FERAL CAT advocates/workers: I need your advice.

[bertha katzenengel]

I need advice on how/when to try to get a pregnant feral cat before she gives birth. I have to enlist Mrs. V.'s (my partner) help, I think. Mrs. V. works at home three days out of ten.

Setting traps overnight won't work when I have to go to work. It's impossible to get to the clinic twice in a day and be at work.

I can't set a trap on days Mrs. V. works in town -- won't leave the cat in a trap out in the elements all day.

Here's what I think I can do. I can set traps for Ringtail on the days when Mrs. V. is at home, because if Ringtail is caught, Mrs. V. can get her out of the elements. Also someone will be home to receive the person who will foster Ringtail. We can't.

This is all I can think of. If anyone else has any ideas, I'm all ears. Thanks.

PS This morning Ringtail was on the front porch, eating. It's an enclosed porch but we keep the door open until we install a cat door. I studied for an hour on how I could get around to the outside of the porch and somehow trap the girl in there, but with a brick holding the door open, and a wild cat able to move!, I knew it would be impossible.

[Warpy]

1. You can set a Hav-A-Heart humane trap in a sheltered area

just make sure there's a big bowl of water along with the stinky tuna you're using as bait. You can increase the cat's comfort by putting something like a bath mat over the top to shield the cat from everything outside the trap as well as from sun or rain. You could also just set it up on that enclosed porch with her regular food dish in it. Ringtail will be safe inside the trap if she's out of direct sun and has plenty of water. You may find the old girl rather likes it in there by the time you come home from work.

She may have spent her kittenhood as someone's pet, which means she can be tamed down. If not, if she was born feral, spay and release is the most humane option.

Good luck to you and the ole gal.

[bertha katzenengel]

2. Thanks, Warpy.

I appreciate the good wishes.

She is definitely feral. I have been trying to trap her for four years. I have been trapping her offspring ever since. I do my own private little TNR program just around my house. I'm just at my wits' end with this little girl. Trapping this one cat has almost become an obsession, and it's wearing me down. She's not the only one that won't be caught, but she is the only unspayed female in our community. I have to stop those babies!

Sigh. Again thanks for the suggestions. :)

[madinmaryland]

3. Send a PM to DU'er Flaxbee.

She takes in feral cats. We adopted one from her.

[egadsbrain]

4. A few ideas...

Boy, do I know what it's like to have that one elusive cat who will not be trapped! I finally had to rig up a big cardboard box with a sliding door attached to a string that I could pull when my Blacky finally ventured in. I had the box set up with food in it for a week to get her used to it. Neighbors & passersby started to write messages on the box! Could you rig up a string or a rope to the porch door that you could pull from a distance? Tricky, I know, as it can't be too far and you have to have the leverage to hold the door shut tight if she tries to push her way out. Also, when you start to get too clever with some ferals they get suspicious and stay away altogether which would be very bad for your girl.

I agree that a trap can be made more comfortable in the short run by covering and stocking it well. I put lightweight cardboard on the bottom of my traps to make them less bumpy. You have to make sure it's secure and doesn't interfere with the trap door mechanism or get jammed. Best to try it out a bunch of times to be sure.

Catnip tea: make up a tea of some catnip and spritz a bit down way inside the trap. If she's a catnip fan she may fall for it! Or she'll get so stoned she'll just roll around OUTSIDE the trap!
:rofl:

[Lisa0825]

5. As long as it can get into your porch to eat food, why would it

go into the trap? Do you have to leave food on your porch? Is the food for your own cats? Dod they live outdoors? The only food the feral should be able to reach should be inside the trap. Overnight is the best time to trap since that is when cats are most on the prowl. I never catch anyone during the day.