runs out of trap door of the box,---> straight into trap.
the trap door falls, and cat is caught


so we can get cat to the vet and improve his life.
I use the brown "Tru-catch" traps for this,

and Person2 can hold that trap door open with their finger, if need be,
because sometimes--------- if you are moving traps around, they close before you are ready.
I use the "backdoor" of the 2 door tru trap, i slide it down by hand behind cat. That way, i can get trap even closer to the box.

But a brown "Tru-Catch" trap can be held open with your finger for this method. This step will take practice.
You can borrow a trap from your local TNVR groups for this.

I do not know if this method can be done with the slammer kind of traps?? I do not use those slamming traps,
as they can really hurt a cat
if the cat's leg is still outside the trap, ouch, oh, i have had a cat limp for along time . Made me sick. Awful things, those slammers.
Slamming traps are usually silver and have a diagonal bar in them when viewed from the side. I use a brown "tru catch" trap, because they close fairly quietly, and softly, and if the cat's back leg IS still in the doorway as often happens,

the cat won't be injured by the Tru trap the way a slammer will.

Anyway, this is one idea that might help someone out there.

GOOD LUCK !!

See 1st comment under this
for a 2nd idea to consider.

 

[Feral Mom]

I also have a "drop trap " that i bought off of Amazon, i think.
It works for some cats who will not go into a trap.

This particular trap DOES FOLD UP to fit into your car, (most don't, rendering them useless unless you own a truck to transport the trap)

The cat goes under the trap, and you pull the string.
I often have to set it all up, and begin with food near edge of trap,
slowly advancing along,
day by day,
to point the food is wayyy back in trap, and then pull string.
GOT HIM!!
It helps to have a 2nd person, to bring and attach the trap to the opening on the side, shown is 2nd photo.
Person 1 holds trap down over cat,
while person 2 gets the carrier trap and attaches it to the slide-up door thing on side of drop trap.

I did not get the exact trap that slides into the grooves of this drop- trap, yet, my tru-catch brown trap worked well enough, pushed it up very very closely to the opening.

oh no, that picture uploaded sideways!! oh my...

this 2nd picture shows the door to put trap next to. Cat runs out of this into trap.

Might help someone.

 

[1 bruce 1]

This is good information.
No, I don't think the drawings are lame at all, they're quite detailed (right down to the same expression you might get from a real cat in the first drawing ).
If there's space and time available, I've got a few other tips you might add to this good plan you've come up with.
On step two, when person one picks the cat up, person two might be smart to wear a similar pair of gloves on the slim chance that the cat does claw his or her way out when they're holding the box shut. I've found gloves are a mental shield and I can hold a cage door shut without being worried my hands are going to be shredded. Since person one takes the gloves off and begins taping, when that happens, person two can make sure person one has the box taped enough to contain the cat and quickly lose the gloves to help the tape up.

If you're worried the cat is really sparky and might try to continue to escape from the sound of the tape, pulling off pieces in your car or truck and sticking them somewhere nearby in advance (on a log, branch, bench, whatever) can prevent any spooky-related escapes.

Very good information Feral Mom , thank you for posing this I wish they just knew we were trying to help them and make their lives a little less stressful.

 

[Feral Mom]

YEs, that IS a GREAT addition, I like it very much!! THANK YOU!!!

 

[1 bruce 1]

YEs, that IS a GREAT addition, I like it very much!! THANK YOU!!!

You're very welcome!
We used to trap feral kittens with an old dog cage and feed them in it. Once the last kitten was in the cage, I'd reach down and shut the door. I learned the hard way (but it only took me once) that really panicked kittens are just as fierce with claws as their older friends and they can shred skin like you can't believe.

 

[Feral Mom]

Yes, those little kitties can have NEEDLES on their paws!! Sure can!!
I also use giant dog cages as part of my recovery room.
but I have to get cats into a standard trap for TNVR, i can not bring the cat to TNVR vets in a dog cage, or a box, that is the one thing they are sticklers about,
is,
arriving ferals HAVE TO be in a standard size trap.
*sigh*

I leave my ferals in the trap for 1st night, so they move around less.
but on day 2, here are my dog cages i used for "recovery rooms"

These dog cages have slide out floors for cleaning, and these fold up flat for storage if i have no patients.

Amazingly, i can move the cats from the traps to the Dog Cage and later, ---------back into the trap to bring them back outdoors for release, -----------without any trouble!!
(i live in high rise. no way i can carry that dog cage down 4 flights of stairs)

I had been worried,
since my brown tru-catch trap does not match the door size of the dog cage,
but, i can make it work, i stuff edges with blankets,
so cat moves from the one to the other without making a break for it.

It is a nice dog cage, has a bit of a loft up over the litter box.

I mostly keep the cages covered, so cat relaxes.
I put extra trash bags under it, and more soft blankets on floor of dog cage, too.

I keep my ferals for a week or two, depending on the weather and how the cat is doing. I alwasy get my ferals microchipped and treated for fleas, ticks, worms, etc. Whatever can be done to give them some relief, we do it.