Help needed - urgent! Catching a stray without a cage

I have somewhat tamed a feral cat at my office complex over the past 2 years.  She is now in need of urgent vet attention and I was going to try and catch her using a humane trap I borrowed.  But she was TNR many years ago so the last time I tried to catch her she wouldn't go near the cage.  I can get my hand around her tummy so I want to try and grab her and get her to the emergency vet tonight.  I will have my son help me, he can drive if I catch her and I also have a cat carrier ready to put her in.  My question.... once I get her in my arms I know she will fight with everything she has left in her which isn't much.  Would throwing a towel over her help once I have her in my arms? Any suggestions?

Thanks, Tami

I'd just have your son holding the carrier open, if you can get your hands around her tummy and she's in need of medical attention I have no doubt you should be able to scoop her up and quickly place her in there. She might thrash around a bit once she's in there, but it's better that and to get her to the vet where she can get the help she needs. Thank you for caring for her!

I had to catch our feral cat today because she keeps having kittens and was pregnant...after just having kittens 4 months ago!  Nothing worked...finally I tried the sheet and it worked but she clawed me so bad I gave up weeks ago.  Anyway, she loves tuna so I got a huge cage that I could close and lock once she entered it this morning going to eat the tuna.  It was a success and they have her at the vet now.  Yes the noise and fight from her was horrible once inside the cage but so worth it!!  I will get her back next week.  Try the tuna and borrow a cage from any local vet.  I know you say she wont  go to cage but she may with tuna if hungry!  Or try the towel or sheet but Please wear thick jacket and gloves!  Good luck! You are a good hearted person and I will pray you catch her!

Do you have a dog crate?something that would fit in car opened?  I find for the scardy cats they work ALOT better as there is alot more room to work with and less bars for them to grip with feet.

So sorry it is this serious
 

Thank you for your suggestions!    I do have a humane trap, but I had tried it 6 months ago and she never went in even with some of the appetizer wet cat food.  She is so thin and fragile I didn't think she would have much fight in her and I could get her right into a cage.  Well, i was wrong, I was able to hold her, she didn't even scratch me!  But, once I got her in the cage and my son was putting lid on it she escaped.  She didn't run far but wouldn't leave from a safe bush she was hiding behind.  She hissed at me a bit and had big black eyes, but she let me pet her head again.  I left her alone for the evening and will set the humane trap up tomorrow evening and sit in the parking lot and wait for her to hopefully go in.  I will put tuna in there, since that is what she was eating tonight when I picked her up and she was loving it.  If the trap doesn't work, I will use a sheet or towel and figure out how to get her into a cage or just my car from there.   She is very dehydrated as I live in Arizona and it's been over 100 degrees for months now plus, she has some sort of wound about the 2 inches in diameter that is swollen and missing fur in the area.  I assume she was in a fight and got a claw or something in there.  She is the sweetest little black cat, she knows her name (Sully, I thought she was a boy when I named her) and purrs like crazy when I feed her.
 

Is there any groups around who may have a net to loan?  sorta like a fishing net for cats/dogs?  Or cat tongs that an experienced person can show you/do for you maybe?

If you have a bigger crate could try to wedge it and tie a sturdy string/light rope to door if trap fails.  The openess seemed to help a few of my hard to trap ones.

I have some good news... my kitty went into the trap... and then came back out without setting off the trap!  I think this is good because I know she will go in, so now I just need to figure out how to set it up so she either steps on the mechanism that shuts the door or make it more sensitive.  It's possible she doesn't even weigh enough to set it off.  My daughter and I set the trap last evening after sun down, with tuna inside and a clean sheet over the top.  At first Sully wanted nothing to do with it, but after an hour of hunting bugs she came back and sat beside it for about 15 minutes then finally just walked on in!  We were so excited until we realized it wasn't working.  I didn't want to leave the trap overnight so we went to her after she had bathed from her special tuna dinner, and made sure she knew she was safe and she wasn't mad.  We tried to just grab her instead but she was having none of that.  We have a cat carrier ready again, I'm thinking I'm going to be more aggressive and just shove her in through the door while may daughter holds it on its end.  I know for certain a vet or someone who works with cats professionally would have her in a second.  But I'm too timid and afraid of scruffing her or being too strong and hurting her. I think I am running out of time though.  She is very frail and her wound site is losing more and more fur every day.  She twitches her tail and licks it alot, although it is not bleeding at all or even red.  Just a big white spot.   I think tonight is the  night we get her!  Fingers crossed for Sully to come home safe and on her way to healing!

where she can't see it test out the trap-lay it down set and trip it.  If it is triggering fine then try a cardboard flat from a case of wet food(not the real thick ones.  friskies work well for me and cut it to be a bit smaller and soak it with bait juice.  I was getting baby kittens this way who were not setting the little traps I had out.

If it is a hinge some low odor grease(i have put cooking oil on a rusted one)

You are getting closer!  More trapping vibes!

Thank you everyone for your help.  I really appreciate your advice and good thoughts you sent my way.  I did catch Sully last night, by grabbing her and putting her feet first into the carrier (and getting a good bite in the finger).  The vet kept her to sedate her and clean her wound and test her.  Unfortunately, the vet called early this morning and told me her tests for feline leukemia and HIV were positive.  I went straight to the pet hospital and held her while she went to Rainbow Bridge.  I took comfort in knowing she won't continue suffering with that wound or from those horrible diseases.  I wish I had saved her sooner and it just kills me to know there are so many other cats out there living the same life.  I hope my Sully is at  peace now. I gave her tons of kisses and told her how much I love her.  It wasn't suppose to end like this.  Thank you to everyone who replied with help... there are good people out there that love animals.
 

OH hun.... I am just reading your thread and now this... I am so sorry about Sully It is the most heartbreaking part of caring for strays and ferals when we do get them trapped and to the vet only to find out they are positive for FeLK which is a very contagious and deadly disease. You did right by her... holding her as she went to the bridge. OH my heart goes out to you. You saved her from a horrible, slow death in the outdoors. She is in a much better place because of you. I am truly sorry for this emotional experience you endured. One of the hardest parts of caring for these homeless kitties. :grphug:

Rip Lil Sully.  You gave her a fast peaceful end.  Hugs to you

God Bless you for caring, Sully is now at the Rainbow Bridge running pain free.  There should be more people in the world like you.

Christine

Mom to 1 domestic & 7 ferals

CassiCat, I'm so sorry you lost her. When you feel up to it you could post a tribute to her in the Crossing the Bridge forum.
I will close this thread now.