# Feral Cat trapping help needed



## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

Hello All, 

I posted a month ago about 2 kittens I wanted to trap in my condo community. I was out of town for about 2 weeks and when I came back, there is only one left.

S/he looks like s/he very afraid of people. I tried to feed him/her twice. The second time about about 2 days ago, and I found out someone already left a big bowl of dry food in under the trees s/he is living. So the plan of using food to get him/her familiar with me does not work. I live in a condo community with about 200 families, I have no clue who fed him/her. My brother said he has seen a few people leaving food for him/her.

Winter is coming, and today is raining. When I went to work this morning, I saw him/her hiding under the roof of a car garage. I wanted to leave my car and pick him/her up, but once I opened my door, s/he ran away, back into the trees.

I want to trap him/her and keep him/her inside. What should I do?


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

It's hard to get a cat to enter a trap baited with food if the cat is well fed. You could try wet food; even ferals will usually throw caution to the winds to get at wet food.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I hope you can trap her! I hope someone adopted the other one. I don't want to think anything else.


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## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

I will have to get him/her used to me giving food.
And then I have to rent a trap.
I just hope those other people who are feeding them will take the trap away. I might have to just sit there and wait then.

And then I don't know by the time I trapped him/her, will the vet be opened?
How should I clean him/her?


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

How about leaving a note in a plastic bag under the bowl of food? Stick it in a ziplocklock bag so it will stay readable.Explain that you would like to help the kitten, but need to trap him/her. And that means he/she needs to be hungry to encourage the cat to go in the trap.
I have mixed thoughts on putting contact info on the note - too dangerous is my first thought.


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## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

That is a good idea. 
Since I am a recent cat owner (for 1 year), I am not sure how the general public think about trapping cats and bring him/her home as a pet.

I will try your method of leaving a note. Thank you!


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I wouldn't worry about how the general public feels about it! You will be giving that kitten a much better life than it would have, otherwise.

It's best to put the trap out in the morning, and to inform the vet's office that you are going to do it. If the kitten doesn't go into it, call them and tell them you won't be coming in. 

I wish you luck!


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## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

We rented a trap. Put it down and have been waiting for 3 hours. The cat got interested in the trap and walked around it for one hour. Now it left and is sitting at the bench. Wish us luck.


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## MinoulovesPrincess (Nov 3, 2010)

Try baiting the trap with tuna fish, sardines or original formula Kentucky fried chicken without the skin. All of these have worked for me. Cats go right into the traps. That's how a four-year-old Tom.


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## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

I know someone has been feeding this cat. When we set up the trap, there was a bowl of dry food there. We took that away and place the tray with Fancy Feast tuna in gravy.The cat showed interested in the trap, but did not go it. I guess he is not hungry enough.

We tried to wait there because we do not want people take the trap away, we live in a 200+ family condo. And I do not want people putting food down again. It is already 8:30 pm here. Should we all go home and place the trap again tomorrow morning at 4 am? He should be hungry by then.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

You'll be the first to feed it, so that sounds good.


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## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

Should I put some new food? The can has been out there for 4 hours.


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## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

Got a cat, the cat that I haven't seen for a while.
Not the one I thought I could trap.


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

Not to discourage you, but some cats just don't want to bother with food if it's in an unfamiliar "contraption". I've been trying to trap a momma cat who's sick (I think she has a brain injury)... the only problem, is that she'll sit right next to the trap and wait, as if she expects me to get the food and set it out for her without being behind wires.

Other cats go for food no matter what. A couple of the kittens (of the sick momma) have been in the trap 3 or 4 times already! So I have to let them go, put new food in, and set the trap again... waste of time and food! AURGH!


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