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Back to Ferals /More About Ferals
/ Can Ferals Be Tamed?
Trapping
ferals is hard work, and it's emotionally stressful for humans
and the cats. So first, you need to keep in mind why you
are doing this, and stick to it. We do this to improve the life
of ferals. Females who have litter after litter can suffer health
problems. New litters often die out in the wild, and if they
survive, they are often sickly, worm ridden, malnourished, and
die alone and in pain from cars and diseases. Adult males, unaltered,
will fight more often and so are likely to get FIV and feline
leukemia. By trapping, spaying/neutering, vaccinating and releasing,
we not only prevent new litters, but we improve the lives of
the existing cats in the colony. That's why the first thing
I tell people who call me about trapping is that it is going
to be hard at first, but that it is important, and you have
to "steel yourself" before going into it.
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Get your ferals on a feeding schedule so that when you are
ready to trap, you will know what time of day to do this.
If you need help with the cost of food, we sometimes have
food donations we can give you to help out.
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Observe your ferals: how many are there? is anyone nursing?
if so, about how old do you think they are? Remember, these
cats are "shadow cats" so there may be more than you think
and you may end up trapping someone you're not even aware
of. (Note: If you do trap a tame cat, I suggest you have it
altered as well, even if you are not sure if it belongs to
someone.)
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Contact us to find out about reimbursement, what vets you
can go to, etc.
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Get a trap; we can loan you one.
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Get canned cat food that has a pungent odor.
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Acquire a dog carrier (large enough for a small litter box
and a bed area) and place towels and/or newspaper in it.
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Withhold food and water for about 24 hours.
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Trap!
Okay, so there's more to trapping than just "trap!" The canned
food needs to be placed as far back in the trap as possible.
I usually create a trail of small bits of food (not enough to
fill their bellies, though!) leading up to the back of the trap.
Some people cover the trap, while others leave it uncovered.
The important thing is that the trap is near their normal feeding
location, and that it is somewhere that you can observe them
through a window. This is important because I know of people
who have attempted to trap members of the same colony for years
and have failed because they set the trap up over night and
do not observe it. While they are sleeping, a cat gets trapped,
the entire colony sees this, and avoids the trap like the plague
next time they see it. Cats are not stupid! So, observe the
trap closely and as soon as someone is trapped, grab it up and
take it inside. Be careful to use the handles on the top of
the trap or you may get hurt.
Once a cat is trapped, he will do everything possible to get
out, and this is the most stressful time for him and you. This
is the part that makes you want to cry and just release him.
But believe me, the cat will calm down once you place the trap
in a quiet location and cover at least 3 sides of it. No matter
how badly you want to convince the cat that you mean him no
harm, avoid the urge to "keep him company." He has been frightened
of humans his entire life and your being near him will only
cause him more stress. Some tips on keeping him over-night are
to place some sort of vinyl or plastic covering on the floor
beneath the trap. A tray from a dog kennel is even better to
contain the mess.
You will take the cat to the vet in the trap, but bring the
dog carrier along, with the towels/newspapers and litter box
already inside. Ask the vet to place the cat inside this before
he wakes up after the surgery. That way, you are all set to
keep him confined for a couple of days until it is safe to release
him.
That's it! If you have any questions, just let us know. We'd
are committed to this program and will be happy to help you
in any way possible. Unfortunately, we are all volunteers here
who have other full-time jobs (and colonies in our own neighborhoods
to take care of), so we are generally unable to come out and
do the trapping for you. But we are available to answer your
questions, loan you traps, etc.
by Victoria M. King
Want
more ideas on trapping? Have a feral that is not going in the
trap? Check out the link below:
Christina
Palmer's "How to Trap a 'Hard-to-Trap' Feral"
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