what trap do you use?

out of curiosity i was wondering what trap everybody uses and your opinion of pros and cons, limitations, etc. of that specific model. please be specific about the model number if you know it.



i searched for a thread on this but the only one i found has been dormant for like 9 years.

I've only ever used the Tomahawk style of trap. Never had any issues with it... found them easy to set, haven't had any cats escape from them.

Because we live in an RV, we tend to get.... space-friendly items when possible. We have the Hav-a-hart that can be dissembled and stored flat.

This one:
Havahart 1089.

It's been sturdy enough to contain cats completely freaking out. We did have one cat have the door snap shut on him and he got out - thankfully he was back the next day and was trapped. We've worked with a lot of traps, and after a lot of use, they all seem to need - at some point - an adjustment to the arm that connects the trap door to the trip plate. I don't know if Tommy didn't step on the trip plate (I had cardboard in there, and he might not have had to step forward to get at the food in the bowl) or if the arm needed adjustment. Gary worked on it today, and it didn't seem there was an issue with it. We've had this particular trap since June 2008 and have trapped 5 - 15 cats a year with it.

When we were more actively trapping, we really preferred the 2-door traps.

But this one would be good for people that need to keep kitty in the trap for a day (where spay/neuter appointments need to be scheduled in advance, and you have to trap the well ahead of time).
Of course, you could probably construct something yourself to slide in there to contain kitty when putting in food and water.

Just recently I borrowed the Tomahawk trap Sugarcarcat shows above.  I really liked how smoothly the non-trap door part of it works - made prebaiting a lot easier and I felt safer leaving the trap out because I knew no one could set it with the back door missing which I took away with me.    Downside it's a little small - Hercules filled the thing, there was barely any extra space in there but he's unusually big for a feral.    In the pic I shared with you guys he's backed up hard against the trap side so you see a little space before his paws, but when he relaxed more he reached to both ends.

Other trap I own is the Havahart feral cat rescue kit trap that LDG links too.   Plus sides, it's bigger and has a nice divider to contain the cat while putting things in and out. Oh and it's collapsible.  Downside is that I find the non-trap door does not open and shut easily, it's a real pain to deal with.  It sticks, you have to get it just so to put in the special piece that braces it.  It might just be my individual model but I wouldn't like to have to futz with that door so much if I had a crazed cat in there.   The door is also hinged and not completely removable.

Regular Havahart without the back door and divider I borrowed many years ago.   Pluses size, size and sturdiness.  Downside no opening back door.

it is interesting to see what people are using

LDG - that is good to know that the collapsible one has held up so well. i was worried that there would be a problem that style and sort of dismissed it from my list.

Bastfriend - i know what you are saying about the size of the trap. i caught a, at the time 12 lb (now over 16 lb) in a tomahawk. then, about a year ago i caught a 14 lb in a havahart that i have. after seeing how tight the fit was for them i ended up getting the one i link below. it is 36" x 12" x 14" versus 30" x 9" x 11" for the standard tru-catch. even though i probably will catch another one as big as the two i mentioned i figured better too big than too small. plus, roomier for the cat if i have to keep it overnight.

when i first started doing tnr at what has become my colony i was using traps that i borrowed from the local animal control officer. after i trapped one she (aco) came and picked that cat up and brought it to the low cost s/n clinic for me - the clinic is a good half hour drive. she would then pick the cat up the next day from the clinic and bring it back for me to release. often the cat would be in a different trap then when i caught it, which was nice as it allowed me to get some experience with different traps.

out of the ones i tried (havahart, tomahawk and tru-catch) i liked the tru-catch the best. it seemed to be a bit sturdier and i like the powder coated steel that they use, if for no other reason than it "blends in" because of the dark brown color. about a year ago i ended up purchasing this set-up, the 36d kit - http://www.animal-traps.com/animal-trap-knks.html - for the reasons that LDG mentions. also, i love the fitted cover and bottom liner.

I used a "catch and release live animal trap" from Tractor Supply.  My neighbor bought it and is letting me use it.  It is advertised as a trap for raccoons, possums, etc.  It worked pretty good although it took me a while to get the trap set and not be too sensitive.

Whaler, I'm REALLY impressed with how well this trap has held up. :nod:

Whaler said:

....out of the ones i tried (havahart, tomahawk and tru-catch) i liked the tru-catch the best. it seemed to be a bit sturdier and i like the powder coated steel that they use, if for no other reason than it "blends in" because of the dark brown color. about a year ago i ended up purchasing this set-up, the 36d kit - http://www.animal-traps.com/animal-trap-knks.html - for the reasons that LDG mentions. also, i love the fitted cover and bottom liner.

Click to expand...

Ooooo that is nice, I love that bottom liner and cover!   I lined everywhere I brought the trap with garbage bags and pet pads but it sure would have been nice to have had a liner like that that went with the trap. 

LDG said:

Whaler, I'm REALLY impressed with how well this trap has held up. :nod:

Click to expand...

sadly, i based my assumption (that collapsible would break) by looking at photos on-line since i never actually used one. i guess that my new motto will be "don't judge a trap by its on-line photo"

Bastfriend said:

Whaler said:

....out of the ones i tried (havahart, tomahawk and tru-catch) i liked the tru-catch the best. it seemed to be a bit sturdier and i like the powder coated steel that they use, if for no other reason than it "blends in" because of the dark brown color. about a year ago i ended up purchasing this set-up, the 36d kit - http://www.animal-traps.com/animal-trap-knks.html - for the reasons that LDG mentions. also, i love the fitted cover and bottom liner.

Click to expand...

Ooooo that is nice, I love that bottom liner and cover!   I lined everywhere I brought the trap with garbage bags and pet pads but it sure would have been nice to have had a liner like that that went with the trap. 

Click to expand...

to be honest, the cover is so-so. it is not as snug of a fit as i had hoped but it is VERY durable. the bottom liner is great. you can cut one of those pet training pads to fit in between the trap and the bottom liner to not have any urine going all over.

I'm looking for a recovery/transfer cage that won't brake the bank.  

Would someone be able to point me to an online store that has reasonable prices with reasonable or free shipping?

I just had to confine my last trapped feral into a TruTrap 36D  for over 60 hours - he did well, but I think if I had something like a recovery cage that I would have kept him one more day.  I had to trap him in the mid-morning of one day because that was on his feeding schedule, and he was in that trap from Wednesday early afternoon until Saturday mid-morning.  

i bought my traps, as well as other accessories here - http://www.animal-traps.com/cat-recovery-cage-tc.html. link takes you directly to the recovery cage page.

good pricing on the tru-catch traps and i liked the fact that it is an independent/small business as opposed to a "mega-mart" type. as you can see, the recovery cages are not cheap. the smaller model is $10 less if you buy direct from tru-catch.

i also use the 36D and i have the transfer cage that matches it size wise. in lieu of a recovery cage you could use a bungee cord to secure the trap to the transfer cage and then keep both guillotine doors open, that would allow the cat an extra 24" of room during recovery.

Whaler said:

i bought my traps, as well as other accessories here - http://www.animal-traps.com/cat-recovery-cage-tc.html. link takes you directly to the recovery cage page.

good pricing on the tru-catch traps and i liked the fact that it is an independent/small business as opposed to a "mega-mart" type. as you can see, the recovery cages are not cheap. the smaller model is $10 less if you buy direct from tru-catch.

i also use the 36D and i have the transfer cage that matches it size wise. in lieu of a recovery cage you could use a bungee cord to secure the trap to the transfer cage and then keep both guillotine doors open, that would allow the cat an extra 24" of room during recovery.

Click to expand...

Thanks - well, pricy they are!    Just wondering about the tray - what the advantages are - I mean it's easier to put down towels to collect any urine and have it drain through the screen - I think.  I guess that cleaning the tray could still be managed, but just asking what the pros and cons are that you've found. 

I put down a shower curtain, then paper towels, then paper towels, etc., inside the trap.  All I did to clean up the urine was lift the trap off the paper towels, remove the wet towels, and use Nature's Miracle to clean up the urine odor.  

With smaller cats I've had success with a small litter pan - maybe putting the litter pan inside the recovery cage would work.

I use the Tomahawk, too, because of the "guilliotine" door at the back.  The traps also come with a divider, so you can keep the cat secure while you open the guilliotine and put in food, etc.  I use the 36" traps because there's plenty of room to recuperate the male cats in them.  I put the trap on a bed of straw covered with a "pee pad" so I can just lift the trap and change the pad .  It's not the Hilton but most feral cats are tough and it's only for a day or so with the boys.

I've recuperated females in them too if I don't think I'll be able to get them back into a carrier after recuperation.  Depends on the cat.

Anyway, they are expensive but I've had mine for seven years now and they still work wonderfully.

Ondine said:

I use the Tomahawk, too, because of the "guilliotine" door at the back.  The traps also come with a divider, so you can keep the cat secure while you open the guilliotine and put in food, etc.  I use the 36" traps because there's plenty of room to recuperate the male cats in them.  I put the trap on a bed of straw covered with a "pee pad" so I can just lift the trap and change the pad .  It's not the Hilton but most feral cats are tough and it's only for a day or so with the boys.

I've recuperated females in them too if I don't think I'll be able to get them back into a carrier after recuperation.  Depends on the cat.

Anyway, they are expensive but I've had mine for seven years now and they still work wonderfully.

Click to expand...

FYI - the TruCatch also has the "guilliotine" door - I like the wire coating because the trap isn't so loud when the trap door goes down, as well as other good things about having the wire coated.  I also have a fork-like divider.  BTW, I just purchased a smaller version from rakuten.com ($41.27 with tax) -  it's only 31 inches, but I can use it for the kittens I need to trap, and I hope to use it with the 36" as a recovery room.    -  I hope this idea works out because the recovery cages aka transfer cage are really pricy.  

GloriaJH said:

Whaler said:

i bought my traps, as well as other accessories here - http://www.animal-traps.com/cat-recovery-cage-tc.html. link takes you directly to the recovery cage page.


good pricing on the tru-catch traps and i liked the fact that it is an independent/small business as opposed to a "mega-mart" type. as you can see, the recovery cages are not cheap. the smaller model is $10 less if you buy direct from tru-catch.


i also use the 36D and i have the transfer cage that matches it size wise. in lieu of a recovery cage you could use a bungee cord to secure the trap to the transfer cage and then keep both guillotine doors open, that would allow the cat an extra 24" of room during recovery.

Click to expand...

Thanks - well, pricy they are!    Just wondering about the tray - what the advantages are - I mean it's easier to put down towels to collect any urine and have it drain through the screen - I think.  I guess that cleaning the tray could still be managed, but just asking what the pros and cons are that you've found. 
I put down a shower curtain, then paper towels, then paper towels, etc., inside the trap.  All I did to clean up the urine was lift the trap off the paper towels, remove the wet towels, and use Nature's Miracle to clean up the urine odor.  

With smaller cats I've had success with a small litter pan - maybe putting the litter pan inside the recovery cage would work.

Click to expand...

i don't have one of the recovery cages myself, but i think that you are correct that the only advantage to the tray is how quick and easy cleaning it is. also, certainly more comfortable for the cat than the wire is.

one other possibility in place of a "recovery cage" is something that i am planning on doing myself. i am going to take the dog cage that i have used to socialize - this one


and remove the side door. then, i am going to modify it so that i turn where the side door was into a guillotine style door that is the same size as my tru-catch guillotine door. this should allow an easy (well, i hope easy) way to get the cat back into the trap and return it.

Whaler said:

and remove the side door. then, i am going to modify it so that i turn where the side door was into a guillotine style door that is the same size as my tru-catch guillotine door. this should allow an easy (well, i hope easy) way to get the cat back into the trap and return it.

Click to expand...

That's a great idea - glad you have that cage already on hand.  Your idea does make me start thinking about other alternatives - guess one could even get even a plastic tub, make the appropriate openings, secure it - thinking out-of-the-box helps when the funds are all going to feed these guys.  Yes, pun intended. LOL

part of why i am going to do this is that those cages are pretty cheap - $75 at petco w/ free shipping right now. i figure that i could purchase a backup cage to leave as is in case i end up socializing another cat. i also have spoken to the mechanics that do service on my suv to ask them if they could do the welding if i need some assistance (probable :lol3. when i told them what exactly this would be used for they said that if needed they would do it for me for no charge!

You can also get traps from your local shelter for free, you get to use them while you are doing TNR.

One of my ~20 year old 32"x9"9" Tomahawk traps (like this but not collapsible and nowhere near so shiny!) grew legs and ran away last year, so I find myself needing to purchase a new trap. Reading above and looking online at the new traps, there are features that I'm sure are beneficial, like the rear guillotine door as opposed to my double-trapdoor. Any other must-have features I need to look for? I can't tell from the pictures; does the rear door on the Tomahawk slide up and down in grooves? Does it come completely up and out?

Since they have served me so long and so well, I'm leaning towards sticking with the Tomahawk brand, this one in particular: http://www.livetrap.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=30179 , except I'll get the kit with the divider. My old traps have two trap doors, so I've never even considered recuperating a cat in the trap, until I read this thread. (an example of why I LOVE TCS!)  I've always had the cats put into carriers after neutering and the transfer process from carrier to wire dog cage has resulted in more than one bite. My goal is to avoid that from here on out!

@Whaler your post #15 is very similar to what I'm working on. If you've completed your project I'd love to see pictures of it. I'm going to start a new thread about this, but it's been on my to-do list for a long time and just within the last month we've finally gotten my little (4'x8') recuperation area reconfigured to do double duty as a kennel.

I'm from Fond du Lac, wisc.  and years ago we visited an old "out of commission"  factory in tomahawk that  -I was told- use to produce live traps,

Now for the first time I see a picture of the "tomahawk style"  live trap and wow,   read that are a favorite of the feral cat catching fraternity!

We have a feral female that is "ear clipped"   another revelation to the outdoor cat story....