cat too long for trap

would you believe it....
i just realised that one of the cats i am trying to trap is able to walk into the trap, crane his neck over the lever and eat the food without setting it off he is very tall and long so i guess it's no wonder the trap has been empty of food and cat every morning.

now what?

should i just keep up the routine and presume that eventualy he'll get sloppy and set it off? or do i need to rethink the trapping process for this cat?

I found this on the net. It may do the trick for you.

7. Picking One Out from the Crowd
Sometimes the problem isn't that the particular cat is wily, but that he's the only one you want out of a crowd of others who keep going in ahead of him. If that's the problem, the solution is to bypass the trigger/trip plate mechanism of the trap and go to manual control. Prop the front door of the trap open on top of a full water or soda bottle. Tie a long string around the neck of the bottle then stand some distance away. When your cat of choice finally goes in, yank the string, pulling the bottle away and shutting the door. Be sure to first practice the method at least once so you get the right feel for it, and wait until the cat is far enough in (up to or past the trip plate) before you pull the string.

We don't recommend ever using a net or graspers to catch a feral cat. These are difficult to use, and dangerous if you actually succeed in grabbing the animal and then have to extract or transfer them into a cage or trap. They should be used only by veterinary professionals who can immediately sedate the cat upon capture.

Unfortunately i had to return the trap to the assc so i'll have to get him used to eating in the cat carrier and then close the door on him. I trapped a female cat that way last week...

Maybe you can attach a string to the door, looped through the side of the carrier so you can pull it closed from a distance. He sounds very intelligent, and you may only get one chance to close that door.

Good luck!