TNR in this weather?

leeann77

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Hi! I'm new to caring for about 4-5 ferals this winter. The weather in Pittsburgh has been extremely cold lately. I decided not to start trapping them until the weather warmed up a bit- however, today I spotted a new male mating with my favorite little feral (which I thought was a boy- ha ha!). So now I'm in a panic because I read they are only pregnant for 9 weeks! Is it way too cold to TNR right now? I can borrow a dog crate and let her recover in my basement for a few days after.

Also, could I ask advice on the timing as far as trapping goes? Currently I'm working the 3pm to 11pm shift, then off next Wednesday and Thursday. If I try to trap Tuesday morning, they have to sit in the trap until Wed morning surgery. Or I guess I could do it on my off day Wednesday and spay on Thursday? I don't want them to be stuck in the trap for days. Although Alley Cat Allies seems to think they are fine in there.

I would welcome any advice!!!
Thanks,
Lee Ann
 

Norachan

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Hi Lee Ann,

Now is the best time to do TNR. At any other time of year the female cats will either be pregnant, so you have to spay abort 
 or they will have kittens somewhere that will have to be without their Mum while she recovers. I prefer doing it in the cold weather because there is less chance of infection than in the summer months.

I used to trap in the evening, leave the cat in the trap covered with a blanket and tarp in the garage and then take them in to be spayed the next morning. They are OK in the trap for longer than that but you need to make sure they have some water and they are sheltered from the cold. If you're going to keep them in the trap for a day you need to lift it off the ground on a couple of bricks and put some newspaper underneath for when they pee. I use cardboard and some straw on the floor of the cage, this is more comfortable for them to stand on then the bare wire.

Good luck catching that little girl cat.
 

StefanZ

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Hi! I'm new to caring for about 4-5 ferals this winter. The weather in Pittsburgh has been extremely cold lately. I decided not to start trapping them until the weather warmed up a bit- however, today I spotted a new male mating with my favorite little feral (which I thought was a boy- ha ha!). So now I'm in a panic because I read they are only pregnant for 9 weeks! Is it way too cold to TNR right now? I can borrow a dog crate and let her recover in my basement for a few days after.

Also, could I ask advice on the timing as far as trapping goes? Currently I'm working the 3pm to 11pm shift, then off next Wednesday and Thursday. If I try to trap Tuesday morning, they have to sit in the trap until Wed morning surgery. Or I guess I could do it on my off day Wednesday and spay on Thursday? I don't want them to be stuck in the trap for days. Although Alley Cat Allies seems to think they are fine in there.

I would welcome any advice!!!
Thanks,
Lee Ann
The only real drawback with trapping now, is you must have some clue if somebody got catched.  You cant let the cat sit in the trap in this freezing weather the whole night.

You must either take the trap with the cat in, or at least, lay a blanket over the trap...  Or something.

But well inside, the cat can be in the trap being now a cage, even 24 hours, no problems.   Its not necessarily optimal, but these shy cats are used to hide long hours in their hideout.

Take for example new adopted shy cats.  They often hide under a bed or shelf, and hide there even 48 hours, often without visiting the litter or eating nor drinking.

So keeping them in the trap a while isnt no cruelty, and makes it much easier for the rescuer / TNR, to arrange everything practically.

Good you have this dog cage for her recovery.    Semiferales tend to be made of tough wood with good healing meat.  They must be, otherwise they would perish before they got adult. Ie,  quite a few DO perish. These we do see are the tough survivors. So their  recovery period is usually shorter, even much shorter, than for a typical family girl.

But on the other hand, sometimes you notice during these recovery time, the girl is really a good candidate for fostering and socializing, not just TNR.

If you have the practical possibilities, have your eyes open, and  foster -  IF it would happen here too.

Tx a lot for caring!

Good luck!
 
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astrael

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We had a rare opportunity to catch an elusive bully tom, and we took it despite the cold. We watched the trap all night, and put him in the heated garage till we could get him to the vet. He had to stay in the trap a little over 24 hours. He wasn't happy, but he was fine.

He was heavily scarred after only 2 years living unfixed. But we tried to be extra kind to him while he recovered in the garage. He still runs from us. (it hasn't been a week yet) But he seems to have stopped bullying already. He has stopped spraying so far *crosses fingers*

Honestly, after seeing how badly he's been hurt in so short a time, it's far better to risk trapping in the cold rather than let them suffer the fighting and mating. He's darn lucky he doesn't have any serious infections.
 
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leeann77

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Thanks everyone! I think I will try for next Wednesday when I'm off to do the trapping, that way I will be home to watch the traps and bring in whoever I can catch, hopefully I can get the little girl. I can set them up in my laundry room with a heater. Then I can transfer to a dog cage after the surgery in case it's several days. I worry because I think she huddles up with the cat that is her mom every night- I don't want the mom to panic when she's missing but I know it needs to be done soon. Ideally I would catch them both!

I think once I get the first round over with, I won't be so nervous about it.

Is it pretty easy to get them to fall for the traps if I don't put food out for a day? Cats are so smart, I hope this works. Thanks again!
 

msaimee

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Leann, I live in Pittsburgh area, too. The Rainbow Clinic in Darlington is open 24 hours a day. They let me bring my ferals/strays to them whenever I trap them. They squeeze them into their schedule to fix and vaccinate them during the night shift, and have boarded them for me for free for a few days (I've had a relationship with this clinic for several years). Just call them and give them a heads up when you trap the cat. Tell them it's a feral, and they may give you a discount. I don't believe they have enough doctor staff to do the neuter/spay on Saturday or Sunday nights, but they will do it during week nights. If you're interested, the best thing to do is to call them during the night (after 8 or 9pm) and give them your info so they can put you into the system with a note about the cat. If you call during the day, the day staff may not be as familiar with how the night staff work with the ferals, so it's better to speak with night staff. 

Let them know if you don't want the cat ear-tipped so that they don't automatically do it.

The only problem with trapping in the bitter cold is that if for some reason the trapping isn't successful and they get scared off, they may not return for days. Humane Traps are pretty reliable, though.
 
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leeann77

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Thanks MsAimee!!!! I talked to Rainbow and I love that they are so flexible. $100 per cat might be tough for me, but if I run into trouble with Animal Friends it's great to know about them. Thanks so much, fellow Pittsburgher! [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 

Norachan

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It's pretty easy to trap them if they don't realise they are going into a trap. If you put a sheet of cardboard inside the trap and one just outside or line the trap with straw and have straw on the ground outside they won't realise they are walking on anything different. Just make sure that the cardboard or straw doesn't stop the door from shutting all the way.

Something strong smelling for bait works well. You can use canned tuna and dribble a trail of juice into the trap. I got on really well with hot KFC.

 
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leeann77

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Thank you so much for all of the tips! I hope it goes well. [emoji]128049[/emoji]
 
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