Thank you all for the informative replies to my previous messages. I am so glad to not be flying blind anymore. I hope you'll offer some input on these questions too.
I've moved from California to the midwest and this is my first winter with actual snow. I am used to trapping in totally dry conditions and do not know how to proceed. Here are a few of my questions:
1. Do you withhold food the night before in 20 degree weather? I feel like it's especially heartless when it's so cold.
2. I have one area where discreting is important on a university campus. The administration are okay with the cats being there surprisingly, but I don't want the students that live right next to the cats being drawn to my feeding and shelter area out of curiosity. Where I would have to trap has a couple inches of snow. Can I set the trap on top of the snow if it seems to lay evenly or will it topple later and foil my trapping? Should I lay a blanket underneath it? or will the blanket make the cats even more suspicious?
3. The nearest place to park my car is not within eyesight of the cats I'm trapping. I'd have to stand out in the weather to actually watch the cats, which would make them suspicious anyway. I'm wondering how often you check your traps in 20 degree temps. I don't want to check TOO often but I don't want a cat freezing whose been caught. And I worry about lookyloos. What do you do?
4. When will the mating begin? I'm used to year-round seasons essentially. I've heard February and March. Which is it? I'm really banking on having February and the beginning of March for all my cat catching. I assume it'll still be pretty cold out here in early March. Do the cats wait for it to get a certain temp or are they mating based on the new position of the sun?
5. In CA I lined my traps w/ newspaper on the bottom. Do you put something different? The newspaper might soak up all the moisture underneath the traps. A friend of mine used old crib liners cut in half. I might try that....
Well, as always I'm thankful for any input. Maybe someday I'll be able to share some suggestions, too!
Thanks,
wildgrace
I've moved from California to the midwest and this is my first winter with actual snow. I am used to trapping in totally dry conditions and do not know how to proceed. Here are a few of my questions:
1. Do you withhold food the night before in 20 degree weather? I feel like it's especially heartless when it's so cold.
2. I have one area where discreting is important on a university campus. The administration are okay with the cats being there surprisingly, but I don't want the students that live right next to the cats being drawn to my feeding and shelter area out of curiosity. Where I would have to trap has a couple inches of snow. Can I set the trap on top of the snow if it seems to lay evenly or will it topple later and foil my trapping? Should I lay a blanket underneath it? or will the blanket make the cats even more suspicious?
3. The nearest place to park my car is not within eyesight of the cats I'm trapping. I'd have to stand out in the weather to actually watch the cats, which would make them suspicious anyway. I'm wondering how often you check your traps in 20 degree temps. I don't want to check TOO often but I don't want a cat freezing whose been caught. And I worry about lookyloos. What do you do?
4. When will the mating begin? I'm used to year-round seasons essentially. I've heard February and March. Which is it? I'm really banking on having February and the beginning of March for all my cat catching. I assume it'll still be pretty cold out here in early March. Do the cats wait for it to get a certain temp or are they mating based on the new position of the sun?
5. In CA I lined my traps w/ newspaper on the bottom. Do you put something different? The newspaper might soak up all the moisture underneath the traps. A friend of mine used old crib liners cut in half. I might try that....
Well, as always I'm thankful for any input. Maybe someday I'll be able to share some suggestions, too!
Thanks,
wildgrace