Should I trap this cat? When?

tnr1

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Oct 5, 2003
Messages
7,980
Purraise
13
Location
Northern Virginia
Scott...could it be that all the other cats have said..."psst...good stuff over there...you get caught and you're mad..but you get to eat some food ....you get your wounds cleaned...you don't have to worry about making/having babies..and when you get back out in the sunshine..you feel MUCH better..it's all good."


Of course..that could just be MY take on it.

Katie
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #42

scott77777

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 14, 2003
Messages
460
Purraise
4
I'm not sure what to hope for! I want to catch the cats, but it's never-ending and we're only 2-3 people!

We actually just got informed about an uncontrolled colony in a neighboring town.
Around 25 cats.


I've pretty much broken the personal bank on our own colony, so I suppose it's time to launch a website for these cats and do some fundraising. Pretty soon I'll be applying for non-profit status and running a cat rescue on a farm somewhere.
 

arizonacatman

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
28
Purraise
0
Location
Arizona (soon Kansas City)
Scott,

well so I was wrong and the cat wasn't ear tipped. guess it's a good thing I didn't have money riding on it after all.

Say, I gather you've done plenty of trapping, so forgive me for asking, but is it common practice for you to put sheets over the cats right after they're trapped? Obviously one cant take photos through a sheet, so I can't tell from the photos.

Jim
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #45

scott77777

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 14, 2003
Messages
460
Purraise
4
About the sheet --

Typically, I stand back from the cage so the cats don't thrash around. They usually thrash for the first 10 seconds when I approach the trap (or cage - we sometimes trap using crates), then they calm down. I back off if they start getting stressed. If I can, I throw a towel or a sheet over them. This particular cat was almost completely cowed or calm (maybe a stray?), even when we lifted the trap, so a sheet wasn't necessary. However, the other recent capture I had was a white male cat that was nuts, so we covered him right away and kept him covered. I try and take at least one picture to keep a record of who we've trapped, document the process, etc...
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #46

scott77777

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 14, 2003
Messages
460
Purraise
4
Katie,

I can check with Neighborhood Cats, but we're about 45 minutes north of NYC, and when I've spoken with NY groups before they always say that they've got enough problems for themselves. We're able to bring cats down to spay-neuter days and such, but we still end up paying in some way. I would estimate that (between my girlfiend and I) -- for all of the vet bills related to the TNR of our colony, we've spent between $1,000-$2,000, starting with Tiki - who was very sick when we first found her.

So, needless to say, another 25 cats on top of the 17 we've done is a tall order if it's coming from the pockets of 2-3 people with a small amount of funding from a local rescue group.
 

arizonacatman

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
28
Purraise
0
Location
Arizona (soon Kansas City)
Scott,

Good to hear you're using sheets, but I wouldn't assume that if a cat isn't thrashing about that it isn't still stressed from being in the trap. The people who trained me were pretty adament about getting a sheet over the trap immediately no matter how the cat initially reacted.

Makes sense to me. Even though I'm over 50, to this day if things get really overwhelming, I still feel like pulling a sheet over my head!

Jim
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #48

scott77777

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 14, 2003
Messages
460
Purraise
4
No worries. They're in good hands. I make it as easy on them as possible. They know that the quick publicity shot and the record-keeping is in their best interests.


I think pictures like these compell people to have some compassion (and hope for the seemingly hopeless)...

It's a rocky road to start, but they're better off for it in the long run.



 

houseofcats

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 14, 2003
Messages
425
Purraise
2
Location
Arizona
Originally posted by arizonacatman
BYK thanks you for the kind words.

I just looked back through this thread so I should be up to speed. Scott has some great head shots of the ones he's been working with.

By the way, probably should let everyone know there are three colonies that I documented for AZCats several years ago, since there's discussion on ear-tipping. Also, if there are people who can put the photos to good use, just let me know you'd like to use them and they're free to any non-profit.

OK, here's the link to the start page for all three colonies. Click on any photo to bring it up big-time.

http://www.mindspring.com/~jnphoto/azcats/azcats.html

Jim
The sahuaro ranch is our colony in these photos!
 

susan wolcott

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Messages
12
Purraise
1
Location
Warren, Michigan; TNR in Troy
IMHO all sterilized ferals should be eartipped, but the vets do not do it here unless you ask for it and specify in detail what you want done (I have asked for eartip and gotton a 'notch' in which no skin was removed and I could not tell when I trapped him later if he'd already been done). Consider my case -- a colony of over 100 cats, at least half of them black. I would be trapping forever and never know when I was done w/o eartipping! Also, the vets would be wasting money on apointments for cats when the cat would turn out to need nothing! And I will not pay for any extra work on an already sterilized cat. I am dead broke from sterilizing and feeding and sheltering my colony as it is.

I strongly believe that you must stay with the trap so if you are going to trap at night, pick a weekend and plan to sleep in your car. I bait my traps with chicken sides from Taco Bell and they always kid that I'm going to be sleeping in my car again. Usually I do not have to go past midnight, but sometimes I have ahd to pursue it all night to get the cats. If the cat is coming to your own house then perhaps you might leave a trap unattended if it is on your own property and you are just inside. In that case, I would make a trapbox (wood covering the trap with a removeable lid and entry on both sides so you could use a 2 door trap) to protect the cat from wind and rain.
 

arizonacatman

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
28
Purraise
0
Location
Arizona (soon Kansas City)
Susan,

I certainly agree with all you said and would add that there is another reason to make certain traps are never left unattended . . . traps have been known to disappear. I've heard of it happening on more than one occasion and I suspect in some cases they are taken by people opposed to the entire idea of humane trapping as part of a TNR program.

Jim
 

susan wolcott

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Messages
12
Purraise
1
Location
Warren, Michigan; TNR in Troy
In the area where I trap, one of the ferals was found with her skull smashed in. I have also received reports of factory workers shooting bee-bees at cats on teh fence. A cat in a trap is helpless and people are cruel, escpecially to cats.

But I read a warning on a Texas website that made my blood curdle: it said -- do not leave traps unattended in case of FIRE ANTS! Once I got no takers on a trap and decided to freshen the bait...that's when I got close enough to see that it was covered with ants. The cats could be tortured by people, insects, or inclement weather and die in traps. They are only humane if used humanely!
 

arizonacatman

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
28
Purraise
0
Location
Arizona (soon Kansas City)
Susan,

I totally agree with you when you say a trap is humane only if used humanely. As for ants, well here in Arizona the fire ant situation can be so bad that the only way to bait the trap is to use two containers one inside the other with the larger one holding enough water to serve as a moat and keep the ants from the food.

Jim
 

crazy-cat-lover

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
1,852
Purraise
1
Location
Surrey, BC
I just talked to a lady from the Vancouver Humane Society and she said I should only ear tip if there is identical cats in my colony. Wouldn't it be better to get them all ear tipped? What if a new cat shows up that is identical to one of my "regulars"? I would guess that eartipping them all would be the best?
 

valanhb

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
Jim, it looks like I have already used one of your photos of Lisa's colony!




The big black and white guy in the "You can...and him..." flash of this .gif is one from your site.
We aren't an official non-profit yet, but should be soon. Your photos are amazing, and if you don't mind I would love to use them for more feral care banners (which I found are sorely lacking on the web as a whole!).

BTW, anyone promoting TNR and feral colony care are more than welcome to use these however they like (signature here, on your website, in newsletters, emails, whatever(please give credit if on a website or newsletter to either www.SaveSamoa.org or www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org)), just please upload them to your own server for bandwidth reasons.
 

houseofcats

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 14, 2003
Messages
425
Purraise
2
Location
Arizona
Originally posted by valanhb
Jim, it looks like I have already used one of your photos of Lisa's colony!




The big black and white guy in the "You can...and him..." flash of this .gif is one from your site.
We aren't an official non-profit yet, but should be soon. Your photos are amazing, and if you don't mind I would love to use them for more feral care banners (which I found are sorely lacking on the web as a whole!).

BTW, anyone promoting TNR and feral colony care are more than welcome to use these however they like (signature here, on your website, in newsletters, emails, whatever(please give credit if on a website or newsletter to either www.SaveSamoa.org or www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org)), just please upload them to your own server for bandwidth reasons.
Oh wow!! This banner is great! Yes, the tuxedo, who we call Bond-James Bond, is one of Jim's pictures. The rest were taken by my husband or myself! What a wonderful job!
 

arizonacatman

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
28
Purraise
0
Location
Arizona (soon Kansas City)
Originally posted by valanhb
Jim, it looks like I have already used one of your photos of Lisa's colony!
Actually I took a look at your work the other day and recogized that fine kitty. I could see what you were doing and since I knew we were all on the same page about future uses, just let it pass, but it does really mean a lot to me that you fessed up! <grin>

It's a very difficult thing to convey sometimes (especially for someone like me who is often less than tactful) and photographers in general run into it a lot. Why my own sister came to me last year and asked me to make copies of another photographer's work because she didn't think she should have to pay for copies of her daughter's graduation photos. I didn't do it, of course. The guy has a right to try and make a living.

I think what happens mentally is that the person focuses on what is in the picture, considers that subject "theirs" in some way, and somehow makes a mental jump past the fact that someone else captured that moment for them.

Anyway, for those of us who are trying to make a living doing what we love, it's particularly important to try and keep a handle on free use. And yes, it becomes harder for everyone in situations like the photos you've gotten from Lisa because three people took the shots! I'm not a total ogre about it though (no matter what anyone says).

So by all means use the shots. Frankly, I'm glad to see them put to good use as I've always loved the stuff I got from those feral colonies and hope to do more like that after we move to KC. Just keep me up on what you want to do and I'll be a happy camper.

One thought though. If for any reason you get to a point where you want to use any of those shots in print, please let me check to see if I still have the original files. Normally when I shoot the files are either in RAW format or 300 dpi TIFFs, so they hold up pretty well up to the 13" x 19" size I print for clients.

Jim
 

tnr1

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Oct 5, 2003
Messages
7,980
Purraise
13
Location
Northern Virginia
LOVE the banner....can I make a suggestion....many people link their site to a banner. I think if you offered for people to download it but to make sure to upload it with the link...that would work. I'm planning to do that with your site Stray Pet Advocacy that is already linked to my site.

Katie
 

susan wolcott

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Messages
12
Purraise
1
Location
Warren, Michigan; TNR in Troy
You get points for thinking ahead! Someone here TNR'd a cat colony for a friend, did not tip or notch or tattoo the cats, but took pictures. Now no one else can help the caregiver because WE don't have the pictures. This system did not work even in her own colony because sometimes it's hard to match a cat up to a picture. The vets will tell you they can always tell from the scar. But they can't. In this colony a female who was already spayed was opened up again because the system did not work. I get around 10% new cats/year in my colony. Even in some of the satellite colonies I have helped -- the cats are theoretically all different, but unless I draw detailed maps of where the black and white patches are on this cat vs. that cat, I will never be able to adequately identify each one. Eartipping is the best way.

Also, consider this: Where I TNR the businessmen now have a hobby of "eartip watching." They report to me when they see a cat which has not been tipped. The eartip is one way to get them behind the project because its visual proof the colony is under control.
 
Top