Just as I feared....

[scott77777]

So I went out today and did my usual rounds, looking for the cats.

There's a trap left where a few of them live.

I don't know who left it, but I'm going to make the rounds of the nearby houses.

 

[hissy]

Scott what kind of a trap? Please don't tell me a steel leg trap is what you are talking about?

 

[scott77777]

It's a humane trap, but since I know 90% of the people who are doing cat capture around here for TNR purposes, I'll have to check and see what their motive is.

What I'm HOPING is that they're not catching cats to turn them over to Animal Control (for all I know, it's an AC trap).

What I'm fearing is that they are.

We'll see.

I just printed a set of photos of all of the cats we've had adopted, etc..., as well as pages of contact information. I'm taking them over to those houses.

 

[hissy]

well that is a relief that is a humane trap after all- the other part is worrisome-I hope you figure it out...
(MA breathing again)

 

[scott77777]

I went over to all of the houses along that row and it appears they're trying to catch skunks.

Why they're using tuna fish, I'm not sure (do skunks like tuna fish???), but I'm glad I went and they know to call me if they catch a cat.

My bet says they catch some of those fat, fat raccoons....

 

[hissy]

best skunk bait is simply dried cat foot- they love it-

 

[mzjazz2u]

Originally posted by hissy
best skunk bait is simply dried cat foot- they love it-

Oh Yeah... Hissy knows about skunks and cat food!

 

[tnr1]

Scott...glad to see you posting. Glad they weren't catching cats. How is everything going by the way??

Katie

 

[hissy]

Yep Tamme I do, I know one of our resident skunks is pregnant and burrowed under our neighbor's shed to give birth to her young. I know this because the other day in the morning she was waddling down to the creek to get a drink and she could barely walk she was so full of babies! YIKES! More skunks just what we need!

 

[scott77777]

Well, this is how we're doing, with 2-3 cats not pictured:

 

[tnr1]

WOW...that is wonderful Scott!! That is a lot of cats and kittens who will no longer be having litters. Thank you for all you do!!!

Katie

 

[scott77777]

Well, here's one of the ones we haven't caught. I think this is Tiki's dad.

You can see something's going on with his face. Maybe an infected cut from a fight?

This has been on his face for a month or two. We haven't had enough cages to trap him, and he's rarely around.

 

[hissy]

Yeah it looks like an abscess working.

Anyway of you slipping him some wet food with a few drops of GSE in it to kill off the bacteria? Or better yet, sprinkle his food with antibiotic powder? Ask your vet about that.

 

[linda_of_pgff]

Hi All,

Another suggestion would be to toss some Vitamin C (powder or crushed tablets) onto the food -- very safe no matter who eats it, and good for helping the immune system do its thing until you can get this abscess some veterinary care.

Great progress, Scott! And your tracking of your progress is so good for your own sense of how the project is going, I'm betting!

Do you have someone who can check local laws for you, about the traps? By law, in my state, traps have to be labelled with the name and telephone number of whoever places them. My organization very clearly marks ours using permanent marker, and every time the traps are returned from loan, they're checked to see that the marks are still visible, relabelling them if we need to. Seems to me there should be similar rules most places - you definitely want people to be able to let you know if you have caught a distressed animal, or if they have any questions about what you are doing.

 

[ldg]

Oh Scott what a fabulous job!!!!! Tiki's dad is so handsome - and all the cats and kitties are so cute. I love the way you've put that together.

I hope Tiki's dad shows up for help soon.

 

[scott77777]

Well,

I think I've figured out the deal on the guy with the hole in his face...they're basically nocturnal and nowhere to be seen during the day.

I've tried trapping him (or "them" - the remaining males) for two days - no luck.

I got home from a night out in NYC last night (around 2am) and decided to spray Scott's Secret Cat Attraction Juice around the abandoned building. I then went inside to watch from the window. Two cats show up: a white cat and a black cat with white markings. I think it was the male, but my trap wasn't set.

This might be a problem: if I catch a cat at 2am, I can't really leave him overnight (people from the apartment complex leave at 6am for work - there's no inconspicuous place for the trap). We don't have a garage, etc..., and I'm certainly not bringing him through the apartment to our balcony.

I was thinking I could buy some camouflage blanket or netting, then throw it over the trap until morning. If he's making noise, though, that might attract people to the trap...

Ack!!!

 

[tnr1]

"secret spray" eh?? Can I get the "recipe" to give out at the feral cat clinic. I'm sure some of the caretakers would love to have it.

I think putting a towel over the cat is a good idea. Maybe also include a note that states that the cat has been trapped in order to be fixed etc. If you are concerned about it being tied back to you...see if neighborhood cats would let you leave their contact info if a person has any questions.

Good Luck.

Katie

 

[scott77777]

Well, the secret spray is usually a large container in which I mix mostly canola oil, some tuna fish (in oil), and all of the Friskies fish flavors: salmon, whitefish, Seafood entree, etc... I blend by hand until there are no chunks or I pour off the top once the sediment has settled. I'll cut it with some water, but the purpose of the oil is that it retains the smell of the fish, but is water resistant and won't dry-out as quickly.

This usually is too thick for a spray bottle, but I take it and I splash the walls of the abandoned building near the trap. I also pour some of the oil through the mesh bottom of the trap (leading in). I try not to pour it onto the ground (I don't want the cats tearing through the leaves trying to eat small morsels), but I try to mark the overall area of the trap with the scent.

I suppose if you REALLY wanted to get cats into the area, you could do something similar, soak a rag or cheesecloth in it, wrap it around some smelly fish from the fish market, and hang it in an onion bag by a string. Hello, raccoon central!

This may seem like overkill, but it's been working for me, and I never argue with what works.

I haven't seen the white cat in two days - about 45 minutes after marking the building this way, two cats showed up. The white cat was pawing around for an hour, obviously fixated on the smell, but the trap wasn't set.

 

[scott77777]

Oh - PS - I should note that when I pour it under the trap, there's usually a gap or holes in the leaves and I just sprinkle enough to have the scent there. I wouldn't advocate pouring oil where the cat might end up sitting on it.

 

[scott77777]

And just when you think you're on your last few cats:

Completely New White Cat

And His or Her Mystery Companion!!!