And remember never try to touch feral cats or let them out of the trap. Covering the trap will calm them down almost immediately. Do not be alarmed by this-it is completely normal. Feral cats may thrash around after being trapped. DO NOT OPEN THE TRAPS OR RELEASE CATS ONCE TRAPPEDĮven if it appears that the cats are hurting themselves. Once you have caught your cats, follow the remaining trapping instructions and immediately drape the traps with covers and move the cats to a secure indoor location. Once colony members are used to walking in and out of the traps, and once you have your trapping day planned, you can remove the wire you’re using to hold the traps open, and you can then bait the traps and set the trap mechanisms. Do this several days to a week in advance of trapping, by wiring the traps to stay open, and placing their normal daily meals inside the traps. If you are trapping in a secure location, familiarize the cats with the traps before you are ready to start trapping. Into a quiet sheltered location- preferably inside a temperate building.Covering the trap can help to calm a fractious kitty it may help him to relax. Once you have trapped a cat, immediately cover the trap with a large towel, sheet or blanket. You want to be able to quickly fling them over a newly trapped feline. You don’t want to clue them in as to what is going on, but it is not always possible to hide your activity. If a trapped cat is especially fractious, the other cats will be disturbed by the activity and they may keep their distance. The rationale for spreading them apart is that some cats will see their mates in traps. You may not want to set multiple traps next to one another. If you are dealing with multiple traps, you may want to move the traps a short distance from the normal feed spot. Drizzle some juice and scant particles of food along the length of the trip plate and place a larger portion of food at the back right corner of the trap beyond the trip plate (makes the cat reach for the food and step on trip plate). Place a small portion of your bait (less than 1 teaspoon) in front of the trap opening. If food is available elsewhere, cats will have no reason to walk inside the traps. The only food you should place out on a trapping day is the food you place directly inside the traps. USE A SMELLY PRODUCT FOR TRAPPING THAT WILL CARRY IN THE WINDĬanned tuna in oil, canned sardines, or mackerel all work well. When possible and practical – set up trap close to the normal feeding location. Additionally, setting the trap parallel to a structure will make the trap look like it is a part of the wall, the fence, the tree or whatever object you choose. You don’t want the cat to feel insecure, to see anything moving from the wind, as he walks inside this strange contraption. SET TRAP OUT OF THE WIND, AND IF POSSIBLE LOCATE IT ALONG A FENCE, A BUILDING OR ANOTHER EXISTING STRUCTURE Ensure that metal traps do not sit on particularly hot or cold pavement (those temperatures could make the metal painful to the cats’ paw pads when they touch it). Make sure they are not placed on a hill where they could tip or roll over when cats enter them. Place traps on level ground-the cats will not enter an unstable or wobbly trap. You want cats to be hungry otherwise they will have no incentive to walk into your trap! SET TRAP ON A STABLE AND LEVEL SURFACE You do not want to leave a cat in the trap for too long. Observe from a location far enough away that the cats will not be disturbed, but close enough so you can still see all the traps. Someone who does not understand your intentions may release a trapped cat. Unwatched traps place cats at the mercy of strangers, animals and weather. Keep an eye on traps at all times for the safety of the cats and to make sure your equipment is not taken or tampered with. This is important because the more times cats are exposed to the trapping process, the more suspicious they become of traps. DO WHAT YOU CAN TO TRAP ALL CATS AND KITTENS DURING YOUR FIRST TRAPPING SESSION NEVER PICK UP OR HANDLE A CONSCIOUS FERAL CAT - EVEN A KITTEN Naming each cat will help you keep all the solid black cats straight and it will help you identify all the brown tabbies. Have a written description for each cat, and give each cat a name. Find out who is a nursing mom and who is about to give birth, and find out who is sick or wounded. Know the cats you plan to trap before beginning any project. You must procure traps, and arrange for veterinary services, transportation, and a safe, indoor recovery space. Make sure your written plan includes every tool you need and step you must complete throughout the Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return process. Remember that many tasks must be completed before trapping can start.
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