retrapping ferals - how long is their memory?

How likely is it to be able to trap a feral that has been trapped previously?   Last year Oscar was trapped for a couple of hours and then released (long story, another person involved).   This year now I plan to trap him and get him TNR'd, but I may need to trap him yet again a few months after this.  I will do the whole pre-baiting thing, feeding him in the trap a few days ahead of time.   So I wonder....is this cat forgetful?  I hope so.

This REALLY depends on the cat - and how food motivated they are. I have some very trap savvy cats that no way, no how is that kitty every going back into the trap. We've had to use crates with string tied to the door and pulled from inside a window for them - and weeks of feeding in the crate prior to "setting" it with the string-pull set-up. :lol3:

What may help is

A) washing the trap with just soap and water - get the smell of fear off of it
B) Spray the trap with feliway to make it smell "friendly."
C) cover it so it looks different and feels like a cave
D) leave single bites of food leading up TO the trap. We always put a piece of cardboard down in the middle of the trap - one that's large enough for kitty to stand on so they don't have to walk on the wires, but small enough so that it doesn't reach the trip plate, and to get at the rest of the food they must step on the trip plate - and leave one bite of the tempting food in the middle of the cardboard piece. This gets them in the trap - and when they eat that piece and the trap doesn't set, the feel more confident about continuing on.

Ooops - I forgot. I also often use a little catnip spray on the trap too.

Thanks LDG!   I just wish I knew if Oscar was one of "those" cats before deciding what to do.   I'm really torn on what to do.....here's the situation:

His TNR appointment is a week from today.   In about 3-4 months there is a very good chance that I'll move from this apartment and I certainly could try to rent an apartment that opens on to a natural area so I could bring him.   But if I can't trap him to bring him it'll be bad if I can't find anyone else to feed him.    There's also a chance that I might even need to leave the state in the next year for job reasons so this makes me worry even more.   So on the one hand I want to go ahead and get him TNR'd now, but on the other if I've only possibly got one shot to trap him I don't want to waste it....    At first I was considering trying to tame him but even though he's familiar with humans as a food source, he's wild - he won't eat in front of me and jumps back about forty feet from me when I put food down.   I'm imagining him in my little bathroom and it would be more stress for both of us than I could handle!

Advice and thoughts from all appreciated!

Edited to add: there is one group in my area that feeds feral cats in a barn situation and they've told me they could take him on - which I'm so grateful for.   But he'd need to go through being in a cage for a few weeks with them while they tried to find placement and/or imprinted him on the new location.   This little guy sure found his way into my heart....back when I first posted about him I would have given him away in a second to managed feral colony.   Now I'm worrying about him getting cold and thinking of buying him Evo.  LOL

They have a way of doing that to us! :rub:

Oh that's GREAT he can be relocated to a barn if necessary. That's got to be a big load of the mind!

Whatever happens, it's best to TNR him now. :nod: Don't forget to post so we can send you "successful trapping" vibes!

And I forgot to mention - if you cover the trap with a light blanket or cut apart paper bag or something, leave that far end open so he doesn't "think" there's only the one way out (being the way he came in). Just cover the top and sides. Once he's IN the trap, then cover it up with a light blanket - that usually quiets them right down.

Thanks LDG for the encouragement!  It's great to have support - there's some people in my life who think I'm a bit nuts for doing any of this especially now that I could just take him somewhere else.   Some great news, tonight is the first night I put out the trap (unset) with food to train him and he went in and ate the normal amount!   So I am very optimistic he'll go in on trapping night which will be Thursday - his appointment is Friday morning.    I am a little intimidated about him freaking out all night in the trap in my bathroom where I plan to keep him.   Any tips?  You mentioned keeping a blanket over - will that work for that many hours?   I'll probably trap him around 4pm (his regular feeding time) and start travel with him at 7am the next day.