Hell hath no fury...

As a female cat scorned.

I've been trying to capture Nerona, the latest feral to appear near my house. She's pregnant, and I am trying to TNR her. I first tried persuading her. Then I tried grabbing her. Two nights ago, I left the kitchen door open on front of her, so once she was inside I could lock the house and take my time trapping her.

She hid so well I never found her. I sealed all the windows and doors. The next morning I found her staring at me from the backyard. (From now on, she's Nerona Houdini).

Then, I prepared the cage in which I have done the previous operations. Moabs jail while he was recovering from mange. And where Luna was when she had her own TNR, and where Planeta was when recovering from a car that hit her. I left it open with food inside. When I saw her inside eating, I locked everything, and even backed sacks of rice, and cat food and even cans against the thing so she wouldn't pry anything open. I was supposed to bring her this morning to the vet for spaying.

When I came... with rubber gloves, military surplus jacket and a towel to grab her for the kennel... She managed to get off my hands. She got a way with it. She started scratching my face to the point I let go, and she went off running from the garage. She's now just staring at me from a far at the balcony.

Any ideas on trapping her? I've done stuff like this before... but almost all the cats I've handled from the cage before, are either sick within inches of death, or I've already gotten him or her to trust me enough to pet him a bit. This one's a pure feral, and a very healthy one.

I'm actually making plans to be able to find homes for the kittens if she does give birth on me before I can trap her.

Keep her in the trap until after she goes to the vets- I never put the strays and ferals in carriers until after the vet visit. She probably will not be trappable now, so you best line up homes for the kittens

Have you tried a box trap?

We catch our ferals in small traps, where they step on a lever that causes the door to close. Then the vet gives them a shot while still in the trap, and they aren't taken out of the trap until they are almost asleep!

Wow, you are really doing so much for this girl. I hope you can catch her again, and get her to the vet!

Originally Posted by Beckiboo

We catch our ferals in small traps, where they step on a lever that causes the door to close. Then the vet gives them a shot while still in the trap, and they aren't taken out of the trap until they are almost asleep!

Wow, you are really doing so much for this girl. I hope you can catch her again, and get her to the vet!

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Also have found the small traps successful. The cat stays in the trap until the vet. sedates and prepares for neuter/spay. The cat comes home in the same trap and then you simply unlock the trap door...out he/she will come.

Originally Posted by hissy

Keep her in the trap until after she goes to the vets- I never put the strays and ferals in carriers until after the vet visit. She probably will not be trappable now, so you best line up homes for the kittens

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I guess my main problem is precisely that I am not using a common trap. At least not one that I can carry around with me. Its a 4 x 4 x 3 ft. cage that I designed and built myself out of discarded wire mesh to house Moab while he recovered from his illness yet at the same time not transmit the mange to other cats. So it was designed to house a cat for weeks and even months if necesary, not for trapping. Its even got a small litterbox and food and water bowls. Its very heavy (Its roof is a removable glass pane), and even if I could move it with a feral cat inside, it wouldn't fit within the car. So, I attempted to pull it off by getting her inside the cage by luring her with food, call the vet in advance to set the date and then put her in a kennel, take her to the vet... and have them keep her for the ten days necesary prior to removing the sutures so I wouldn't have to run the risk again of handling her.

And well, my previous experience which was with the sick Moab, was of running after him like mad wearing the old army surplus jacket and gloves and a beach towel, cornering him, grabbing him with all my strenght, and then throwing him quickly in a kennel towel and all and running off to the vet.

I doubt very much that she will be stupid enough to get inside the cage again, even if I put a bucket of tuna inside, so in case she gives birth I've already talked to a friend of mine who is essentially the teenaged specialist in finding homes for kittens and puppies so she can help me. She even wants to keep for herself one of the kitties for herself. Anyway... anyone know where I can buy a professional trap - this morning's experience has shouted at me in the ear with a megaphone that if I am gonna keep feeding strays I will need to get one.

Is there anywhere you can rent a trap there? I know you can buy them online or at some pet supply places. Good luck!!!

Try your local Animal Control organization.

Cheryl, when I had to move a whole feral colony I started weeks before I needed to actually trap them. I used a regular humane trap and started putting their food in the trap for them to eat. I started first day at the door of the trap, next in an inch or 2, etc every day moving it in farther. (Of course it was tied off so it would not go off)... when I was ready to catch everyone they were used to going in and out to eat... I had them all in just a few hours (and these are all fixed ferals that had been trapped before) maybe start working with her food for the next week or 10 days and then try grabbing her... take her to the vets (in the trap) for rabies shots and bring regular crate to have the vets switch her to.

Good luck!!
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