help!

we managed to catch one of our stray kittens today to take her in for testing but we couldn't get her brother. he is much harder to handle, we can only touch him when eating.

we tried to grab him and he took off, got him cornered in our yard and then he was gone

what is the best way to get ahold of him? right now there is wet food out in front of the fence where he likes to hang out in one spot, and dry food in front of his other hidey hole. when his sister gets back from the clinic we are going to put her in our little mudroom in the back which is where the back door is. kittens liked to hang out on that porch before we snatched them, hopefully he will hear hew through the door.

i was so hoping we could get both of them today but i knew he would be trouble

You may have to use a trap. Our shelter lends them out, and you can buy them at Harbor Freight. You're looking for a humane trap, one brand of which is "Hav-a-heart," or something close to that.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

You may have to use a trap. Our shelter lends them out, and you can buy them at Harbor Freight. You're looking for a humane trap, one brand of which is "Hav-a-heart," or something close to that.

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Yes, such a trap is the usual advice. An additional advantage is, if you chase him and take him, he will tend to be suspicious to you.

If he is taken in a trap, he will not connect you with "arresting" him. Rather the oppsite - you are the ones who let him out from there...

we found a shelter near us that rents out humane traps, we are going to try to pick one up tomorrow or monday!

thanks for the suggestion!

Good luck trapping!

Originally Posted by kwren

we found a shelter near us that rents out humane traps, we are going to try to pick one up tomorrow or monday!

thanks for the suggestion!

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Good for you! There are a lot of good tips on trapping on this website - also, be sure to cover the bottom of the trap with paper - the wires aren't good for kitties to walk on - but make sure it doesn't get in the way of the trap mechanism - also, get a big towel or cloth to cover the trap once they're in it - it will help them to calm down, I also heard that Kentucky Fried Chicken is a great food to use inside the trap - I wish I could remember who it was that shared that with me, I'd give them credit.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is always the best bait. I think it is because of the heavy grease and spices. If he won't go into the trap, try this tip. Take a large mirror and place it against the end of the trap where the door isn't. Duct tape it firmly in place. he will see his reflection and go in for the kill. Of course, once you see him going in and trap closes, take the mirror off immediately. He doesn't need to be any more stressed out. Keep a large dark towel or blanket handy and toss it over the trap when he is inside- this will stop him from hurling himself against the wire in a panic. Keep him inside the trap until after you go to the vets. You can always slide food into him- but transferring him out of the trap into a carrier can lead to trouble.

a volunteer from one of the local rescue groups is bringing 2 traps out tonight... we're going to try to get the little guy and bring him inside, but we are also going to t-n-r the two female ferals that we feed, mainly because we don't want to end up with another batch of kittens that we feel obliged to test and re-home.

little boy cat has been eating his food out of an old carrier i put outside for him but i haven't been fast enough to shut him in it. hopefully he will go for the trap!

So glad the traps are arriving!

Originally Posted by kwren

little boy cat has been eating his food out of an old carrier i put outside for him but i haven't been fast enough to shut him in it. hopefully he will go for the trap!

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It is possible to rig a carrier as a basic trap if you dont have a real trap. I even think Hissy here described it once...

The main ingrediens are having the carrier steady placed. And the door closeable via some vires - you observing the whole - and when the cat is in - you close pulling the vire...
I suspect this dont work if the cat is really determined to get out. He probably will succeed as the door isnt properly closed.

So, a trap IS the best and usually easiest.

Good luck!

we caught him! we caught him! in the end we didn't get him in a trap-trap. our housemate rigged up our little mudroom with rope tied to the door handle, and then put a plate of tuna in the middle of the floor and ran the rope over the door to the house. it was rainy and nasty outside today and he braved the house for the food, when he came in i pulled the rope, the door closed, and he freaked out. calmed down fairly quickly and is wandering or sitting down in there, and we are going to take him in to the rescue group to get him tested for anything contagious. at least he can see his sister, they have been watching each other through the door between the mudroom and house (it is glass paned)

Yippi!!!
I feel your joy, and your relief!!!

Have fun getting him into a carrier to take him to the vet.

Experience is a wonderful teacher - but, with each cat, Experience can bring different outcomes.

Patience is a virtue that pays great dividends in the future.
With us, sometimes it's one step forward, and two back.

The rescue group may prefer he be in a trap - that way they can confine and control him for both the cat's safety and they're safety.

he ripped up my husband a little getting him in the carrier but he tested negative for leukemia and hiv so we brought him on home and got him settled in the tiny mudroom. our mudroom door is made of glass so he can see the goings on of the house, but he is going to take a lot of work. he was literally climbing the walls at the shelter when we took him in!

this will be my first experiment in this, i have never socialized a feral. his sister wanted to be touched once she figured out we wouldn't hurt her, this guy is a little wildcat. i am planning on spending a lot of time reading out loud in our mudroom

aw Kwren!!!
so sorry to hear about your husband's wounds!!

yes, wild cat is the right name - I think the word feral must have come from a Peace Organization (to disguise the cats' ability to do battle) 'cause these little guys can be very dangerous and the word "wild" is very appropriate in warning people to wear protective clothing.

well, you've certainly gotten over the hardest parts - unless he escapes from your mud room - then, let the fun begin again

does he have a place in the mud room to hide while you're in there cleaning litter, or changing water or ???

I'm really, really glad he was disease free!

This is just one website - http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/...ng_ferals.html

Tips on Taming Feral Cats and Kittens

When approaching a frightened cat:

Speak and move slowly and calmly and avoid high-pitched sounds
Do not make sustained direct eye contact, look down and to the side
Watch for body language signals and back off if the cat is warning you by growling, spitting or swishing tail
Keep fingers and fist together when approaching the cat – spread fingers resemble unsheathed claws which is a sign of aggression to cats
Patience: A lot of patience is required to socialize feral cats and kittens. ...

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The one caution about NOT making direct contact is, IMO, a very important thing to know - I read somewhere to just look at the place between their ears if you must look in their direction - I still do this to our ferals-in-training - I guess looking into their eyes is a form of challenge ???

but, this forum has a lot of good advice, too - people with personal experience are here

(We don't have our "ferals" contained - they are a lot harder to socialize that way - but we're making progress and the mommy feral is now coming inside at night when I call her - she's loves the stray cat she came with and will follow him anywhere.)

Just try to stay sane - looks like you have your hands full!

after having him inside for a little more than a week, little arthur is coming along quite well!

he is still jumpy when there is a lot of noise, and he is still off by himself in the mudroom, but he gets regular visits from one of my resident cats who he has really taken a fancy to. i was not going to even think about trying to introduce him to any of the big cats but tim roth pushed his way into the mudroom (he is very bossy and nosy and has to check everything out LOL) the second he touched noses with arthur the little guy started purring like crazy and rubbed all over him. so i have been letting him come hang out in there when i read and arthur is SO much calmer with tim in the room. he'll even sit right next to me!

i still can't actually touch arthur on purpose but he will bump against me when he is trying to get tim roth's attention. once he realizes it was me and not tim he gives me a horrified look and then scoots a foot or two away, but he is no longer running to hide when some one comes into the mudroom, will eat and sleep with us in there as long as we are quiet and don't make any sudden moves, and will VERY happily play with da-bird.

the one really odd thing is his sister - with whom he did everything except for the week that she was in and he was out - will not have anything to do with him! she hisses at him and spits, even through the glass door! i wonder if it is because they're coming into their sexual maturity? he is definantly in need of fixing, he already has that tomcat smell to his pee. they're going in to get fixed on the 27th, hopefully that will help. fenchurch is really feisty in general. she talks a lot, and yells and growls and grumbles when she wants something.