how to trap a scittish kitten that has been livng inside wooden locked enclosure almost a year.

was forced to move kittens feeding station to a tree with a 'hole in the middle'.the inside  can not be seen unless you stand very close to  the tree. the kittens have been seen roaming the area near the bushy feeding station near by. when they see     any one in the area or the other adult cats, they scamper back under the enclosure. because the weather here in the southeast is warm one day and cold another or warmer during the day and cool at night. am having difficulty figuring out when to put the trap out .the female kitten is the only kitten that  has not been TNRd.am not sure how much time I have before the kitten goes in heat? am in the middle of ridding out two storage units before the end of December.am working more days than  I have off. have in past left the trap out over night in the summer months. any suggestions or info would be appreciated.

Bumping this up.  Were you able to catch the kitten?

Cats can go in their first heat cycle as early as 5 months.

As for leaving the trap out: it depends on the location. Is it private property? Is it fenced in? Safety is a concern. We often leave traps out unattended if the location is safe, but there are areas where I would not leave, for the safety of the cats.

If you decide it is safe, make sure the trap is covered with a warm blanket, and if it might rain, you want to add a plastic cover too. Make sure everything is secure, on a flat even surface, put some weights on top of the trap to prevent the covers from flying away from wind. Keep the time the trap is unattended as short as possible. If you leave the trap out over night, check it before you go to bed and first thing in the morning.

If you think it´s not safe to leave the trap, you could recruit helpers and take turns in guarding the trap.

Do you have the means to keep the kitten in a crate until surgery? You should arrange for everything before you trap.

thanks for your input about when a kitten can go in heat.have been monitoring the kitten's movements with a trail camera.have been told that I no longer can feed the kitten inside the enclosure that is on Elks Lodge property. my daughter was able to put food inside a tree near by for the kitten. am hopeing to TNR the kitten before she gets pregnant. only able to put the camera inside the enclosure on Sundays (when no one is at the ELKS Lodge. the weather here has started to get colder at night so I DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE THE TRAP OUT AT NIGHT .HAVE HEARD THAT SOME PEOPLE PUT STRAW INSIDE THE TRAP FOR Warmth?

I would not worry too much about the temperature, if you cover up the trap with thick blankets (be sure they don´t interfere with the trap mechanism!). Since the kitten lives outdoors, it probably doesn´t have a shelter that is any better than your covered trap.

Why don´t you talk to the Elks lodge people and explain you want to trap the kitten? Maybe they allow you to place the trap on their property. It´s probably safer than on public land.

Thanks for your quick reply back. hope to set out trap next Sunday morning and pick it up on Monday morning.