Violent Feral attacking infant, Impossible to trap

This is all coming together now and making complete sense to me now and Laurie is right, no apologies needed . We are here to offer support and help you try to get to the bottom of the issue with this cat. This is not a feral cat . This is a stray cat that has been abused and was abandoned by his last family . And along with the cat aggression issues, he is a problem and needs to be trapped and at the very least needs to be neutered. As Laurie says, once that is done, his hormones will stop raging and he might calm down. If he does have an unsoundness of mind, having the hormones depleted might help to stabilize his mind as well.

Best of luck with this cat and getting him trapped. Too bad the other lady feeding him won't help because if she keeps feeding him then he won't be hungry enough to go into the trap you have set out for him. Would be best if the lady feeding him would step up and help to at least get him trapped and TNRd.
Lauren

honestly, I wouldn't mess with this cat. I would let animal control or a pest control company deal with it. I have had these types of cats in my life and neutering isn't always the answer to calming them down. If he is in a high state of PTSD something you do, or smell like could be triggering him to attack. These triggers are difficult to find and once you do have the key to the mystery- it is sometimes very hard not to set off those triggers. For the sake of your child and your safety- hand this over to the experts. Just because the woman is feeding the cat doesn't make the cat "her's" especially when it comes to your safety and well-being.

When Laurie told me about this cat, it reminded me a lot of The Queen Mother a beautiful, older calico that was aggressive outside with my cats, horses and even the dogs. Nevertheless, I trapped her and brought her inside. I put her in quarantine upstairs and she escaped almost immediately took up a post on our stairs and wouldn't let any of us up the stairs without trying to take a chunk out of our ankles. Finally, Mike went on the roof- opened up the top window, set a trap right by the window with bait in it and left it there. My hope was she would go out, see the food and eat and be trapped- but she just hit the roof running and we never saw her again. She vanished into the woods behind our home.

Sometimes, the damage humans do to cats boggle the mind. it is something that cannot always be overcome no matter how bad we want them to be saved.

UPDATE: Animal control came today, re-baited trap, left a notice at the home of the person feeding the stray saying that they became the cat's owner by feeding it and that they need to either bring it in as an indoors only cat or stop feeding it, otherwise animal control with take them to court for failure to control a violent animal.

I guess the law here in WA is if you feed a stray for 2 weeks it is then considered your pet and are responsible for it's actions.

Wow, tough law for people practicing TNR.

But hopefully she'll stop feeding him so he'll go into the baited trap! You may want to replace their bait with KFC (no bones).

Just a thought-maybe a bigger trap would work better. Or a drop trap but that takes someone actually working it at time cat enters,have used a dog crate and string tied for the untrappables. ALOT of freedom to walk in but that may be risky for you depending on how you feel. Kfc and fish spread out so cat cant grab a mouth full and go is what I have used.

Does he show up at any particualr times or random?

Originally Posted by catsallaround

Just a thought-maybe a bigger trap would work better. Or a drop trap but that takes someone actually working it at time cat enters,have used a dog crate and string tied for the untrappables. ALOT of freedom to walk in but that may be risky for you depending on how you feel. Kfc and fish spread out so cat cant grab a mouth full and go is what I have used.

Does he show up at any particualr times or random?

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Usually afternoon, after the neighborhood kids get home from school, to dinner time. The rest of the day it spends hiding in bushes and under cars.

Normally its a bad idea but at this point sedation might have to come into play-not like you just started trying to get him. Could AC use a net to get him considering how close hes come to you already? Anyway to trick him into a laundry room or shed-some building that has a window and could be darted? Maybe another neighbor?

Originally Posted by catsallaround

Normally its a bad idea but at this point sedation might have to come into play-not like you just started trying to get him. Could AC use a net to get him considering how close hes come to you already? Anyway to trick him into a laundry room or shed-some building that has a window and could be darted? Maybe another neighbor?

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AC doesn't think net or seds are an option, it is skittish and normally runs when someone goes near it outside, but attacks my cat and baby through windows and door, or when we get too close to it accidentally when it's hiding under a car or bush.

If it's sedated it'll probably escape where we can't reach it. I think trying to corral it into my garage would be too difficult since I don't have anyone to help with baby. And I think my neighbors would have some weird thoughts about what I'm trying to do to the cat! Though it's worth a try if the cat is around when baby is down for a nap.

What about trying to feed it at certain times? If you could set a routine it may work better.

Maybe when you put baby down for nap? I am so sorry you have to go through this Is your animal control big? Seems like they are trying so hard but maybe another one has better ideas/more experience?

What size is the trap being used? Has it EVER entered the trap from what you have scene? My latest catch was walking over the trip plate-he did hit it but I was going to take it in and place a cardboard box from bottom of canned cat food over to make it bigger.

Do you have any other ppl concerned about this cat to start calling in about him being a threat?

Originally Posted by catsallaround

What about trying to feed it at certain times? If you could set a routine it may work better.

Maybe when you put baby down for nap? I am so sorry you have to go through this

Is your animal control big? Seems like they are trying so hard but maybe another one has better ideas/more experience?

What size is the trap being used? Has it EVER entered the trap from what you have scene? My latest catch was walking over the trip plate-he did hit it but I was going to take it in and place a cardboard box from bottom of canned cat food over to make it bigger.

Do you have any other ppl concerned about this cat to start calling in about him being a threat?

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One neighbor has been bothered by it and talked to landlord about it.
The first night the trap was out, it was triggered with nothing inside. I think he was able to back out of it.
I've left a little kibble in the trap before the trip plate, and its eaten that occasionally.
The animal control officer smeared some wet cat food on the trip plate and put the cat behind, she says that's the most effective shes tried.
The animal control handles unincorporated county, since we are outside city limits it is the only one that works this area. They are terribly under staffed.

Just sending more vibes kitty finds his way into that trap!

Just sending more vibes too for a quick, successful trapping!!

Bait the trap with Kentucky Fried Chicken - original formula with the skin and bones removed. This traps cats that avoid all other types of food.

Cat has been caught.

Traps didn't work, I even tried a drop trap and a medium dog carrier with a string tied to the door. I sat holding the string and watching the make-shift trap for up to 3 hours, and it would only stick his head in. It did like KFC, it came running when I put it out, but it refused to go inside a trap to get it. I've been feeding it and gradually moving the food deeper into what ever trap I was trying, but its a cautious cat.

This time I put food in my garage and hid behind the door and waited for it to come inside. I tried this once before after it was suggested on this board, but it was unsuccessful. This time it worked, maybe because I tried during night time.
It walked in, and even smelled my shoe. After slamming the door once it got in far enough, I caught it inside a mesh laundry bag and shoved it into the dog carrier, only a minor scratch on my hand. Covered with a towel, food and watered until morning.

I think this is a neutered cat. I didn't get a good look at it, but it has that sagging belly skin I usually see in neutered cats. And its a big cat, at least 15lbs, maybe why it wouldn't go into the traps.

Thank you again everybody for the ideas and encouragement! My family is very greatful. Not only do we feel safer, but I'm glad the cat won't have to suffer through the upcoming la nina winter.

I am so glad this kitty is caught. You know cats can be very territorial..

Originally Posted by amanda.sarnoski

My neighbors told me today that it did have a family that used to live here, but it's likely abused and traumatized which is why I confused it's behavior with the description this site gave for "feral".

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It was abandoned....... Whether abused or not, it was abandoned. In the cat's eyes, it was probably defending the only territory that it knew. You were the intruder at it's house. And so were your cats.

But you did the right thing. You childs safety was at stake.

Jenn

I don't know how I missed this! I'm so glad you finally figured out how to catch him. I'm sorry for the whole situation in the first place, but at least your family can live in peace now.

Glad the situation has been resolved with this cat. Now you can feel safe again going outside with your daughter. Good job.

for this cat. I feel sorry for this kitty....