TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

This is easily gotten around by taping a piece
of cardboard approximately 9 ½ inches wide
by 7 inches long to the middle of the trip plate,
effectively extending it.
The second flaw is the rear door’s locking
mechanism. The rear door locks by means of
hooks which go under crossbars on top of the
trap. It’s easy for someone to forget to put the
hooks under the crossbars. This omission
allows the door to be pushed up and open
from below when a cat is struggling to get out.
If you use this trap, you must develop a habit
of constantly double-checking that the rear
door is locked, especially when the cat is
returned to you in the trap by your spay/neuter
clinic or veterinarian.
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
Cardboard extender for trip plate
Safeguard Collapsible Large Raccoon Trap with Rear Door (Model SG-35F)
Available from Animal Care Equipment & Services (ACES) at $63.00 with a
10% discount for ordering two or more at a time
1-800-338-ACES; (this model is not currently listed on their website)
Measuring 35” L x 12” W x 11” H, this version of the Safeguard trap discussed above
has the advantage of being collapsible. It weighs about one lb. more than the SG-36D,
but takes up only a quarter of the space in storage. It’s ideal when storage space is
limited and the collapsible feature also makes it possible to transport large numbers of
traps at once in a normal sized car.
There are, however, many problems with this model which make it practical only in
situations where saving space is critical. First, it costs more than the non-collapsible
version. Second, it’s made of relatively lightweight steel and can be easily bent. This is
quite problematic because, in order to be collapsible, the model has several extra parts.
The folding/unfolding mechanism is not that easy to use, though not overly difficult
either. To avoid damaging the trap, some care must be taken.
The likelihood of this trap getting damaged after repeated usage by multiple trappers
makes it a risky investment for a trap bank because it may not last that long. On the other
hand, if the trap will only be used by one person who is careful when assembling and
collapsing it, it’s a great way to save space in the closet.
Like the Safeguard Model SG-36D, the trip plate is too small but can be easily
extended with a piece of cardboard. The locking mechanism for the rear door is better
than the SG-36D, but the frame for the rear door easily falls down when the sliding rear
door is removed. This is fixed by using a twist-tie to attach the rear door frame to the top
of the trap once the trap has been assembled. In our limited experience, the trigger
mechanism on the SG-35F is a little too sensitive at first (making the trap likely to go off
when bumped or moved in any way), but improves with usage.
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