FERAL CAT advocates/workers: I need your advice.

[bertha katzenengel]

I know we don't have many here. I'll repeat post in Pets Department.

I need advice on how/when to try to get a pregnant feral cat before she gives birth. I have to enlist Mrs. V.'s help, I think. Mrs. V. works at home three days out of ten.

Setting traps overnight won't work when I have to go to work. It's impossible to get to the clinic twice in a day and be at work.

I can't set a trap on days Mrs. V. works in town -- won't leave the cat in a trap out in the elements all day.

Here's what I think I can do. I can set traps for Ringtail on the days when Mrs. V. is at home, because if Ringtail is caught, Mrs. V. can get her out of the elements. Also someone will be home to receive the person who will foster Ringtail. We can't.

This is all I can think of. If anyone else has any ideas, I'm all ears. Thanks.

PS This morning Ringtail was on the front porch, eating. It's an enclosed porch but we keep the door open until we install a cat door. I studied for an hour on how I could get around to the outside of the porch and somehow trap the girl in there, but with a brick holding the door open, and a wild cat able to move!, I knew it would be impossible.

[Droopy]

1. Cats are sturdy creatures

I was having trouble with some type of critter borrowing in my new landscaping one time. Thinking it was a groundhog I set a trap one day before I went to work. I would simply trap the critter and then take it out to the woods.

When I came home later that night I saw what I had trapped. It was the neighbor's cat. It had probably been there for some time and it had also rained. I simply opened the trap and the cat took off like it's tail was on fire. I felt sorry for the critter, but it wasn't harmed.

[SoCalDem]

2. Try to set the trap in a shady area, and cover it with a blanket

so it's hidden.. The problem you might have is catching the WRONG cat.. That happened to us when we were trying to catch our babies' Mom.. We kept catching a dumb(already neutered) neighborhood cat before we finally caught her..

Fingers crossed :)

[LostinVA]

3. PM Jukes -- he runs a feral cat shelter

[jukes]

4. i've used a jury-rig dog carrier as a humane trap

for difficult ferals. they are more likely to enter a large enclosure & food/water can be put in the trap. make sure they can't be easily overturned, super-glue works if the cat isn't too large or vigorous. o'wise, screw them upwards through the bottom of the carrier, with a fender-washer for support.

cover the topside openings of the carrier w/ a tarp or landscape plastic to keep out the elements. plenty of air will enter through the front grill.

the trap is sprung w/ a trip-wire attached to the baitcontainer. the door closes by a bungy-cord attached to the door y anchored to a peg or to the carrier itself. i use a series of magnets to secure the door-grate 1ce it closes. LOTS of magnets, available at any hardware store. "donut" magnets that can be secured to the carrier w/ screws/washers work best. make sure you use enough that a frantic cat can't get out. a second bungy holding the door closed is helpfull.

remove the door-catch so there's no room to hook a paw through the gap y pry it open.

wheatstraw or an old blanket provide a nesting area. mix catnip y facial pheromone spray in the straw/blankie to help calm the cat.

this technique has worked best for me, even with VERY feral cats!

GOOD LUCK!
jukes.