- Joined
- Aug 4, 2014
- Messages
- 1,112
- Purraise
- 1,522
My experience trapping kittens is fairly limited because I usually have people to defer kitten situations to. I’ve only ever trapped 1-2 orphaned kittens at a time, or used kitten traps with orphaned kittens.
Right now I’m working on 4 kittens (~7 weeks old) and their mom.
I’m struggling with trapping the kittens safely. I’ve been going at dawn and dusk the past few days.
They go into pretty much everything I have set out - box traps, a drop trap, a pet carrier, and a wire dog crate. Mom will go into any and all of those things too so long as I’m far enough away. They are only semi-feral.
I’m getting frustrated because theoretically, this should be easy peasy lemon squeezy. But I’m running into several issues.
The primary issue is that all four kittens are almost constantly together. And whether it’s the drop trap, box trap, carrier, or crate, one of them is ALWAYS in the danger zone. Either half of their body or their entire tail is in danger of being crushed. (For this reason, I am reserving the box trap for mom only right now).
I could have had all four kittens - and in some cases with the drop trap and crate, all four AND Momma - about 20 times over already if not for this.
Once while I was setting up I came back from my car and noticed one of the black kittens (another issue all on its own when trapping at night!!!) was most of the way in the carrier.
I figured he’d run as I got closer so I didn’t really think anything if it, but suddenly I am right next to it and he doesn’t seem to notice me! So I silently wait until he looks all the way in.
Problem is, most of the kittens are solid black. I’m having trouble seeing them at night so I have to set up lanterns and flashlights that they luckily don’t seem to mind anymore.
But because I was still setting up, I hadn’t done that yet. So even though he looked to be completely inside, I wasn’t 100% confident his entire tail was clear, so when i shut the door, I hesitated/did it more weakly than I should.
He pushed his way out and I was like “dang it” and completely let go of the door....... AND THEN THE THREE OTHERS RAN OUT BEHIND HIM!!!
I had no idea they were in there!!! I thought it was just him since I hadn’t even been gone but for about 20 seconds! So mad at myself, but I was really afraid of hurting his tail.
I haven’t seen all four go completely all the way into anything ever since.
Any tips?
I can easily get one (it seems they stick to both extremes when they go in - just one, or all four. Had been hoping to trap at least two the first time, but it’s only ever one or four in there!) but I’m really not a fan of that because I have serious doubts that a lone kitten would do well with me if I can’t manage to trap at least one other sibling the same night.
And since the other kittens are always near, I’m also afraid I’ll scare them off since they WILL see it and only be a foot or two away when it happens. So I feel like my odds of being able to trap another one the same exact night would probably be low.
Am I being too paranoid?
Another issue is Mom. I’ve been keeping track of these kittens since they were a week old. Mom moves them constantly. She will even stop coming to any given food location if she perceives even the tiniest threat (the neighbor who feeds her has had to change the feeding location multiple times over the most minor incidences).
So mom is very protective (her entire litter this past spring apparently didn’t make it, and there were originally 5 in this current litter). And she’s always with the kittens when I’m trapping. So, like the kitten siblings, she WILL see when it happens (she is within 20 feet most of the time).
I was ideally trying to get all four kittens at one time so there wouldn’t be a risk of her moving any I didn’t manage to trap. Am I overreacting to that concern?
How does it usually work for you guys?
I know the basics of how to do everything. Aim for kittens first, then Mom, but if Mom is trapped first, you can use her for bait. Can also use kitten and siblings for bait, etc.
I am just so worried about hurting one of the kittens, and/or mom moving them.
I would appreciate any advice from those of you with more experience trapping kittens and their Mommas!!!
Summary of questions:
- What can I do better to ensure all kittens are out of the “danger zone” of the traps?
- How bad of an idea is it to trap just a single kitten first?
- How likely would it be that I could trap other kittens the same night if I only trap one initially right in front of them?
- How concerned should I be about Mom moving them and having more difficulty trapping them if she sees me trapping 1+ kitten?
- Any tips for trapping/being able to see tiny black kittens (all the way down to the tip of their tail) in the dark?
Right now I’m working on 4 kittens (~7 weeks old) and their mom.
I’m struggling with trapping the kittens safely. I’ve been going at dawn and dusk the past few days.
They go into pretty much everything I have set out - box traps, a drop trap, a pet carrier, and a wire dog crate. Mom will go into any and all of those things too so long as I’m far enough away. They are only semi-feral.
I’m getting frustrated because theoretically, this should be easy peasy lemon squeezy. But I’m running into several issues.
The primary issue is that all four kittens are almost constantly together. And whether it’s the drop trap, box trap, carrier, or crate, one of them is ALWAYS in the danger zone. Either half of their body or their entire tail is in danger of being crushed. (For this reason, I am reserving the box trap for mom only right now).
I could have had all four kittens - and in some cases with the drop trap and crate, all four AND Momma - about 20 times over already if not for this.
Once while I was setting up I came back from my car and noticed one of the black kittens (another issue all on its own when trapping at night!!!) was most of the way in the carrier.
I figured he’d run as I got closer so I didn’t really think anything if it, but suddenly I am right next to it and he doesn’t seem to notice me! So I silently wait until he looks all the way in.
Problem is, most of the kittens are solid black. I’m having trouble seeing them at night so I have to set up lanterns and flashlights that they luckily don’t seem to mind anymore.
But because I was still setting up, I hadn’t done that yet. So even though he looked to be completely inside, I wasn’t 100% confident his entire tail was clear, so when i shut the door, I hesitated/did it more weakly than I should.
He pushed his way out and I was like “dang it” and completely let go of the door....... AND THEN THE THREE OTHERS RAN OUT BEHIND HIM!!!
I had no idea they were in there!!! I thought it was just him since I hadn’t even been gone but for about 20 seconds! So mad at myself, but I was really afraid of hurting his tail.
I haven’t seen all four go completely all the way into anything ever since.
Any tips?
I can easily get one (it seems they stick to both extremes when they go in - just one, or all four. Had been hoping to trap at least two the first time, but it’s only ever one or four in there!) but I’m really not a fan of that because I have serious doubts that a lone kitten would do well with me if I can’t manage to trap at least one other sibling the same night.
And since the other kittens are always near, I’m also afraid I’ll scare them off since they WILL see it and only be a foot or two away when it happens. So I feel like my odds of being able to trap another one the same exact night would probably be low.
Am I being too paranoid?
Another issue is Mom. I’ve been keeping track of these kittens since they were a week old. Mom moves them constantly. She will even stop coming to any given food location if she perceives even the tiniest threat (the neighbor who feeds her has had to change the feeding location multiple times over the most minor incidences).
So mom is very protective (her entire litter this past spring apparently didn’t make it, and there were originally 5 in this current litter). And she’s always with the kittens when I’m trapping. So, like the kitten siblings, she WILL see when it happens (she is within 20 feet most of the time).
I was ideally trying to get all four kittens at one time so there wouldn’t be a risk of her moving any I didn’t manage to trap. Am I overreacting to that concern?
How does it usually work for you guys?
I know the basics of how to do everything. Aim for kittens first, then Mom, but if Mom is trapped first, you can use her for bait. Can also use kitten and siblings for bait, etc.
I am just so worried about hurting one of the kittens, and/or mom moving them.
I would appreciate any advice from those of you with more experience trapping kittens and their Mommas!!!
Summary of questions:
- What can I do better to ensure all kittens are out of the “danger zone” of the traps?
- How bad of an idea is it to trap just a single kitten first?
- How likely would it be that I could trap other kittens the same night if I only trap one initially right in front of them?
- How concerned should I be about Mom moving them and having more difficulty trapping them if she sees me trapping 1+ kitten?
- Any tips for trapping/being able to see tiny black kittens (all the way down to the tip of their tail) in the dark?