# Any tips how to trap feral cat?



## brs (Jun 23, 2009)

I need more experience than I have. I'm sorry my english isn't perfect, but I want to have more opinions!
We took a cat from rescue home on April, they think he is 3-4 years old, and very very shy with people. He was living with a girl (voluntary worker for rescue home), and when we went there to get it, she was worried about how to catch the cat from her apartment to our basket.. well, we managed to get him in to our basket. She didn't know anything about the cat, except where it has been trapped. And that it has managed to runaway from her once, but she was lucky and it went to trap again. 
I'm sure he has been someone's cat at first, he looks a lot like traditional siamese, I can only wonder why he was left out..

Anyway, the cat we took: he was spayed, tattooed, vaccinated. And he was calm in a car, and at home we took him to our bedroom at first, where he went under our bed. We could touch him with a long stick which has soft ball in the end! He spent couple of days there, during the nights he cried loudly in front of window - he wanted to go out! After the week, he didn't keep that noise anymore, and he sit over the printer to look through window when I was behind my desk and computer, and slept in our bed. Our plan was to make him a safe place in our backyard, but then he stopped the noise, we thought he would be better to stay in only..

During the months, he started to enjoy when we were petting him, he even purred! He liked to play with a rope, and climb up the tree in our room. In the end of the summer, he was ready to see more of the house, and he played with other kittens in our house. My son said that maybe after six months we can be able to hold him...
Then one night, someone forgot to close the backdoor, there was only a light mesh-door closed, and in the morning, it was open.... He had managed to runaway....   We were shocked! we managed to get couple of traps, and took those to places we heard the cat has been seen - but he is too clever.... Well, I think, he has lived most of his life as a feral cat, being trapped twice, he knows to avoid them. We live in a countryside, so I'm sure he has food (he can find mise and other things to eat), and hopefully he knows how to avoid cars too.
My husband has seen him one night, the cat has had mouse in his mouth, watched over his shoulder to my husband, and walked away...

What do you think, is he a feral cat you can never tame? He used to lived about 155 miles away from our home. Now he runaway here - so he has no home, can we assume he knows the house (ours) he left? When he's cold or hungry, is he expected to come back around our yard... There are no similar stories anywhere.. And we are still so sad, someone forgot to close the backdoor!!!!!!!


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## Stacykins (Aug 18, 2009)

I'd suggest that setting out food during the day every day would be a good start. Get him used to there being a regular supply of food. You'd want to take it in at night to avoid raccoons deciding to eat it instead. He may not take to it the first few days, but I am sure after a while, he'll notice it. Your house is likely part of his 'territory'. 

From trapping cats, I've found sardines are irresistible by even the most suspicious cat. I use the ones packed in oil (I put the sardines in a dish inside the trap past the trip plate, then the empty but still oily and yummy smelling can in front of the open trap door. So they go there, lick up the remains, then see more, and are more comfortable about going in. Just make sure the empty can can't interfere with the door closing, or it may not lock shut.). There are articles out there on how to camouflage a trap for really nervous or smart cats. Also, getting him used to the trap (having it unset near the food bowl) can help desensitize animals to the traps presence. Hunger tends to win out over wariness. 

I hope this helps!
Stacy


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## brs (Jun 23, 2009)

Stacy, thank you for your opinion! 
I'm living in Scandinavia, so we dont have any raccoons here. My husband has found one hedgehog from the trap, and couple of the cats living in the neighbourhood! They were all happy to see him  
Like I said, we are living in the country, and most of the cats are free to go out when they want.... well, there might be neighbours who don't like to have cats in their yard, but they are free to chase cats away 

Our cat was seen around one old woman's house, she is in her 80's and she was getting too worried about the cat, so we took the trap away from her yard (and she said, she haven't seen the cat for a few days..) so she doesn't need to worry about our cat too much. 

We have shared leaflets in our neighbourhood, in to schools and shops.... I wonder if we never get him back.. we are missing him... a lot.
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I need to say, that people living close to us, are thinking if we are crazy or what... no-one here try to trap cats.... so, I've called to many neighbours and told what we need to do..


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

I would keep food out by your house reguardless if you have seen him. Cats usually have a 2 mile radius in their territory so he may be making the rounds. I would keep flyers out so if people call you can place the trap in the area he was seen last and keep moving with each recent spotting. Weve managed to trap cats that were indoor only but the adopters accidently left a door opened and they escaped. One took us 6 weeks to get. They were terrified being outside but wouldnt come to people in their fear state. Keep the trap covered with a sheet or towel except the opening. Check the trap several times a day. Fingers crosssed you find your sweet siamese. I hate to think of him enduring a winter outside. But there are stickies at the top of this forum for winter shelters for feral too.


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## brs (Jun 23, 2009)

Yes, we have done all that - leaflets, called neighbors etc. Which is very rare here to do for a cat, and some older people don't understand why we need trap.. but we are doing our best to catch it.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

It seems like you are doing the very best you can. Good luck!
h


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Fingers crossed for you. Just have to add how touched I am at what caring people you are even in the midst of what isnt normally done for cats. I hope this all works out for you. You are what makes this a better world for animals.


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## brs (Jun 23, 2009)

It seems I never answered to this thread: after couple of weeks our runaway walked in to the trap. The collar, he has when we pick him, was around his neck and it had strapped his front paw also. It was a rainy day, and shy cat, hubby took him to vet immediately. The vet made the cat calm so he was able to examine him - and there was an infection in his armpit. I guess he felt weak and that's why he went to trap... 
anyway, he is fine now! he wants to go out, and we put shelters around our terace so he can go out and enjoy of sunshine through the door, and get back inside the house.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

thanks for letting us know what happened. thank goodness it was a happy ending. 
Good job! Has he warmed up to you now. can you pet him, hold him, etc?


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