Trapping question

Hello all,

Just a lil background info:  There's a couple outside strays that I feed regularly, and within the last couple of days, a newcomer has arrived!  However, this new guy is injured and needs to go to the vet - both his ears are injured.   I've fed him the last two nights at the same time - he comes by right around 11pm.    My neighbor across the street gave me a trap today so that I can catch him and take him to the vet tomorrow.

My question is:   What do I do with him after I have trapped him?   I have 4 full-time inside cats in my home, so this injured tomcat absolutely cannot have free run of the house.   The only places I could really put him are in the bathroom (which is really small) or the basement --> I'm leaning towards using the basement because the trap will literally take up the entire floor space of my bathroom, unless I can just set it inside the bathtub.    So, once I've got him down in the basement, do I just leave him in the trap all night?   How will he be able to poop and pee if I do that?   I'm scared that if I let him out of the trap overnight, what if I can't get him back in it so I can transport him to the vet?  I don't really know this cat, so I'm scared of how he will act, since I'm a stranger and I'm sure he is in pain.   I won't be able to get him to my vet until about 10-11am tomorrow morning - will he be OK inside the trap in my basement from 11pm-11am?   If it's OK to just leave him in the trap for 12 hours, do you think the best place to set the trap would be inside the bathtub?   I guess that way, even if he pees, it'll just drain into the tub (gross, but I really am trying to help this guy - looks like he got into a fight and one of his ears got messed up quite badly).  I'm mainly concerned with how he will "use the bathroom" if he is in the trap for 12 hours.    And if it is even OK for him to be in the trap for that long.     I've never used a real trap before, but my neighbor showed me how to set it up - it's like a rectangle cage where the lid snaps up as soon as a cat walks over it.   I was just gonna put a plate of wet food in the back of the trap.   Hopefully he will go into it - he is very food motivated, probably very hungry.   He inhales a whole can of 9Lives in less than 2 mins.  AND he's hurt, poor guy......I'm worried about his wound becoming infected since he just roams around outside, apparently.  Thanks for any advice!!

Don't release him from the trap pre-vet visit.  He'll be fine overnight.  Putting the trap in the tub is a great idea but I'd put a pee pad or old towel under the trap (so the tub doesn't get scratched).  If he pees or poops while in the trap, you can replace the pee pad.   Also cover the entire trap.  That will help keep him calm.

Depending on how long you need to keep him, can you get a dog crate for him to stay in in the basement?  If he's able to be released in a few days, you could keep him in the trap until you can release him.  If he only needs to be neutered, he'll only need an overnight stay but I guess it depends on his injuries.  The vet can tell you more.

But a dog crate big enough for a potty and a bed will keep him safe while he recuperates.  It will help you assess his personaility and may help you socialize him some, too.  Ask the vet what he/she thinks of the cat's personaility.  He may be too feral and need to be released outside, once he's neutered and fixed up.

Thank you for helping him!

Ondine said:

 
Depending on how long you need to keep him, can you get a dog crate for him to stay in in the basement?  If he's able to be released in a few days, you could keep him in the trap until you can release him.  If he only needs to be neutered, he'll only need an overnight stay but I guess it depends on his injuries.  The vet can tell you more.

But a dog crate big enough for a potty and a bed will keep him safe while he recuperates.  It will help you assess his personaility and may help you socialize him some, too.

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I could maybe get a dog crate, but it would have to wait until Friday, as that is my next payday and just the act of taking this one to the vet is going to take what $$ I have until then - so the trap I have is going to have to do until this weekend.   I don't mind getting a bigger crate and holding on to the cat after the vet visit, but I'm assuming he will need medication for his wounds, so the cost of that plus the vet visit is likely not going to leave me with much left - so I need to be able to work with what I got until then!

jolie0216 said:

 
I could maybe get a dog crate, but it would have to wait until Friday, as that is my next payday and just the act of taking this one to the vet is going to take what $$ I have until then - so the trap I have is going to have to do until this weekend.   I don't mind getting a bigger crate and holding on to the cat after the vet visit, but I'm assuming he will need medication for his wounds, so the cost of that plus the vet visit is likely not going to leave me with much left - so I need to be able to work with what I got until then!

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Then he should be OK in the trap for a few days.  And actually, it may help if you have to apply ointment to his ears.  It might be a little awkward feeding him in there, but you can lift the trap out of the tub and onto the floor for cleaning/feeding.

Ondine said:

 
Then he should be OK in the trap for a few days.  And actually, it may help if you have to apply ointment to his ears.  It might be a little awkward feeding him in there, but you can lift the trap out of the tub and onto the floor for cleaning/feeding.

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OK thanks   I was just concerned because I didn't know if it was "cruel" to leave him in the trap for so many hours, and plus I wasn't sure how the pee/poop situation would work in a trap, but I think it will work OK in the tub with some towels underneath the trap.   It's not great, but hopefully it beats running around outside with a bloody ear - even if the cat does not agree with that assessment - if I can get him trapped successfully, I'll update this thread w/some pics of his injury, I'd like to get some others' thoughts on it.   Looks like something tore off a nice-size chunk of skin, fur and top layers of skin, right off the back of one ear.  And the other ear has a laceration right at the base of the ear.   It still looked bloody/wet when he came by last night.   I'm scared to touch it, and even if I could, I'm not sure what to do about it myself - I have h. peroxide and betadine, but I don't want to "sting" him......I just don't know, he needs a vet for sure.

UPDATE:  I got him!  He is now safely in the trap.  My husband doesn't want him inside until he gets seen by the vet tomorrow, so he'll just spend the night out on the porch in the trap.

I tried to get a pic of his ears, but they aren't turning out well, it's too dark.   Will update once we get back from the vet.

You are a kind & wonderful person to take care of this stray, injured cat. What a lucky guy to have happened upon such a generous kind soul. Best of luck to quick healing and an economical vet visit ( if there is such a thing lol).

Wonderful news! I hope all goes well at the vet tomorrow. Thank you for helping this cat!

So glad to read you got the poor guy!!! It sounds like he's lucky to have you as those do sound like painful injuries. Definitely keep the trap totally covered while he's in it with an old sheet or large beach towel even during the trip to/from the vet. It'll keep him a million times calmer - it's amazing what a difference it makes! And the last thing you want is him thrashing around further & injuring his ears further. And keep him covered while he's recovering too - we cover our crates with two towels & provide a little crack at the top for some light & air to come in. Hopefully you can bring him (in the trap) inside after the vet visit as post-surgery (neuter etc) he'll need to be kept more protected -from other animals & the elements (including temperature). If you have to keep him in an un-temperature regulated area once he's back (like a garage, she'd or porch) , remember it's summer, so be aware of how warm it can be --particularly in a completely covered trap or cage.

And I totally sympathize with your worries about keeping him in the trap for very long. I always say a little prayer when we trap ferals (we TNR in our neighborhood) that it's a male since they can be released much more quickly (although we've gotten the process "down" of transferring kitties into a large wire dog crate for as long as we need to keep them in). Do see if your vet can assess at all if he's truly feral or actually more "human friendly"-- it'll be harder for you to tell since he's trapped & injured (so he won't be acting "normal") but your vet should be able to give you a better idea. if you do have to keep him inside for a longer period than a neuter recovery, you might try asking your vet if they could loan you (offer a deposit) a large dog crate ---or call area rescue societies. I know on several occasions the cat shelter I volunteer for has loaned out crates to help out folks (since it helps keep the kitties out of the shelter). Or do you have any friends who might have one they could loan you? Think through people you know who have dogs ---particularly anyone who's had a puppy & gone through training---maybe a friend can loan you one? Explain that you'll only need it for a short time & that you'll thoroughly disinfect it before returning it.

Let us know what happens at the vet -hopefully he'll be basically healthy other than the ears!! And if you do end up needing to have him inside for a longer period & can get your hands on a crate - check in here & I'm sure you can get suggestions on transferring him into the larger cage!

Hurray!  Vibes being sent that the trip to the vet goes well tomorrow.  Keep us posted ...

OK so we have a slight problem - the vet called me this morning and told me he won't be able to see him today     Now, this vet is actually amazing - he used to have a million dollar clinic in a different city in the state, but he retired from that practice a few years ago and now operates and volunteers at a couple low-cost clinics here in town; that is how I met him.   He only charges $15 for me to bring in any cat for a look-see, so much much cheaper than any other vet practice in town.   He told me yesterday that he would really try to fit this guy in, but that there was a chance he might not be able to - I was just holding out hope.....

He told me that tomorrow is his big weekly spay/neuter surgery day, and that he would definitely be able to fit this cat in after his surgeries tomorrow.   That is great, and the cat is not any immediate danger while he is with us (hubby relented and now the cat is in the bathtub!)   However,  I have NO IDEA what to do with him until tomorrow afternoon.    He is still in the trap, I just laid down some towels in the bathtub and set the trap over them.    I would like to keep him in the trap - but now that the appt is delayed until tomorrow, I'm wondering how can I provide food and water to him?  I don't think there is any way to open the trap to get any food in there.    Do you think that if I spring the cat from the trap and just have him hang out in the bathroom that I will be able to either re-trap him or get him in a carrier tomorrow?  It would probably be best (and easiest for me) to just leave him in the trap so I don't have to worry about having to re-trap, but that's a really long time to be in there with no food or water.  He did eat the whole can of food I placed in the trap last night before I caught him - it was a 5.5oz can of 9Lives, and that was about 10:30pm last night.      What do you think I should do?   Is there a way he can eat/drink while in the trap?  If I open the door to put food in there, won't he run out the trap anyway?

The vet also mentioned his vet tech does a lot of rescue work, so she might be able to help find an organization that could get this guy all the way fixed up - vaccinated, neutered, etc.   But that's not a sure thing so I'm not counting on it.   I don't mind doing those things for him - but this week, all I can afford is to just get him seen by the vet and get his wounds patched up plus some antibiotics or ointment, whatever meds he will need.    Wasn't planning on even worrying about vaccinations or neutering this week - just getting him on the road to recovery.

I'm also hoping him being in the bathroom won't upset my own cats too much - I set the hurt cat in the bathroom and closed the door, and of course all my cats are glued to the bathroom door now 

The injured cat is behaving very well - no thrashing about or violent raging - he just lies there looking sad and meowing occasionally   

I think putting his food, water, and a litter pan in the bathroom, and opening the door of the trap is the best idea. Do you have a pet carrier you could line with a towel and replace the cage with? He then has the option to "hide" in the carrier after he satisfies his needs. It will be easier to transport him in as well. Then spend some time in the bathroom with him during his stay just sitting there and letting him smell your scent and see that you mean no harm.

Hopefully he will remain calm and will use the carrier as his safe place, making it easier to get him in it for the vet tomorrow. Just be careful with entering and exiting the bathroom.

But he must eat, drink, and perform his bodily functions.

Also, I think keeping him in your home in whatever way you can until his wounds heal and you can get him neutered is the way to go, as you may have difficulty ever trapping him outside again.

I am not sure I would let him out of the trap, especially if he's calm.  Sometimes they thrash around but in his case, it looks like he's just relieved to be in a safe place.  I am just concerned you won't be able to get him back in the trap or carrier.  And with no barrier at the door when you open it, he may be wiley enough to run out of the bathroom.  You just haven't had enough time to assess what he'll do.

You can lift the trap out of the tub, put it flat on a towel on the floor and slide a plate of food under the trap door.  You do not have to lift the door open too far.  Some traps come with a "fork" that slides into the side of the trap and allows you to make a smaller space - basically pushing him to the back of the trap while you lift the trap door.  Once he's eating, you can then change the towels in the tub, if needed.  You really only need to feed him once or twice - a can of food goes a long way.  If he messes in the crate, just change the towel.  Don't worry too much about cleaning the trap.  Jostling will likely upset him and that can wait, as nasty as it may become.

I would speak quietly to him whenever you intereact with him but you don't need to work on socializing right now.  From you description, he may be so sick, he just wants to rest.  I would suggest you have him tested for FIV and FELV - fighting males are at a higher risk of getting both.  Your vet can do a SNAP test - pretty quick and easy and it will give you information you need to decide where he'll spend his life.

Good luck with this - I hope the vet tech can help!

I'll go home on my lunch break and assess how he's doing - there's gotta be some kind of way to get at least some kibble in there for him.   The vet himself said he would be fine in the trap til tomorrow, but I didn't ask him all these questions about feeding and pooping, etc.....  I just hate feeling like I'm being mean to him by caging him up like this, when all I want to do is help him out.   But yes, my main concern is "will I be able to re-trap him if I let him out?"   And I don't want to have to fight him or possibly injure him further by manhandling him into a carrier if I do let him out of the trap - that is my big worry here.   I'm fine with letting out of the trap and hang out in the bathroom for however long he needs to recuperate after seeing the vet - the main thing is just getting him to the vet with the least amount of drama & trauma possible 

Then leave him in the trap and make sure to give him food and water through the door. You should be able to at least get a paper plate of wet food into the trap. If you are afraid he may scratch or bite, wear some sort of glove or kitchen mitt to put it in. Wet food is better because it gives him moisture. Kibble will make him thirsty and you'll need to give him a dish of water.

Update:  I went home for my lunch break to check on the cat - he seems to be OK - he just lays in the trap, doesn't make a sound when I enter the room - but meows and hisses if I remove the towel covering the trap.  But he's not freaking out or anything - I bet he is just scared to be in a strange place with a strange person.    I laid a couple fluffy bath towels in the bathtub and set the trap on top of those towels.    I gave him a can - just put it in a paper plate and it underneath the trap so that the food was sticking up in between the cage metal pieces.  He was able to eat most of it this way.    So if I feed him wet food today/tonight, I shouldn't have to worry about a separate water bowl?   I forgot to do it just now, but when I give him his dinner, I'll add some extra water to the wet food for him.    I'll switch out the towels as soon as I see that he's pooped or peed (I don't think he has "eliminated" since I trapped him last night).   Does this all sound OK?   I was really scared and uncertain at first, but I feel more confident now - I think he will be just fine until I can get him into the vet's office tomorrow.  I really hope he feels as relaxed as possible and gets some good rest.   I turned the bathroom light off and covered the trap back up with a towel.   And thankfully, my own cats were not acting crazy or anything when I was just at the house, so I think all is well      When I described the injury to the vet, he said that there probably isn't much he can do to "fix" the wound, and that he would likely just need some antibiotics to ward off any possible infection.   I forgot to ask him about using hydrogen peroxide or betadine - do you think I should try to disinfect the wound myself, or just wait?   I plan to hold on to him until his ears are better - then I will take him to get neutered.    At that point, we can assess whether he would make a good pet or whether he would be happier returning outside.   Even if he goes back outside, as long as he's neutered, hopefully he won't be getting into any more fights!     Thanks for the advice guys - you helped give me some major confidence in dealing with this cat - I've never even used (or seen) a trap before - so lucky that my neighbor happened to have one!!

I think feeding him another can of wet food tonight will provide adequate water. It can't hurt to add in a couple of teaspoons of extra water, but probably is not necessary.

I would not attempt to work on his wound. Let the vet handle him and clean it and see it like it is tomorrow. Do you think you will be able to give him his antibiotic inside his wet food?

I like your plan to keep him until he's healed and neutered and then to assess his overall chances of domesticating.

I do think he'll need out of the trap after the vet visit tomorrow, so go ahead and set up whatever space you'll be putting him in tomorrow.

Do you have a spare room, or will you use the basement? And is it warm or cool in there? Is there a window he can look out? A place to sleep? Anything dangerous to put away?

sarthur2 said:

I think feeding him another can of wet food tonight will provide adequate water. It can't hurt to add in a couple of teaspoons of extra water, but probably is not necessary.

I would not attempt to work on his wound. Let the vet handle him and clean it and see it like it is tomorrow. Do you think you will be able to give him his antibiotic inside his wet food?

I like your plan to keep him until he's healed and neutered and then to assess his overall chances of domesticating.

I do think he'll need out of the trap after the vet visit tomorrow, so go ahead and set up whatever space you'll be putting him in tomorrow.

Do you have a spare room, or will you use the basement? And is it warm or cool in there? Is there a window he can look out? A place to sleep? Anything dangerous to put away?

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Yeah, I don't think it will be problem giving him medication via food - he is a very good eater!    And I'll leave the wound alone, you are right - the vet should see it first "as-is".

Yep I will spring him from the trap after the visit, but not sure of the best place for him to "live" temporarily.   The bathroom is small, but it has a window and we have central air so the room stays nice & cool.   There is also the worry that if I crack the bathroom door to get in there - could he dart out of the bathroom, or possibly one of my cats dart in?  Would have to be very careful entering/exiting the bathroom if I leave him in there.

We do have a basement, but there is really no window for him to look out of - there is one window right by the top of our dryer, but it's the kind of window that's not just plain regular glass, so you don't get a nice clear view of the outside - everything looks all blurry/fuzzy (that's probably a weird description, but hopefully you'll know the kind of window glass I'm trying to describe).   He'd have a lot more room down there, though.  It's not a finished basement, so it's just concrete floor, no carpet.  We don't have hardly anything in the basement, save for the washer/dryer and a couple boxes of old house items and photo albums, so nothing dangerous for him to be around.      You think he'd rather have a very small room with a view, or a larger area to move around, but no window?

There's really nowhere else to put him - would have to be either bathroom or basement.    We do have a spare bedroom, but it is filled with plants (my indoor garden hehe) so I can't let him run around in there and destroy things.

Absolutely do not let him out of the trap.

The flat end of the trap should have a sliding door, unlatch and only open it a small amt, enough to slide a dish of canned with water added and be SURE to relatch! I made that mistake once and what a nightmare as he escaped of course.

Only leave the very end and maybe 2 inches of the trap uncovered, he will stay calm.

Cats are extremely patient

Vet will likely give him a shot of covenia which is a 2 week antibiotic, and he needs to be neutered, which is why he is fighting.

He needs to remain in the trap afterwards too, 1 day is fine, then release him.

You can't keep a feral uncaged in the house, it will be something you will regret.

Great job!

Well, the best place would be your spare bedroom. It's got a/c, has a window, has more room than the bathroom, and is more accessible and cozy than the basement, and he will be part of the goings on in the house.

Can you put your plants somewhere else for now?