Ideas for catching a "Trap Shy" feral thay needs a Veterinarian

I had some feral cats TNR'd a few years back, and have been feeding them since. Two of them fought and the following day, a "bubble" appeared under "Tipper's" neck. There is no way he will enter a trap again because he remembers the TNR. His energy level and appetite is the same as it was before. Whenever I try to get close, he bolts quickly away.

I wanted to take him to a vet because of the "bubble" (which I think could be an infection), but I can't catch him. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thank You

If you can feed him inside a crate, you can rig it as a trap.  Tie a length of twine to the top of the door and loop it through the top of the crate.  Walk away with the other end to a place where they can't see you.  Put the food at the back of the crate and wait.  He should go into the crate to eat and you can pull the door closed.  It is best to have someone else there to run and secure the door before he realizes it is closing.

You can also try using the regular trap.  Tie it open so it doesn't spring and feed in the trap, and only in the trap, for a few days.  He may get used to it not springing and go in.

The only other suggestion I have is a drop trap, although those are pretty pricey - perhaps there is someplace you can borrow one?

Is your vet familiar with him?  He or she may be willing t give you some antibiotics to put in his food.

Ondine,

Thank you for your suggestions! I do have a crate that I bought, and I can start feeding the ferals in the crate only. Obviously, I'll probably get one shot at this, in that I'll only pull the twine when Tipper is the one in there. If it doesn't work, I probably won't get a second chance for him to trust the crate.

I actually have no vet. "Best Friends" (a Los Angeles based organization) brought out the traps and did the TNR on strays in our neighborhood. I could see if they also do regular veterinary services.

God Bless You,

Good luck!  Vibes for a successful re-trapping coming your way!