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Humane Trapping Process
Ten Steps to Trapping and Altering Your Feral Cats
Thank you for assuming the responsibility to trap and neuter your feral colony. Forgotten Felines has a limited source of manpower and your own efforts will make a critical difference in helping us to control the feral cat population. A neutered colony is a happy colony!

IMPORTANT NOTES

Please plan what you are going to do with the cat you are trapping BEFORE you trap. Your plan should be one of the following:

  1. Trap and take the cat to your veterinarian for neutering, vaccinations, ear tipping and necessary health care. Be sure to tell the vet to use stitches which will dissolve, that the animal is wild, and ask them to tip the ear. Take a pet carrier (large enough to hold the cat laid out) to the vet's office with you. Ask the vet to transfer the cat into the carrier after surgery for recovery. You will transport the cat home in the carrier. The carrier will be more comfortable for the cat if you need to care for the cat between the time it leaves the vet and its release to your property to be cared for, fed and watered daily. Be sure to make appointment and arrangements with your vet BEFORE you trap. Or, if the feral cats cannot remain and be cared for:
  2. Take the cat to the animal shelter that serves your area. Before trapping, call the shelter to find out their hours. It is inhumane to keep a cat in a trap for much longer than a few hours. Please be aware that animals brought to a shelter will most likely be destroyed. Please Note: It is illegal to trap an animal and abandon it at an alternate location. Legally you may ONLY take it to the local animal shelter.
 

PREPARATION FOR TRAPPING

If possible, get the cats used to being fed at the same place and time of day. You might try leaving the trap unset during routine feeding so that the animal will get used to seeing and smelling it in the area. Don't feed the cats the day/night before you are going to trap so the cats will be hungry. Be sure to notify others who may feed the cats not to leave food out either.

Plan to trap so that you don't have to keep the cat too long before surgery. Trapping the night before is usually the best approach. Cats should not eat 12 hours prior to surgery.

Prepare the area where you will be holding the cat in the trap before the vet appointment. A garage or other sheltered, warm, protected area is best. Lay down newspaper to catch the inevitable stool, urine and food residue. You may want to use pieces of wood to elevate the trap off the newspaper. This allows the mess to fall through the wire away from the cat.

Prepare the vehicle you will use to transport the cat as well. Plastic may be an additional precaution. But remember that you will need to use newspaper or some other absorbent material in addition. (Urine will roll right off plastic.)

Plan your day of trapping carefully. Remember that if you trap an animal and release it for some reason, it is unlikely that you will be able to catch it again. They learn very quickly to avoid traps.

If there are young kittens involved, they should not be weaned from the mother before 4 - 6 weeks of age. If you are trapping a lactating female, wait until you have located the kittens and they are old enough to wean. If you wish to tame and foster the kittens to adopt out, they should be taken from the mother at 4 - 6 weeks. If you wait until the kittens are older than 4 - 6 weeks before trying to tame them, you will find the job progressively harder with age.

SETTING THE TRAP

Plan to set the trap just before or at the cats normal feeding time. Dusk is usually the best time to trap.

Don't trap in the rain or the heat of the day without adequate protection for the trap. Never leave the trap unattended.

Procedure:

  1. Fold 1 sheet of newspaper lengthwise and place on floor of trap
  2. Place mound of tuna at sliding-door end of trap right up next to door.
  3. Place trap. Make sure door is PROPERLY latched.
  4. Set trap door. Place trail of small tuna pieces from outside of door to just inside the trap. Do not place food more than _ way inside trap.
WAITING FOR SUCCESS

Never leave trap unattended and don't hang around within sight of the cat or you will scare it off. The trapped animal is vulnerable. Passersby may release the cat or steal the trap. Wait quietly in an area where you can still see the trap without disturbing the cats. You can often hear the trap trip. As soon as the intended cat is trapped, completely cover the trap with large towel or sheet and remove the trap from the area. When you get the captured cat to a quiet area lift the cover and check for signs that you have the correct animal and not a pet or previously neutered cat. Forgotten Felines tips the ear of every animal we alter so we can avoid repeat trappings. If you note that you have captured a lactating female, check the area for kittens and remember that this female must be released 10 - 12 hours after surgery so she can care for and nurse her kittens. Cover the cat back up as soon as possible. Uncovered, the animal may panic and hurt itself thrashing around in the trap.

There is always the chance that you will catch a wild animal attracted to the food or an unintended cat. Simply release the animal quietly as stated in the releasing procedures here.

HOLDING PROCEDURES

After you have finished trapping, you will probably have to hold the cat overnight until you can take it to the vet. (Unless you have made previous arrangements with a vet.)

Keep cats covered and check periodically. They will probably be very quiet as long as they are covered. Don't stick fingers in the trap or allow children or pets near the traps. These are wild animals which scratch and bite. ALL animal bites are serious. If you are bitten seek medical attention and do NOT release the cat. It must be quarantined. Contact your vet for quarantine instructions.

Wash and change clothes before having contact with your own pets as a precaution against spreading any contagious diseases the cats may carry.

Always get feral kittens checked out by a vet and isolate them from your own pets. Some deadly diseases can incubate without symptoms. Check with your veterinarian and use caution.

RELEASING THE CAT

If a cat does not seem to be recovering well from the surgery, consider having it rechecked by your vet before releasing. When cats are ready for release, (fully recovered from the anesthesia) return to the area in which they were captured and release them there. Do not relocate the animal. It will be disoriented and most likely die. It is against the law to take to an alternate location and abandon an animal.

If the veterinarian has indicated a serious medical problem with the cat which you will not be able to treat, you, with the advice of the vet, must make the decision on whether it is safe to release the animal or kinder to euthanize it. Untreated abscesses and respiratory infections and a number of other conditions can mean suffering and a slow death.

Make sure the spot you pick for release does not encourage the cat to run into danger (like a busy street) to get away from you. When ready, simply hold the carrier with the door facing away from you and open the door. The cat will probably bolt immediately out of the carrier. If it is confused, just tilt the carrier so the back is slightly up and tap on the back of the carrier to encourage it to leave. Never put your hand in the carrier! If the animal still will not leave, prop the door open and leave it for a while.

After releasing the cat, hose off the trap and carrier and disinfect them with bleach. Never store traps in the "set" position (door open). Animals may wander into even unbaited traps and starve to death.

HELPFUL HINTS

  • Bring a flashlight with you if trapping at night. It will come in handy for checking traps from a distance and might help you avoid a twisted ankle.
  • Some kittens can be caught without a trap but are still too wild to be handled easily. Use a thick towel to pick up the kitten to help protect you from scratching and biting. This also helps prevent the kitten from squirming away from you.
  • For advice regarding the taming and/or fostering of feral or orphaned kittens, feel free to contact Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County or your veterinarian.
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