I need some trapping tricks!

I need some tricks before I go insane trying to catch these guys.

I have been trying to catch this one female in particular for a while now. She is way to smart and somehow always manages to avoid being trapped. Just trying to trap the last two nights has been interesting to say the least. I didn't know I could be outsmarted by the same cat morethan once in the same night. First she did her usual smell the traps and leave without trying to come in. Then she came back and ate the bite that I put a little bit before the trip plate that usually lures them inside. Then before leaving she somehow managed to stretch past the trip plate and eat the food that was so far back in the trap it was against the back door, and then back out of it without setting it off. If that wasn't enough after I rebaited it she come along again and pulls the news paper that was lining the bottom of the trap out to get the food out. Seriously the removing the newspaper was a new one!

I am willing to try anything to get this cat into a trap. There were two other cats that showed upwhile she was there but I think her tricks are making it hard to trap them too.

You could try using a drop trap.

I had a Calico cat like that, took multiple attempts at trapping.  Eventually, hungry ruled--though not before she gave birth to the kitten I knew she was carrying (and which kitten I still feed at the colony). 

A couple of things I've tried during my 2.5 years of trapping 35 cats:

sprinkle tuna fish juice (packed in oil) from the opening to the back of the trap.

put some catnip in the food--and you're probably already doing this, but don't use a can of food--clever cats like the one you're dealing with will simply pull out the can.

line the bottom of the trap with newspaper and some leaves, dirt from the area she's use to.

mash down the wet food, no clumps, no matter how small.

If you've been regularly feeding this cat, use the same food; I had one cat who was suspicious of anything different so after failing to catch him using sardines/mackerel as bait, I switched to what I had been feeding them--Fancy Feast.

Also, I trapped, well, around this time--4 a.m.--because it was quieter in the neighborhood.  Too noisy at 8 p.m. or midnight.

Good luck, I know it's frustrating.  But oh so rewarding.

Ritz has really great suggestions.  I too have found that the trap savvy often prefer their regular food to something special.  I also learned to never use a bowl as they can just pull it to them.  I line my traps with cheap puppy pee pads from the Dollar Tree.  They are less noisy than newspaper and a bit more absorbent.  The tuna in oil has been a favorite.  Just pour the oil leading to some smashed up tuna in the back.  It's always a toss of whether to cover the trap while trying to trap or not.  Some of the cats have preferred it covered while others it just really scared. 

As Ritz mentioned drop traps often work.  You can look up on Youtube or other internet sites about them.  The down fall is that they are expensive yet sometimes you can find one to borrow.

Good luck! 

You can turn your trap into a modified drop trap by propping up the door open with a plastic bottle filled with small rocks (to make it heftier).  Tie a length of strong twine to the bottle, about 1/3 of the way from the bottom.   Wrap the twine around the bottle a few times so it doesn't slip off when you yank on it.

When the cat goes in the trap, yank on the twine and pull the bottle out, so the door snaps shut.  Make sure the cat is deep inside the trap and facing away from the door, or she may try to rush the door as it snaps shut.

Good luck - and thank you so much for your persistance and dedication to trapping this cat!

I am not sure a drop trap will work. If she so much as sees me she bolts. I set the traps and hide in my car a bit away in the parking lot. I actually duck if she is close because she has bolted just from spotting me sitting in my car. I have no clue how I would be able to be close enough to use a drop trap.

I did set the traps tonight with the food smeared to see if that helps. She eats a variety of wets so I don't think the bait makes a difference at least. I also tried another trick someone told me yesterday was to put the food down first and then set the trap over it so there is no way for her to get it unless she goes in. I also am trying the tuna fish oil too. I have one trap covered and the other uncovered as well. I am really hoping tonight is the night I get her.

After months of trying to trap her I finally got her! I voulenteer at a monthly spay nueter clinic for ferals, and someone from there came out and helped me with a drop trap. She looked at it last night and ignored it, but tonight she was super hungry and went right for the chicken. It took half an hour to get her from the drop trap to the wire trap, but oh so worth it to finally have her. I have to get some sleep now. I have an early morning ahead of me.

Congratulations! She will be so much better off now. Thank you for your perseverance.

Yea!!  How wonderful that you kept persevering and trapped her!!  You are lucky to have access to a drop trap.

Yea!!   I can imagine the HUGE grin on your face when you got her trapped. 

You have no idea how excited I was. Some people at the clinic were excited too, they know how hard I have been trying to get her. She has recently had kittens again, I am sure she is hiding them somewhere in the woods. She was one of the first to go through surgery, and second to wake up so she was very alert late last night when I let her go to get back to them. If I am correct on my guess as to when she had them she should be bringing them around soon. She seems to be doing well because she was right on time for dinner tonight. She was the last female I knew about in the colony as well, so hopefully this means no more kittens!