Sick feral who is trap smart

I appreciate finding this website and have been carefully reading, making some notes on what others have done. To get to the point, I am an experienced cat owner and have also helped to TNR and maintain a feral colony.  I own several traps, including a professionally made and ordered drop trap.  The cat in question is a neighborhood feral; someone else did TNR as he was neutered and his ear was tipped the first time I saw him.  For most of his life, he has been a fairly wild and even aggressive feral, but he has made a home for himself for a while now on my front patio where he has a heated bed and continual access to food and water.  With heavy rose pruning gloves, I have been able to get to the point where I can touch his head, but he maintains the gunfighter position at all times in case I were to try anything.  Previous attempts to trap and take to the vet for routine care were completely futile and he actually broke out from the drop trap by ramming it hard enough to upend it sufficiently to escape....completely trap wary.

The question...he was not a young cat when I first encountered him, and he is certainly elderly now. My best guess is that he is dying from hyperthyroidism/kidney issue as claims many older cats.  Bone thin, back end starting to waver and stagger when he walks,  but still very capable of moving.  I have made two attempts to catch him...one time trying to put him in a carrier and slam the door, but he fought out very quickly, and the other time I tried to bring him in the house into a room intending to then regroup and go on from there, but he became hysterical as soon as we got into the entryway. Spectacular scene....I am never afraid of animals but it crossed my mind that if I were, this might be a good time to start. By the way, I tried throwing a towel over him that time as was suggested in a preeminent cat care book, assuring me it calms even the most difficult cats.

The questions.....he will eat, but I am not sure he can make it the length of a Havahart trap or that he will even try, in which case am I really torturing him by witholding food?    Has anyone had any success with alternate ways of trapping or getting into a trap?  Pillow case?  Zipping the cat in something?  I am afraid to try benedryl as I am not sure where he will be when and if it takes effect.  The sad fact is that he needs to be released humanely and professionally by my vet or ER.  Thanks so much.

Thank you so much for helping this cat. Is there a vet who will come to your home? If you could lure the cat into a large dog crate, the vet can give him a tranquilizer and he won't be able to escape.

The only other thing that comes to mind is a net. I use a long, sturdy fishing net with a wide mouth. I get it at Dick's.

Unfortunately, I have to cut the net once I drop the netted cat into the carrier. I shut the door with the handle sticking out and cut the net loose.

I haven't found a way to re-use the net, so it can get expensive. Fortunately, I have only had to do this twice.

Again, thank you for helping him, poor dear...

Ondine

 Thank you so much for replying.  I never would have thought of a fishing net and will get one at Dicks to have on hand.  That is an ingenious idea and would have worked once years ago on another cat.

  I spent part of yesterday googling every symptom that I can see in this cat; the fact that I have just noticed that his rear legs have dropped and he is walking on his hocks makes me think that this is now diabetes...and it would explain the fact that the poor soul still wants to eat.  Last night when he came for food, I sat on the patio and he actually came and sat next to me, allowing me to touch him a little more with the gloved hands. Then, of course, he turned back into that gunfighter stance, almost shocked with himself that he had let his guard down....so I am be on the road to something.

  Your advice is greatly appreciated and I will post updates or a conclusion as things develop.

Poor dear does sound like he's suffering.  Hopefully, you can get him to the doctor's soon.  You are a kind soul for worrying about him.

Ondine

   After reading your reply, I remembered that while I do not have a dog trap, I did have a large dog crate from when my GSD was young.  Last night I set it up and when Nastase came to the porch I was able to put him inside with not too much difficulty.  His weakness and the fact that he was completely down on his hocks and staggery made it a little easier.  I immediately transported him to the ER where they could see that he needed to be let go.  They confirmed my recent guesses that this was hyperthyroidism/ diabetes, certainly reaching end stages.

  Once they took him back, he used his last little bit of strength to fight like crazy with his teeth and front legs and it required sedation prior to the euthanasia....and then he even fought going under.  Character is destiny, as they say, and he departed as I had first found him....one of the toughest cats I had ever known.  The staff was very professional with him, which I appreciated, as they had in the last few recent years, a severe mauling of a tech by a wild feral. I had even brought my own rose pruning gloves in case they turned some of the responsibility back over to me.

  I am so relieved that I was able to do this for him, with your help, and that he was not left to die in pain on his own.

  This is a great site and I am going to continue to look for advice and information here.  One single feral left outside from 2005 when I found her and her kittens and had them all fixed and the kittens adopted out.  She has never been within 5 feet of me, but I can see that she is also starting to weaken, so this may be where the fishnet comes in.

   Thanks again for your help.

What an angel you are!  I know how difficult it must have been for you, but you saved Nastase a painful death.  Bless you for taking care of her.  You are in my thoughts.

RIP Nastase

Oh!  I am so sorry for your loss but so appreciative that you were able to save this poor cat more suffering.  RIP Nastase

I am sending vibes that you are able to catch the other cat.  Perhaps, because their symptoms are so similar, you might consider testing her. With both cats coming down with the same symptoms, I would worry about it being something else.

Had they been vaccinated?  Perhaps a combo test and a rabies test are in order.  You said you had other cats in the colony; hopefully, they are not coming down with the same illness.

At the very least, I would look closely at the food they were eating.  Diabetes usually affects cats who eat too much cheap, carb-loaded foods.  I believe the same can be said of thyroid issues - the wrong food can contribute to the development of problems.

But again, thank you so much for helping them all.

ShadowsRescue and Ondine

  Thank you for your kind words. I am very happy that I was able to intervene for Nastase and agree that the remaining cat should start the process of being trapped as well.  

  There were only ever 4 cats maximum here, although I trapped, fixed, and found homes for all who could be relocated.  Of the four, Ginger was a sweetheart who trusted me enough to go to the vet on occasion, and when the time came I was able to peacefully take him in and stay with him.  The other three were/ are beyond any real domesticity, although  the remaining one, Cat Zeta, did have shots when I had her fixed.  The feral colonies I worked with were at my workplace, which is in a low socio-economic part of town.  Many stories from that, but sadly stray dogs killed several of the cats one night, witnessed by the people who lived next door, so we all took one surviving cat apiece home.

  I believed that Nastase, and now  Zeta, have old age related conditions and the vet at the ER indicated the same thing.  However, I was shocked to find when I researched thyroid problems in cats that one brand of very popular food contains enough soy to be a thyroid antagonist...I don't know if brand names can be mentioned in your forums.    

  Thank you again for all your help.