TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

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Camouflage trap Sometimes blending the trap in with its surroundings or disguising it will lure a cat in. One technique is to drape burlap over the sides of the trap (but not over the rear door) and on the trap’s floor. Cover the burlap with leaves and branches, making sure not to obstruct the front door from closing. There are many other similar ways to disguise a trap. Put it inside a cardboard box, again leaving the rear door uncovered so the cat has a line of vision all the way through. Lean a large board against a wall and put the trap behind it. Rest objects on top of the trap to make it appear more like part of its environment, like debris, a wooden plank or a trash bag. Trap-in-a-box A unique kind of camouflage trap was designed by Susan Green (www.americancat.net/fastfood.html). Build a wooden box that opens from the top and is large enough to comfortably fit a box trap inside when the front door of the trap is in a set position. Cut out two entrances, each at different ends of the box. This allows for escape from predators or strangers. The interior of the box can be used as a feeding station or lined with insulation and stuffed with straw or hay and used as a shelter. When it’s time to catch a cat, the trap is placed inside (without blocking the entrances to the box), baited and set. Put a lock on the cover of the box to prevent tampering. The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook Lure into a closed space If you can lure the cat into an indoor space which has no exits except the door, there are a couple ways to then get him into a box trap. Before drawing the cat inside, you’ll need to arrange things in the interior space. One method for “indoor” trapping is to simply leave a trap in the room that is baited and set in a normal fashion, then wait it out. If the cat is trap shy, it might take two or three days before he’ll go in. Leave water available and possibly a litter pan, but no food outside the trap. A faster technique takes more work. First, remove everything in the indoor space which the cat might go hide behind or under. Then take a large board, approximately 5 feet long and at least 4 feet high, and lean it up against a wall, leaving enough space to put a trap between the board and the wall. When the cat enters the space later, this will be the only place for him to hide and he’ll naturally go run behind it. 57
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook On the floor at one end of the board, place a set trap with the front door facing in towards the “lean-to”. Cover the trap with a sheet except for the rear and use a second sheet to block off any open space above the trap and to its side. The goal is to make it appear to the cat that the only way out from behind the board at that end is through the trap. They won’t know they can easily push past the sheet above the trap or to its side. Many times, when the cat enters the space and goes behind the board, they will run right into the trap. If they don’t, approach the board from the opposite end from the trap. Slowly move an object on a long handle, like a broom, towards the cat. This will cause him to run in the other direction and into the trap. If this still doesn’t work, then withdraw, let the cat calm down and then come and try again with the broomstick. Picking one out from the crowd A cat may be hard to catch because there are lots of other cats around too, who you’re not after. This situation is typical when colonies are trapped and neutered gradually and you get down to the last few unaltered felines. You might also be trying to only trap one particular cat because she’s pregnant, recently abandoned, sick or injured. To pick the cat out of the crowd, use the bottle and string method described earlier in this chapter for trapping multiple kittens at once. Basically, don’t set the trap in the normal way, but instead open the front door all the way and prop a corner of the door on top of a full water or soda bottle. Tie a string around the base of the bottle, then unwind the string and stand a distance away. When the cat you want goes in after the bait, wait until he reaches the trip plate, then pull the string. Put an extra-large amount of bait in the trap. This will allow a number of cats to go in and eat while you’re waiting for the one you want and you won’t have to re-bait the trap each time. Be sure to practice yanking the string and pulling away the bottle before you try this live. Using a drop trap (Chapter 9) is another way to pick one out of the crowd. 58
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The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
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Contents The Neighborhood Cats TNR
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Foreword The Neighborhood Cats TNR
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Page 13 and 14: The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
Page 35 and 36: 6. Winter Shelter The Neighborhood
Page 45 and 46: 8. Trapping The Neighborhood Cats T
Page 47 and 48: This is easily gotten around by tap
Page 63: • Hard-to-catch cats The Neighbor
Page 69 and 70: • Directions for use by Laura Bur
Page 73 and 74: 10. Caring for Cats in Traps The Ne
Page 91 and 92: 13. Return to the Colony The Neighb
Page 93 and 94: 14. Relocation & Sanctuaries • Re
Page 107 and 108: 16. Feral Cat Resources Neighborhoo
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TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

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