Don't try this with your ferals

Argh..yesterday we got another feral to the vet_which's the best that can happen_but it was rough..more for Diego (the feral) than us.
I know we shouldn't have picked him up and stuffed him in a carrier but ah-well, live and learn.
I picked him up and all was well until I lost my grip, he struggled, sprayed (we thought in the carrier HA..on my hoodie rather ) and scratched me a bit, not bad just hands, face and neck. We got him to the vet, we'll pick him up next Mo.
First and last time I pick up a feral and put him in a carrier, I'm all patched up now, can't say the same about my hoodie (serves me right I suppose)

Good grief! How did you get close enough to pick him up?? Or is/was he that trusting? Hopefully he's not scarred for life . Earlier this summer I had a feral kitten that I was trying to handplace in a trap - fought like a demon! Who know such a little creature has such determination

Congrats on getting Diego in and to the vet, though. Sorry about your hoodie - that boykitty stink is harsh stuff!

Wow....Marta...I hope you are ok. Make sure you go to your doctor if you haven't already since you don't know the feral's history. I know that sometimes in the clinic, they have to handle a cat that is awake...but they have those very thick gloves. You may want to invest in a pair if you are using a carrier.

Katie

Gloves, a thick towel, even a lightweight blanket. I have picked up feral cats before in emergency situations and have learned from experience to carry them scruffed (short distances) with my arm fully extended so they can't get me. The carriers are always standing on end, with straw down at the bottom and the door opened, so when I drop the cat into the carrier, he lands on a soft bed of straw. Then I slam the door shut. I also wear goggles and a hat. I had one feral a few years ago, twist around and grab my face and climb up my head raking me with his claws. I too, learned the hard way-

<<How did you get close enough to pick him up?? >>
That was my mistake..I've always trapped them_except for Diego's aunt (I think) that was tame in her way (she'd jump on your lap but you couldn't look in her eyes b/c she'd flee) picked her up and took her in a carrier to the vet and she didn't mind a bit_but nobody else. My husband tried to pick up a kitten last summner and, no way, just like with your kitten, they don't seem that strong but they are and faster than a speeding bullet maybe.
The colony seems to have mellowed out with the cold weather (or ..) I can pet several except for the hard ferals. Soo, against what I thought could happen I just grabbed him by the scruff and he didn't do much but when I started to put him in the carrier he wiggled violently.
I felt bad really afterwards b/c I never have used that much force with a cat, what it must have been like for him tho he seemed OK and if all goes alright he'll be much better in the future.
Well, I don't know about the hoodie, we'll see if it still smells after all the enzymatic cleaner and washing..

Marta, about the hoodie...

Try washing in the washing machine with about 1/2 cup of vodka. Sounds strange, I know, but there is something in vodka that works as a natural enzymatic cleaner. Hissy used it once when she was got by a skunk and said it even took that smell out of her clothes!

I have a feral that is eight months old now and has been with me inside since she was five weeks old. I still have a very hard time getting her into a carrier and she is terrified the whole time. I can carry her in my arms, but I'm nervous to do that crossing the busy streets to the car. She's just terrified of the carrier!

Good news! The hoodie washed out clean and fresh ..I didn't use vodka though b/c it was already in the wash when I read the post. Thank-you anyways, I'll keep that in mind for another time I need it..I've been passing the tip along.

Katie; most cats are terrified of the carrier, don't worry about it. It will be always safer than carrying her in your arms, she can always jump out. Somehow housecats are worse than ferals_in my experience_ Madam_raised inside, 'sense' when she's going to the vet and once in the carrier she yowls all the way. The ferals either in trap or carrier seem to just huddle and keep silent.

And I just released back Juan Diego in their alley ..made me a bit sad to put him back though the good news are that he's neutered, vetted and vaccinated.. anyways, letting them go is a bit of a toughie

I found an old carrier in our basement, it is a box, fairly shallow, with one side open. The open side is a screen that latches at the top. I just trapped a stray/feral in it and it was very easy. Took him to the vet right away and got him neutered/shots. The vet said he was a maniac and had to be noosed. He came home and loves me to death. I think he was an abandoned cat, not a feral. I have a real feral who lives in my basement and that cat after one year will still not let us touch her. But--she uses the box, comes out from under the stairs and sits politely by her bowl when we go downstairs AND, since I moved my computer downstairs and see a little more of her, plays with the other cats! She chases themup and down the stairs. So, she has some "connection" with another living thing. For the first month we had her (after trapping her during a frigid snowstorm) she hid in an old aquarium 99% of the time. It was creepy but after reading books to her, spending time by her, we kind of gave up and let her be.

What I've been doing with my feral kittens Calypso and Soca (f/m - 3 months old) is allowing them to play with the carrier. They run inside of it and play around it. Also when its time to go to the vet, I skip one feeding schedule so that when I put the food in the carrier, they run right in (Soca is smart (male) and if the gate is attached, he wont go in so i have to remove it). What also helps is a few days before the vet appointment, put the food into the carrier, and get them used to going into the carrier for food. Although they moaw A LOT when I attached the gate, its MUCH better than chasing or scruffing them into the carrier. It sounds like a lot of work but I dont want traumatize my feral kittens anymore than they already are. The above tips have worked for me. Hopefully it works for you too.

Originally Posted by katie=^..^=

I have a feral that is eight months old now and has been with me inside since she was five weeks old. I still have a very hard time getting her into a carrier and she is terrified the whole time. I can carry her in my arms, but I'm nervous to do that crossing the busy streets to the car. She's just terrified of the carrier!

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Marta, you get a medal for your bravery! (And Hissy, too!!)

I don't know what's worse; trying to trap a feral or watching a cat go literally crazy in its carrier!

Having read the posts, I have to write a message about Cindy, our tabby cat. She loves the carrier! it is really insane, but she will climb into the carrier, hoping to go anywhere! Lucy, OTHT, will resist you (you have to give her a shove), and will meow pitifully all the way to the vet.

Cindy is so funny. Is there such an animal as a cat that loves to travel??!!

As for Punky, she is more feral and will just rest quietly in her carrier.

Even if a cat trusts you enough to let you pick him up, you still need to always trap feral cats. The reason is that the vet and his staff depend on the wire mesh sides of the trap in order to anesthetize the cat. They inject anesthesia into the cat right through the trap. This isn't possible in a carrier (or if it is possible, it's very difficult), and so the clinic staff risks injury to themselves and/or the cat by having to handle the cat.

Remember that in any jurisdiction where rabies is endemic (which is most of the continental US and much of the rest of the world), there is a legally mandated quarantine period of anywhere from 10 days to 6 months for any animal with an unknown vaccination history who bites or scratches someone. Obviously, you can get away with ignoring this rule in your own home but a vet clinic cannot. If the animal cannot be quarantined, the only option is euthanasia. Needless to say, neither quarantining a feral cat for 6 months nor euthanatizing a healthy feral cat can be considered humane at all. So the trap isn't just for the humans' safety. It's for the cat's, too.