Using a cat trap to catch semi ferals

[FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack]

I'd really appreciate advice from @thecatneuterer please! It was me with the semi ferals and the allergy. Apologies for the another thread asking for info, I hope this one should settle the issue.

It turns out my neighbour didn't use the trap she borrowed or turn up to the vets appointment and inevitably the mother cat got pregnant again and has just had kittens in my greenhouse this week. I put a little house in it for her so at least I'd know where she was and could catch them myself since tbh, I'm not sure now my neighbour ever really intended to.

I've got a trap and neutering vouchers and a vet appointment booked for Tuesday as that was the first day they could fit me in. I put the trap out in the garden now with the door wedged up to get them used to it and they've been in and out this morning. My problem is, I have to get one or both of the older kittens to the vet by 10.30 on Tuesday or they can't do the op. Do you think it would be ok to try to trap them on Monday night as long as there was food and water and a blanket over the trap to keep them warm?

My other question is is there anything I can do about the 3 new kittens? I will try to catch them and neuter them when they're old enough if nothing else can be done, but would it be possible to tame and re-home them at all since they're still young? I contacted cat and kitten rescues as cats protection can't take them but I haven't had any luck so far.

Hi there.

Are you the poster from Norfolk? If you are, as we discussed before you really shouldn't be using an automatic trap in a situation with more than one cat, as it will snap shut in front of the other cats there and it will be very difficult to catch more than one. However at the time we last messaged I rang round all the rescues in Norfolk and was horrified to learn that not one does proper trap/neuter/return. There are no trappers that go out and no one has manual traps. So we are stuck with the situation as it is and we will just have to hope for the best.

So to answer your questions. It's absolutely fine to catch one/both the night before. The second the trap shuts cover it with a sheet. You want to avoid the others seeing what's going on. Then bring it into the house. You will just have to leave it in your kitchen/hallway/wherever overnight. Don't leave it outside as, apart from being cold and unpleasant for the cat/s inside, the others will witness the distress of the cat inside the trap for hours and they will never, never go in it themselves.

Once trapped DO NOT OPEN IT! Talking about putting food and water in makes me think you plan to open it to do this. You mustn't put food in anyway - they should be nil by mouth before the op. They could have water, but as you won't be able to do that without opening the trap then they will have to go without. It won't be nice for them but needs must.

A thing to bear in mind about an automatic trap. The end normally slides up, where you put the food in. When you set the trap this must be cable tied closed as cats, particularly distressed ones, can push the end up.

Then what's going to happen to them after the op? Will the vets keep them in for a few days? Ideally they should be kept inside for around 3 days, but certainly for a minimum of 24 hours after the op. How will this happen?

So the mum and small kittens. Well they can't leave the mum for a while. So unless you can arrange somewhere for the mum to go with the kittens then you will need to wait until the kittens are around 4 weeks old. At that stage trap the mum and get her done. While she;s being done bring the kittens inside. Start handling them from 3 weeks to get them and and mum used to the idea and to make sure they will be pick up-able. They can then join her wherever she is recuperating for 24 hours. If you can't find anywhere to take them then return them all to the greenhouse but make sure you interact with them a lot, every day. By 8 weeks, as long as you've done enough taming, you should be able to find them homes one way or another. I'm sure CP or the other rescues will be able to help with cute, friend 8 week old kittens.

Thank you for caring and for doing this and I wish there was a proper rescue around to help you.

And if I've got it wrong and you're not the lady from Norfolk then let me know where you are and I'll try to find proper rescues where you live.

Ah brilliant, thank you so much for the information. I'm really grateful, I've been struggling to get information on the logistics of how to do it and that answers a lot of my questions.

I'm the poster in Northern Ireland. I have a trap with a door that swings shut when a pressure pad is stepped on. I have it wedged open on a bin at the moment and I was hoping to close the door manually instead of setting the trap so I could catch both at once.

The vets I contacted do work for cats protection so they'll release the cats back to me once they're ready but I don't think they'll keep them for more than 24hrs. I will check with them.

I heard back from Belfast Kitten Rescue, they'd sent me a message but I hadn't got the notification until I went and checked after I wrote my OP. It's a self funded shelter where volunteers look after the cats and re-home them. The lady I was talking to says she could take the mummy cat and new litter and says

"I converted my garage and it’s split into 3. All new arrivals have to be kept separate from the current tenants for 2 weeks so no viruses are passed on. I only put feral cats into crates as it’s hard catching them again, I also had to use crates more this year as things have been crazy busy and I had to keep cats and kittens separate due to ear mites etc. One of my rooms is completely empty at present so the mummy cat and kittens will be in a room by themselves"

My DH is worried it would be cruel to keep the mummy cat indoors until the kitten are weaned. What do you think?

At the cat rescue I volunteer at we keep the ferals mums inside with their kittens in a pen, unless there seemed to be a reason she would hurt them. It's much better that way, as if the mum was to run off, hand-rearing kittens is very labour and resource intensive.

Thanks! Out of curiosity, how long does it take for the kittens to wean? I've seen mixed answers online.

4-8wks is the accepted range. It's more important for the mother cat for the kittens not to be taken away too early or they can get mastitis when excess milk's not being removed. We take kittens away ideally in pairs to try to stagger the slow down in milk production.

Thanks, they’re a couple of weeks old at this point so not too long in the grand scheme of things then. The lady from the kitten rescue is going not give me a ring on Thursday to arrange a time to come out for the mother cat and kittens and I’m just planning out how to do the trapping tomorrow for the vet on Tuesday. Fingers crossed! I’m pretty I could trap one easily enough, it’s working out how to do the trap manually to catch both which would make things so much easier.

DH has suggested getting a cat carrier and trying to lure the second one In iif we miss one so we’ll get one tomorrow

Managed to catch one! He or she seems content enough in the trap at the moment. I put a toy in and covered it with a sheet.

Had both in the trap but the door jammed up as we tried to close it and then one went out. It's so hard trying to avoid catching the mother cat too, she's happy enough to go in and out of the carrier we have out there but the other kitten has scarpered for the moment.

I've got a bit of string attached to close the door from a distance but I'm not holding out much hope tbh. I might need to make another appt for the other one.

Well done! It’s lovely you want to help them.

I'm so stressed out with it right now unlike the cats who appear to be completely chilled 😂 and the second kitten is fast asleep in the greenhouse so I don't think we'll manage to catch it tonight.

I did get the cat in the trap transferred into the carrier by lifting the door and creating a tunnel so I was able to put the proper trap back out, they'll maybe venture into it in the morning and then the vet can help me separate the mother cat. They're only a couple of minutes away so she shouldn't be away from her kittens for more than 20 mins at most.

If I can catch them by 10.30 tomorrow they can both be done in the one day so fingers crossed.

Well done! Even though I volunteer with the cat rescue I've only done actual trapping once, and unsuccessfully too!

I had zero luck trapping the second this morning so one is away off to the vets and I have an appointment booked for Monday.

I'll feed them in the trap and try to get them used to it again I think because they're not daft and they're wary of me and the trap now.

I just wanted to come back and update and say thank you to @thecatneuterer and @HauntedDishcloth! I just caught the second kitten in the trap and I'm taking it to the vets tomorrow morning. It's in the trap in the garage with a sheet over and it and a little bit of food and water to keep it going for today and it seems calm enough at the moment.

The mummy cat and new litter have been taken away by the lady from the cat rescue who'll tame the kittens and get them all re-homed and neutered so I'm down to two outdoor cats who can live in my greenhouse if they like. It's a huge relief.

Wonderful! You've saved the three babies from a feral life, and stopped them and their older siblings growing up into feral parents themselves.

Well done. I'm very happy to hear that.

That's great! Big pat on the back for you