# Need help trapping feral cat please



## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Hi,
Have not been here for a while. I have 8 indoor cats (5 former ferals, 2 who were born to feral mums in my home and one abandonded stray) and a few ferals who eat on the front porches and spend some time in the houses on said porches. There are also the regulars who stop by but don't stick around much. 
One of my ferals, who has been coming since Sept 2013, stopped coming around the middle of April and I looked everywhere but no sign. Alady around the corner whose missing cat I've been keeping an eye out for, got in touch with me to warn me that her neighbour has been bragging and laughing about trapping this big orange cat, taking him out to a farm, letting out and killing him.She wanted to tell me other things but I couldn't listen. I realized this was my Baxter. The police and Humane Society have been notified and the police have been to see him but of course he denied everything. The Humane Society were supposed to visit him yesterday. I contacted a group who are actively TNR'ing in this town and the girl said to get my ferals into an enclosure or take them in. At this time, I only have a couple staying here and under my neighbour's porch. One needed spaying so I trapped both of them on Tuesday night and took Ariel into be spayed yesterday bringing her home last night and releasing her into the cat room upstairs. Sookie, the other little girl, has been loose in the room since she was trapped.
She is just lying on the bed, not hiding from me and has not eaten at all. She barely moves. She acknowledges me when I enter the room and makes no move to hide. It's like she has given up. I'm afraid I've done the wrong thing and she's going to starve herself. I don't know what to do.


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

These 2 girls are very feral though come when I call them and sit with me on the porch. I am considering putting them both back out after dark tonight when the traffic has died down. I don't know whether I'm causing more harm to them by trying to keep them safe.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Mikayla,
I'm so sorry about Baxter...:'(
Some people are 'Sicko'...
For the two girls who have just been spayed, the longer you can keep them safe, to heal, the better...
If either one was in heat, or coming into, or just leaving it, they are STILL going to be putting out a lot of scent, and if a male finds them...and trys to breed them, you're running a serious risk with them for internal injuries and infections...
I hope others will have some good ideas for you...
Sharon


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Thanks Sharon. Just one of them, Ariel (my granddaughter named her) got spayed.The other kitty, Sookie, was spayed last June. I don't know if you remember but you helped me last year when we had two sets of feral kittens born in our shelters on our front porches. Sookie was one of the mums and Ariel was one of the kittens of the other mum. The two of them lived together in one of the heated houses all winter. 
I would like to keep them in as long as I can. I'm just worried that Sookie won't eat or move at all. I'm so afraid that she's just given up and will become ill. She barely lifts her head when I go in the room.I know Ariel has eaten a few of the treats I put out in the room as Sookie doesn't like them but no food has been eaten at all.
I am heartbroken about my Baxter and haven't been sleeping or eating much for the last week so sorry if I'm not making much sense.


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Even reading your post about Baxter made me tear up. Poor boy. Keeping your other two safe is important as I would be so stressed worrying about them. I don't have masses of feral experience but I would try something really smelly like tuna to tempt her and let her settle a bit. I hope some with loads of feral experience help you.


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Thank you Jenny. 
The girls seem to be much better now. Sookie is growling and hissing which is a good sign she hasn't given up. They are both eating and neither is hiding at all. I have been sitting in the room and playing under the screen door with Bennington, one of my house cats who likes other cats. He has been purring away and Ariel is getting curiouser and curiouser and getting a bit closer.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Mikayla, that is so sad that this guy may have done something to Baxter. Let's hope he was lying and trying to make himself appear to be a tough guy. Ferals are pretty smart, so maybe Baxter got away, or maybe the guy was lying about even trapping him. 

The only positive is that the police took this seriously. If that guy has any ideas about harming other animals, maybe he'll think twice. 

I'm really relieved to hear that Sookie is eating. Since she's feral, the fact that she wasn't trying to hide when you came near her seemed like there might be something wrong physically. But you may want to keep an eye on her for a few more days if you can keep them inside. 

You're doing a wonderful thing by taking care of these girls. They may surprise you and become happy house cats!


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## KsKatt (Jul 6, 2014)

Please do your best to trap and get him fixed. I was always afraid my boys would never forgive me. It turned out to make them calmer and easier to make friends with.


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Sorry Spirite, I never received a notification of your post. I ended up returning both of the cats to the porch. Ariel took off with a male and has not returned. I believe she has joined another colony. When we lost our 2 males, Webster to the road and then Baxter, The girls scattered. Sookie is still here a great deal of the time.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Oh Wow Mikayla...
So much heartbreak...
I'm so glad the girls were spayed, and at least Sookie is still around...
Strays, Ferals, or Friendly, it doesn't matter...they wrap their little paws around our hearts...and we're never the same..
(((HUGS)))
Sharon


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

It's been tough these last couple of months. I feel like I'm drowning sometimes and am really questioning myself. I placed Willow, Ariel's sister, with my brother in a nearby city, about an hour away. She got out of his town house June 4th and took off. I have been driving down about 4 nights a week and staying up all night watching for her and driving home in the morning to look after my own pets as well as the mama kitty and 4 babies I'm fostering. I took my remote controlled drop trap and Willow was starting to develop a pattern of eating under it when my brother decided to use it, screwed up and she escaped and hasn't been back since. I had put posters in all the mailboxes and someone called him today to tell him she has been spotted in the neighbouring set of town houses. I'm trying to figure out my next step as I will not give up on her.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Mikayla, 
Oh my goodness...
I'll bet Willow is so scared...
You're doing everything you can, to get the word out there, and doing everything you can to find her yourself...
(((HUGS))) and Prayers for a Safe capture of Willow very soon!
Sharon


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Any ideas would be wonderful. She is semi-feral, very cuddly with my brother and myself but has gone into hiding. She only comes out at night and no longer comes when called. She has been an indoor only cat since she's been at my brother's. He did get close to her about a week after she got out but something spooked her and he grabbed her as she was trying to run. She bit and scratched him up quite badly. Between this and the later trap mess I think she's petrified of him. If I can get her I'll be bringing her home.


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Thank you for your prayers Sharon.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Mikayla, 
Since cats use their nose's so much for identifying their friends...take advantage of that!
Sleep in a tee shirt for a couple of nights, so it's saturated with Your Scent! Put that in the trap along with whatever her favorite food or treat is, it may help!
A remote controlled trap is a Great Idea!
Sharon
P.S.
Some one else's cat, got out, and that thread is going now...might be some other ideas there!


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Mikayla,
GoBlue, have their kitty back...
NOW we need to get Willow back for you!
Sending (((HUGS))) and more Prayers for a safe capture and return soon, of Willow!
Sharon


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Thanks Sharon. The foster kittens go to their new homes tomorrow so I am going to go to my brothers tomorrow night and stay until I get her. The foster mama kitty is still staying in the cat room until we can find her a home but my husband should be able to handle her as well as our own for a couple of days, I just want my Willow safe.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Makayla,
Maybe you could ask one of our Mods, to move a part of this thread, at the point, where it turned into trying to get Willow captured safely and back, to a New thread Heading??
Then more people will see it and help post ideas?!
Just a thought! 
I'll certainly be following anyway!
I Want to hear some good news soon!
Prayers! 
Sharon


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I haven't checked to see if you started a new thread, but any news? 

Wow, you have been taking heroic measures to try to save Willow! You must be so frustrated, after all the work you did! 

Sharon's idea of putting something out with your scent on it is a great idea. Is she a fan of catnip? or is there some other treat that she can't resist?


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Hi Spirite,
I am so frustrated. It's hard as I can't be there all the time. The foster kittens have gone to their new homes but the mama kitty, Sadie, is still here and is having a really hard time so I'm torn between taking care of her and trying to trap Willow. I went up on Thursday and came back yesterday morning. I put out a few traps where she was last spotted and one back at the townhouse and spent 6 hours going back and forth with no sign of any animals. I took a look at the footage from the security camera and saw she had been near the trap, very curious about it, but had not entered so stayed there. She never came back. When I returned to the other traps, one door was down but nothing inside.
The next night I just concentrated on the trap at the townhouse and baited it with a mixture of sardines and tuna, sprinkled catnip inside and place my jammie top over it. I sat up all night watching it but a storm was brewing and the wind really came up so no show. It's been storming there since.
I came home after a total of 4.5 hours sleep in 48 hours to Sadie peeing everywhere and yowling at the top of her lungs. Poor baby. my husband took care of her while I was gone but she only stops when we're in with her.


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## DebS (Jun 14, 2015)

Oh Mikayla, I wish I were closer so I could help you out. It sounds like you have thought of everything. I'm praying for you and your kitties.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Mikayla, 
Wow! So much going on, to try and deal with...
Poor Sadie, between wondering what happened to her kitts, and storms, no wonder she's stressed!
I sure hope you catch Willow soon, the storms are probably scaring her to...
(((HUGS))) and Prayers for ALL of you!
Sharon


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Thank you Deb. I'm at my wit's end.


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Thanks Sharon. If my brother doesn't get her in soon I will have to make other arrangements for Sadie so I can go and stay longer and get Willow in. I wrote to one of the Mods about the post but haven't heard anything back.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I didn't get a message from you, but I changed the title of the thread, hopefully you'll get some more suggestions. Good luck with this!


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Thank you Marie.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Mikayla, I hate to say it, but I wonder if you should ask your brother to leave the trapping to you? It would, of course, mean that you'd be spending an awful lot of time over there. I know your brother means well, but it sounds like he's a bit inexperienced and may be getting in his own way in his efforts to help! 

The storms are unfortunate timing, all around. Poor Sadie must be so confused, and she probably feels your stress too. 

As hard as may be for you to do this, maybe you should take a break for a day or two, stay home, and catch up on sleep. I'm sure you know how much more stressful everything gets when you haven't gotten enough sleep. Plus, having you there with her might also calm Sadie a bit. 

I'm frustrated for you.


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Thanks Spirite, I agree. Phoned him and told him to tie up the front door of the trap and put wet food just inside it. I'm going there later in the week and by then hopefully the weather will be better and she may be more used to the trap.


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## KsKatt (Jul 6, 2014)

Are you going to be able to get Sadie spayed soon? I'd bet her hormones are giving her tons of grief. 
I think you're on the right track just fastening the trap open, give her time to get use to it, yes!
I agree with the needing to get rest part, you're not any good to anybody if you collapse.


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Sadie was spayed, innoculated, and dewormed a couple of weeks after she arrived when she was pretty well finished nursing the kitlets. She seems a bit calmer today. I spent part of the night sleeping on the loveseat in the cat room with her.


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## KsKatt (Jul 6, 2014)

Awesome, you've got all those bases covered! Feliway or calming collar?
It is heart rending to see an animal suffering from anything, and that sounded like suffering. And yowling, ie crying, like that. Sometimes you have to really remind yourself constantly, that you are doing the right thing, every one of the kitties are better off. That this is temporary. 
(((hugs)))


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

There's a Feliway diffuser in the room, though I've never had any success with them. Mostly she just wants someone in there. Anyway I had best take the Sadie part of this post over to behavioral. Thank you KsKatt.


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## KsKatt (Jul 6, 2014)

She doesn't want to be alone. A tv or radio? Maybe talk shows or music would help?:???:


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Mikayla,
KsKatt's idea of a radio is a good one! Whenever I leave the house, I turn on my stereo to an easy listening station! It helps all my 'Kids', by blocking outside noises, and they don't have a silent house!
Sharon


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Sorry KsKatt and Sharon, I don't seem to get notifications half the time. Sadie is doing much better and may be going to a new home this coming week. I've been leaving the tv on in the room since the kittens left but she didn't seem to notice. I go in as much as I can and just sit with her and give her cuddles and she seems to be a lot calmer.


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## KsKatt (Jul 6, 2014)

Sounds like you are doing a great job! As good as anybody could possibly do.


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## Mikayla (Aug 14, 2009)

Thanks KsKatt. I tried letting her out of the room with a gate across the top of the stairs without realizing that our alpha cat, Kipling, was laying on one of the window sills in a different bedroom. When I saw him I tried giving them both treats to make everybody calmer but she was hissing and growling at him and went to attack him. He just looked at her like "Really?" and the Bennington came running up the stairs and over the gate to investigate. She went after him and he ran and i got her back into the room. Kipling will not hurt a female so it worked out okay but made for some excitement. Never a dull moment.


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