To manage feral cat overpopulation you should know how to trap a cat humanely and non-lethally. These cats run away from people as they are poorly acclimated to them, making normal means of capture futile and dangerous.
Feral cats can be contained using safe methods without harm. They can be treated with proper medical care, sterilized, and eventually rehabilitated into their natural habitat. This strategy controls overpopulation via practices such as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), enabling the cats to lead healthier and less stressful lives.
Considerations for Trapping Feral Cats
Safely trapping a feral cat may seem complicated because of all the steps involved, but with the right information and techniques, your trap should work.
Here are a few things to consider:
Be humane: To capture stray cats without causing any harm, they should only be caught using box trap methods. Don’t use nets, darts, or tranquilizer guns, as these cause undue stress or harm.
Don’t touch or pick up the cats: Feral cats are unlike domesticated ones. They are not used to human interaction and may scratch or bite you to protect themselves.
Create a calm environment in the trap: No one likes being trapped, and the natural reaction is to try and escape. Cats may thrash to do and injure themselves in the process. You can prevent this by creating a comfortable environment by covering the trap with a trap or towel.
How Do You Catch a Stray Cat
Here is a step-by-step guide for trapping feral cats safely and releasing them humanely.
Hungry cats are easier to trap than non-hungry ones. Therefore, a day before the trapping, refrain from feeding the cats, although you can leave out the water.
Inform your neighbors when you are planning to trap the cats because you do not want them to eat at their house when your trap is out.
Prepare The Trap
Cats do not like being confined in a small space, so they may enter a trap with wider sides and a taller opening.
Line the trap with newspaper. This will prevent the cat's feet from slipping through the bars and absorb any mess they make while in the traps. You can also use a flattened cardboard box underneath the trap.
Though it is not necessary, you could put something heavy (like a rock) on top of the trap so that it is weighed down and will not topple when the cat thrashes about while trying to escape.
Once your trap is ready, place it where the cat feels secure during feeding. Ensure the trap is on stable ground for the cats’ safety.
Then, place the food bait at the back of the trap to ensure the cat enters and triggers the trip plates, which causes the trap to close. Entice them with their favorite food, such as tuna, sardines, or dry cat food- the smellier, the better! You can even create a food trail to encourage the cat to walk in.
Monitor The Traps
Never leave the traps unattended. Sometimes, the traps could malfunction and injure the cats, or a passerby might release them. Do not stay close to the traps, as this could discourage the cats from approaching them.
Stay hidden in a nearby area and check the cage frequently. You should be able to see or hear the trap doors closing.
When the cat is caught in the trap, put a blanket over it to calm the kitty and move it to a quiet, safe place. When moving the trap, always hold onto the handle on top. Never hold onto the door handle because it might be unsecured, or the latch might come undone.
Avoid leaving the cat outside in the trap for too long, as it can get stressed or die from hypothermia or heat stroke. Remember, if it’s too hot or cold outside for you, then it’s too hot or cold for the cats.
Asses Cat’s Condition
Once in the quiet area, remove the blanket from the trap, examine the cat, and evaluate if a vet visit is necessary.
If necessary but not possible immediately, place the animal in a safe area away from children and other pets, like a garage or basement. Cover the trap once again to help the cat stay calm.
Do Not Feed the Cat or Open the Trap
Do not open the trap, as the cat will lunge towards the exit and scratch you. Additionally, do not feed the cat because if the vet suggests it needs surgery, like a spay or neuter operation, it should be done when it has fasted.
It is best if the trapping happens on a day when the clinic can do the neutering immediately or the next morning so that the cats are not kept in the traps for long.
When taking the cat to a vet in a vehicle, keep it in its covered cage and place it on a flat surface. Once the cat has been taken to the animal hospital for treatment, bring it back from where it had been trapped and open the cage to set it free.
Do not take them into an unfamiliar environment they might get lost, confused, and die eventually. Always wear protective gloves when handling the trap. Do not touch the cat to coax it and allow it to leave on its own. After the cat leaves, wash your hands and the trap with soap and water.
How Do You Catch a Feral Cat That Is Difficult
Some cats are difficult to catch. They are afraid of the trap or skilled enough to take the food without triggering it. If you are having problems, try these tips:
Make Them Less Suspicious of The Trap
Introducing the trap suddenly on a trap day will make cats suspicious. They will be afraid to enter the trap.
They will need to be familiar with it, so for a week or two, try feeding the cats in a safe location and slowly introduce the trap. Place their food near the traps and gradually move it towards and inside the trap
Sometimes, the cats might avoid the bait altogether because they are not interested in the bait. In that case, try something more enticing that might pique a cat’s interest.
Try jarred baby food, canned mackerel, anchovies, cooked, unseasoned chicken, liver, or catnip. Ensure they don’t contain onions, as cats are allergic to them.
Change the Trap’s Location
Feral cats frequently settle in low-traffic communal areas where they can find food. They prefer secluded vicinities with limited interactions with humans for their safety. Some common places include:
Alleys: Often near dumpsters or trash bins, these alleys are good for hiding and finding food.
Abandoned Properties: These properties don’t attract humans and offer a refuge from harsh weather. They might also shelter food sources, like rodents or insects.
Backyards or Gardens: If your garden has tall grass because you don’t know how to mow your lawn, it can attract and shelter pests, insects, and rodents, which in turn attracts cats.
Setting your trap in these areas may increase your chances of trapping one.
Most people have a daily route while going to work or the grocery store. Even stray cats have their own, so pay attention and look for the pathways they use frequently.
Additionally, observe whether there is a particular tree or bush they love lazying beneath, how often, and at what time during the day they are seen in that place. Place the traps in those areas and at those specific times.
Hide the Trap
Some feral cats are smart enough to recognize a trap when they see one, so even with bait, they might avoid the trap. In such cases, it is better to camouflage the trap.
Cover the trap with burlap and place leaves, small branches, grass, rubbles, or whatever is in the natural environment inside and all around the trap. Just ensure that the camouflaging does not prevent the trap door from closing. Do a trial run first before going for the actual setup.
Hide the Trigger Plate
If a smart cat can recognize the trap, it can recognize the trigger plate and know how to get around it. To prevent it from creeping over and around the plate, you could cover the plate and a section of the trap floor near it with newspaper or cloth.
Or take a strip of cardboard slightly less in width than that of your trap and a few inches longer than that of the trigger plate. Stick it to the middle of the plate and loosely to the trap floor. It is unlikely that the cats can avoid stepping on the trigger over that contraption!
Use Distraction Techniques
Some cats can be lured into a trap using a laser pointer, which should be operated from afar. You could also suspend a piece of cooked chicken from a string above the trigger plate so the cat can trigger the trap.
When using the laser pointer method, remain undercover or far away from the target to avoid scaring the cat. Otherwise, the cat may see you early on and run away before getting caught in the trap.
These methods might require patience since the cats are wary of new objects and often need time to approach the trap.
Consider using a drop trap if the usual box trap is not working. It is a big mesh box that you hold in position and activate with a rope or string. Place the drop trap on a level surface and have a person helping you, as the size of the traps makes it difficult to handle them single-handedly.
Use a wooden stick or a bottle tied with a string long enough to hold the end of it in your hiding place a few feet away. Place food inside the trap to entice the cats and prevent others from entering. If other animals do enter, wait patiently for them to leave and for your target to enter.
After successfully springing the trap and capturing your target, throw a sheet over the trap and prepare the box trap. The box trap will allow for an easier and safer transfer.
Put a Stick In It
For stealthy felines that have mastered how to avoid triggering traps, take a stick or something similar and slip it through the side holes of the trap in front of the trigger plate and a couple of inches from the trap floor.
This arrangement will force the cat to step over the stick, land her foot on the trigger plate just behind the stick, and shut the trap door.
Place Traps Next to Each Other
Use two traps if your elusive feline prefers to walk around the trap to reach the food, rather than go inside the trap.
Set the two box traps beside each other with the trap door facing away from each other. When a kitty goes around one trap, she might unwittingly step into the adjacent one instead.
Use a Mother Cat’s Kittens to Trap Her
Mother cats will never leave their kittens on their own, so you can trap the kittens if you want to trap the queens. If you have captured the kittens, place them in a carrier or box trap and position its door against the rear of the trap you plan to use to catch their mother.
Cover everything except the mother trap’s opening with a black sheet or towel. The mother will assume that the kittens are somewhere in a narrow tunnel. Therefore, it will be encouraged to enter the trap. If it is cold, the kittens should be carried in a box lined with to help keep them warm.
What Not to Do When Trapping a Feral Cat
Your top priority while trapping a cat should be your and the cats’ safety. Do not use the following methods, even if you are desperate to trap a cat.
Never Use Trapping Devices Meant For Other Animals
Always use traps designed specifically for cats. These traps are constructed with the correct size, safety features, and materials to minimize harm and stress during the trapping process. Using the wrong traps, like conibear or snap traps designed for rodents, can cause injury and death.
Never Attempt to Grab a Cat With Your Bare Hands
Understand that even the most affectionate felines can become panic-stricken when picked up. They are territorial and independent, and their fight-or-flight response kicks in when they feel threatened or cornered.
As a result, you might get scratched or bitten. Their bites inflict pain and even cause infections. They usually break the skin deeply, allowing bacteria to enter the body.
Never Fast a Cat For More Than 48 hrs Before Trapping
A hungry cat is likely to be baited, but this does not mean you should not feed it for 48 hours. It’s dangerous to a cat’s health to go without eating for more than two days.
A short period of fasting—usually about 6 to 12 hours—can make the cat hungry enough to be motivated to enter the trap, but without any health risk.
Never Stop Providing Water
Withholding food for 12 hours is harmless and will help you trap the cats. This does not apply to water.
Keeping a cat thirsty will not help you with trapping, nor is it safe for the cats. Like most living things, cats need water constantly, and if you stop providing that, they might get dehydrated.
Never Lose Hope
Feral cats dislike anything new or strange, like traps. They may take some time before approaching the trap, even if there is delectable food. They will observe the trap from a distance before they feel comfortable enough to eat the food. If you force the cat to enter the trap, it may run away scared.
It is normal for the cat to resist the trap at the start. A few attempts may be needed before the feline is ready to walk inside the trap. Don’t be disappointed if the feline does not enter immediately – time and repeated efforts will lead to positive results.
