Trying To Trap Kitten In Dangerous Situation. Please Help.

[weebeasties]

Any and all advice appreciated. Saw a kitten/young cat in a Walmart parking lot today. It seemed very frightened and confused. It was hiding under a tractor trailer that was parked at the edge of the parking lot. As I walked toward it, it was coming cautiously toward me but then another truck would show up and it would run back under the truck. Then it ran into a wooded area adjacent to the parking lot.

I got a trap and put some tuna in it and placed it at the woodline and waited for a couple of hours. She never showed up so I tried walking along the woods calling to her and trying to listen for something that might indicate where she was hiding. No luck.

I wanted to leave the trap and continue to come and check but an employee of the store said if I leave the trap someone would steal it in less than an hour. (He's probably right. It's in a pretty bad area.)

So I took my trap but left the tuna. My plan is to return tonight as it is getting dark and reset the trap. I'm hoping that with no trucks making deliveries at that time, she might come out. I'm off work tomorrow so I can sit and wait in that parking lot all night if I have to.

Also it has been raining all day and will continue raining for a few days. That may make trapping more difficult? Should I drape a towel over the trap because of the rain or would that spook her? Would a towel stop the smell of the tuna from wafting through the air?

Please any advice at all would be helpful. I've never trapped before. This little baby looked so frightened. I suspect someone dumped her there. Its a very dangerous place for her to be and I so badly want to help.

 

[surya]

I would try to trap in the morning and in the evening when it is quieter. It is always harder to trap a cat that you don't normally feed. But you might get lucky. Or you might have to try and feed it everyday for a little while at the same time of day. If the kitty ate the tuna, it might be full now, but I think it was good to leave food, because now it may come back to the same place looking for more. Besides the stinky trap food, I leave a little trail of dry food too. I think the rain does make it harder to trap because they like to stay someplace dry and don't get out as much. But it doesn't hurt to try. Watch out for yourself too, in that seedy area.

 

[weebeasties]

I would try to trap in the morning and in the evening when it is quieter. It is always harder to trap a cat that you don't normally feed. But you might get lucky. Or you might have to try and feed it everyday for a little while at the same time of day. If the kitty ate the tuna, it might be full now, but I think it was good to leave food, because now it may come back to the same place looking for more. Besides the stinky trap food, I leave a little trail of dry food too. I think the rain does make it harder to trap because they like to stay someplace dry and don't get out as much. But it doesn't hurt to try. Watch out for yourself too, in that seedy area.

It would be difficult to go there every day to feed it. It is quite a distance from where I live. It's probably a bit foolish to try to trap her after 1 sighting and in the rain as well, but I feel I must try. It is such a dangerous location for her. She is such a pretty little thing. Calico with sweet eyes. Wish me luck!

 

[surya]

Perhaps someone at Walmart is already feeding her. Or she may be eating scraps by the dumpster. The dumpster is another good spot. I don't think it's foolish. I would give it a try if I were you. I didn't mean to discourage you. Good luck!

 

[msaimee]

Yes, I think you should try to catch her. Prayers and positive vibes sent to you and the kitten. It may take several tries, but it's worth the effort.

 

[weebeasties]

I didn't get her.
I set the trap at 8:00 last night and waited until 1am with no luck. I left the trap and returned to check at 6am. The food was mostly gone, the trap was sprung, but no cat. I don't know if someone came before me and released her, or if she ate her fill without triggering the trap and then a heavy downpour of rain DID trigger the trap. I hope she is ok.

 

[surya]

I would not leave a trap unattended over night. A cat left in an uncovered trap may thrash and injure it self. It is very stressful for the cat. Or a bad person could hurt the cat. Somebody may have seen the cat in distress and let it go. But sometimes they do accidently get sprung without trapping an animal. I never go more than an hour without checking a trap because I worry too much. My trap is a loaner too, so I am afraid of it getting stolen.

I hope you don't give up. You still may be able to catch this kitty. Sometimes it take several tries.

 

[msaimee]

Yes, don't leave the trap unattended. If the cat gets trapped, and someone releases it, the cat may never go into a trap again. Most cats don't enter a trap a second time, it's a very traumatic experience they don't forget. If you don't see the kitty again, it's possible someone already took her in or she's moved on.

 

[trudy1]

I’d put out some dry soaked in tuna or mackerel at morning and night same time for a few days, preferably in and area that’s got some grass or growth. Then try to find a day off when you can stay around after 3-4 days when you can sit there. Only this time put food in a trap. Cover the trap with leaves, sticks or whatever on the top, sides and back kind of forcing or directing it toward the opening.
This is designed to keep your trap safe. Hopefully by then its An established feeding time and it will come.

Yes, the presence of the trap might spook it but you’ll be there to observe.

Yes, it will probably have drawn in other animals as well since you left the food.

But that’s what I’d do

Thanks for caring.