Feral Cat Trapping

Thank you for caring enough to trap a feral cat. You are about to greatly improve the life of a feral feline. The following will help your trapping go smoothly.

*** DO NOT TAKE A FERAL CAT TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY OR RELEASE THEM ELSEWHERE **
By taking our trap, you agree to bring the cat to our clinic and have them altered. The Humane Society Policies state that feral cats will be euthanized. Our traps are not to be used for this purpose.
If you release them elsewhere before they are altered, you are contributing to pet overpopulation.

When you borrow a trap from us, we ask that you use it until your mission is accomplished and then return it to us, as we have limited resources and others may be waiting for the trap.
 

When to Set the Trap:
 
You need to coordinate your trapping so that you can have the cat to our clinic between 8-9 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Setting the trap at regular feeding time or in the evening Sunday night through Wednesday night is ideal because feral cats are most active at night. REMEMBER: A cat can only be left in a trap for 24 hours by Oregon law, and we would rather they be in there for a shorter period of time.


To Set the Trap:
 
Choose a place that the cat normally travels, or where the cat has been eating. Along a wall or fence is ideal as feral cats tend to stay out of open spaces. We recommend tuna packed in oil or sardines packed in oil, as the cat will be able to smell it even in cold weather. Put the food in a dish made of tin foil so that can won't injure itself on a bowl made of another material. Place a hand towel in the bottom of the cage covering the entire length except for about two inches in the front where the door will fall. This will help with the cat's comfort and disguise the metal plate that triggers the door mechanism. Cover the trap from about two inches back from the door, and you may have to place rocks or blocks around the end and sides to prevent clever cats from reach in from the outside to get the food. Cover the entire trap with an old sheet or towel. In foul weather, cover the trap again loosely with a tarp, making a tent shape so that plenty of airflow is available.


When You Catch The Cat:
 
Keep the trap covered with a blanket or towel to keep the cat calm and therefore less likely to injure itself. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRANSFER THE CAT TO ANOTHER CARRIER. This can be dangerous to you and the cat and if the cat escapes, it will not likely go back in a trap again. Bring the cat to us between 8-9 a.m. Monday through Thursday and plan to pick it up around 5:00 p.m. The cat will be ready to be released the next morning. We can ear tip the cat to designate that it has been altered.

There is a wealth of information available on trapping feral cats, hard to catch cats, and much more. Log on to www.alleycat.org and click on Caregiver/Advocate Information Also: www.feralcat.com, and www.americancat.net. Thanks for caring!
 

Hard to Catch Cat Tips
 

The most common reason for failed trapping attempts is that the cats are easily finding food elsewhere.  Make sure there is no food available nearby and withhold food for 24 hours before trapping begins.  Establishing a routine feeding schedule for at least a week ahead of trapping helps a lot to get the cats used to feeding where you will be trapping.

Tip 1

Put food in the trap, and then use a zip tie or wire to lock the trap open.  Let the cats eat freely from the traps for a few days (such as the days the clinic is not open) and get used to entering the trap.

Then, on Sunday night, set it up exactly the same way but remove the tie and set the trap.

 
Tip 2

 Some clever cats figure out how to get the food out through the sides or back without entering the trap.  Block the back and sides with the trap cover and rocks or cement blocks so that the only entrance is the front.  You can stabilize the trap with a cement block on the top if the ground is uneven, which also helps keep the trap from tripping without the cat inside.

 Tip 3

When trapping kittens and small cats, or a particularly smart one, such as a mother cat, try tying a chicken leg or wing from the top of the back of the trap.  While they attempt to get the meat off the bone, they are more likely to put enough pressure on the bottom plate to trip the trap.

Tip 4

Trouble with people?  Make a sign that says “Rescue in Progress – Do Not Remove” with a contact phone number may be helpful.  Insert the sign into a plastic bag to protect it from the elements.

Leave our flyers or other literature about Trap Neuter Return nearby and hand them out at the houses or businesses in the area with contact info in case anyone has concerns.

Tip 5

There are two herbs that help entice cats into trap.  Catnip, of course, is excellent.  You can buy the dried herb or a spray bottle. 

Valerian is a pungent herb that cats love the smell of.  Boil it in water to make a broth that cats can’t resist and add it to the bait.

Tip 6

Trapping is very stressful on the cats, so we recommend spraying the trap liner with Feliway Spray, a pheromone product that calms cats.  It also helps them enter the trap by making them less wary!  It’s is available at the clinic as well as pet stores.

Tip 7

Make sure there is no newspaper or bedding in the first two inches of the entrance of the trap.  This can cause the door to not completely close and let the cat escape.  A cat that has been trapped and released once is very hard to catch again!

Good Luck!