Gonna try to catch a stray

Robin

New Member
OK. I did not catch any last night. Turns out the can of wet cat food I used as bait got wedged under the trap release. Cat was able to clean the can without tripping the trap.

Moved the can out of the way today. Rebaited with some Popeye's chicken skin. Caught the black long hair kitten/cat. It's not yet full grown, but not as small as a 12 week old kitten. I'd say 1/3-1/2 grown. VERY active running back and forth in the trap. Nice heavy work glove on hand.

Unfortunately, in my attempt to move it to a carrier, it got away. Will try again when/if I catch it. As of now, my plan is to borrow a much larger carrier from my in-laws, put the carrier on end, open the door, insert the trap into the carrier, open the bottom end of the trap and dump the cat in the carrier, remove trap and slam carrier door shut in the face of the cat as it tries to jump out.

Any better ideas? Anybody have some tranq darts I can use?


The larger dog carriers do good the door opening is big enough to slip the have a heart trap into the opening. We have used that many time with success.
 

Katelin

one day the dark will end
OK. I did not catch any last night. Turns out the can of wet cat food I used as bait got wedged under the trap release. Cat was able to clean the can without tripping the trap.

Moved the can out of the way today. Rebaited with some Popeye's chicken skin. Caught the black long hair kitten/cat. It's not yet full grown, but not as small as a 12 week old kitten. I'd say 1/3-1/2 grown. VERY active running back and forth in the trap. Nice heavy work glove on hand.

Unfortunately, in my attempt to move it to a carrier, it got away. Will try again when/if I catch it. As of now, my plan is to borrow a much larger carrier from my in-laws, put the carrier on end, open the door, insert the trap into the carrier, open the bottom end of the trap and dump the cat in the carrier, remove trap and slam carrier door shut in the face of the cat as it tries to jump out.

Any better ideas? Anybody have some tranq darts I can use?

I have trap forks/ dividers...used to keep cat from escaping trap as you get ready to move it to cage.
I have 2 sizes and a transfer cage too.
Let me know if you want to use them!
 

Dymphna

Loyalty, Friendship, Love
We have 2 adult cats that have been a part of our family for 14 and 5 years.

The 14 year old cat is evil. She hates children and kittens. She always has. Last night, I was on the couch holding a kitten and evil cat jumped into my lap, did a double take and removed herself from the offending presence of the kitten.

Well, tonight Huntr decided to introduce a kitten to the 5 year old cat. He's a sweet cat. Tolerates much abuse from small children and the evil cat. He was peacefully asleep under the coffee table when Huntr leaned over and showed him the kitten. He began to growl and continued this evil growl for a full 10 minutes. Even after Huntr traded the first kitten for a second one, I heard a periodic growl coming from under the coffee table. Oddly enough, this cat, was also a stray we picked up in our yard (the older one came from the pound in Baltimore Co.) so, he is probably an older sibling or perhaps an uncle to the new kittens.
 

Pandora

New Member
Low cost spay and neutering

Lucky Ones SPCA

14136 Oaks Road
charlotte hall, Maryland 20622
Phone: 301-884-2850
Email: luckyonesspca@yahoo.com
Website: Lucky Ones - Home


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There are tons of informational websites out there on taming wild/feral kitties.

When I brought my feral in, she was guesstimated to be about 10-12 weeks old. I had the vet check her out but due to her poor health, she wasn't recommended to be spayed right away. She had a horrible discharge from her eyes that I noticed the kitties you have in custody have (or at least it looks like they have from the pictures).... That can be either an upper respiratory infection or distemper so you want to have them checked over before handling them and/or having them around any of your pets. Some say they have had ferals/wild cats adjust to home life very well and rather quickly. :shrug: I wasn't that lucky but after several months, she adjusted rather well. She just started to do a 1/2 meow last year and that was the first time I ever heard sound out of her after having her for 2 years.

I've used Lucky Ones a couple of times in the past and I paid next to nothing for shots and fixing.... I want to say $60-$70 and that is way cheaper than the vets offices around here.

Good luck in finding them homes.... feral/wild cats do and can make wonderful pets. I wouldn't trade mine in for nothing!
 

Dymphna

Loyalty, Friendship, Love
Low cost spay and neutering

Lucky Ones SPCA

14136 Oaks Road
charlotte hall, Maryland 20622
Phone: 301-884-2850
Email: luckyonesspca@yahoo.com
Website: Lucky Ones - Home


-------------------------

There are tons of informational websites out there on taming wild/feral kitties.

When I brought my feral in, she was guesstimated to be about 10-12 weeks old. I had the vet check her out but due to her poor health, she wasn't recommended to be spayed right away. She had a horrible discharge from her eyes that I noticed the kitties you have in custody have (or at least it looks like they have from the pictures).... That can be either an upper respiratory infection or distemper so you want to have them checked over before handling them and/or having them around any of your pets. Some say they have had ferals/wild cats adjust to home life very well and rather quickly. :shrug: I wasn't that lucky but after several months, she adjusted rather well. She just started to do a 1/2 meow last year and that was the first time I ever heard sound out of her after having her for 2 years.

I've used Lucky Ones a couple of times in the past and I paid next to nothing for shots and fixing.... I want to say $60-$70 and that is way cheaper than the vets offices around here.

Good luck in finding them homes.... feral/wild cats do and can make wonderful pets. I wouldn't trade mine in for nothing!
Thanks for the info. Huntr has already called the place in St. Leonard mentioned earlier in the thread and they have contacted the Well Pet Clinic in Lex Pk agreeing to pay for spay/neuter of 5 cats. We have adopted wild cats before and already one of the 3 kittens has gotten to be almost friendly....the other two need some more work. The adolecent cat we caught and lost today will be a much harder task should we catch it again. We don't have the time to devote to that ourselves. If/when we catch it again we will try to place it with someone who wants to (has time to) take on that challenge.
 

Pandora

New Member
Thanks for the info. Huntr has already called the place in St. Leonard mentioned earlier in the thread and they have contacted the Well Pet Clinic in Lex Pk agreeing to pay for spay/neuter of 5 cats. We have adopted wild cats before and already one of the 3 kittens has gotten to be almost friendly....the other two need some more work. The adolecent cat we caught and lost today will be a much harder task should we catch it again. We don't have the time to devote to that ourselves. If/when we catch it again we will try to place it with someone who wants to (has time to) take on that challenge.


Great :clap: I am so glad you are catching them and getting them taken care of... the younger the better... I am also very happy to hear you got hooked up with a connection. I was beyond furious over the attitudes I encountered by many of the vets in this area when I asked to bring a feral in for a check-up. I was basically told I should just euthanize her because there were far too many adoptable kittens out in the world and shouldn't waste my time with a feral one. :ohwell: Like I said before, I wouldn't trade her for anything and there is a special bond you create with your 'feral/wild' kitty that I know has never existed in the other ones I have ever had... They can get very attached to 1 person if not socialized. The one mistake I made in taming mine was not socializing her enough so she is straight up my butt all the time.
 

Cowgirl

Well-Known Member
We have 2 adult cats that have been a part of our family for 14 and 5 years.

The 14 year old cat is evil. She hates children and kittens. She always has. Last night, I was on the couch holding a kitten and evil cat jumped into my lap, did a double take and removed herself from the offending presence of the kitten.

Well, tonight Huntr decided to introduce a kitten to the 5 year old cat. He's a sweet cat. Tolerates much abuse from small children and the evil cat. He was peacefully asleep under the coffee table when Huntr leaned over and showed him the kitten. He began to growl and continued this evil growl for a full 10 minutes. Even after Huntr traded the first kitten for a second one, I heard a periodic growl coming from under the coffee table. Oddly enough, this cat, was also a stray we picked up in our yard (the older one came from the pound in Baltimore Co.) so, he is probably an older sibling or perhaps an uncle to the new kittens.

Did you already get the strays vet checked? You're not worried about them transferring diseases?
 

cattitude

My Sweetest Boy
There was NO contact between the kittens and the adults cats.

Many cat diseases are airborne and can also be transmitted by a human holding or petting the infected cat and then holding/petting a well kitty.

Three weeks is the standard quarantine time.
 
Many cat diseases are airborne and can also be transmitted by a human holding or petting the infected cat and then holding/petting a well kitty.

Three weeks is the standard quarantine time.
Good to know. I do make sure to wash my hands after holding them.

All the eyes are nice and clear. No eye boogers.

I am very impressed with the kittens. They have not had an accident yet. They are very good about using the litter box. But boy are they ever messy with the litter. It gets all over the bathroom. Have to sweep it almost every time I go in there.

Smudge is very friendly. He has started to squeek at us and come to us for attention when we are in the bathroom. I thought he was going to climb my leg while I was brushing my teeth this morning, so I picked him up and he climbed onto my shoulders (no claws used :yay:) and went back and forth the entire time I was brushing.

Girl kitten was the nicest this morning she has been yet.

The other boy won't come to me yet, but he didn't shrink away when I went to pick him up this morning.
 
Getting ready for work this morning, I went in the bathroom and sat on the closed toilet to spend some time with the kittens. Smudge immediately got up, came over and started circling my legs, meowing (really just a quiet squeak) and purring. Then his brother came over and looked at me as if to say "pet me". So I did. Then the girl kitten came over to see what all the fuss was about and get some pets.

:yay: They are getting friendlier and friendlier.
 

Katelin

one day the dark will end
Getting ready for work this morning, I went in the bathroom and sat on the closed toilet to spend some time with the kittens. Smudge immediately got up, came over and started circling my legs, meowing (really just a quiet squeak) and purring. Then his brother came over and looked at me as if to say "pet me". So I did. Then the girl kitten came over to see what all the fuss was about and get some pets.

:yay: They are getting friendlier and friendlier.

They are begining to love their "daddy"!!!
Nice work Huntr! :howdy:

My Edo sarted out int he bathroom with her 2 siblings and learned how to do the shoulder walking...still does it today and stay there as I walk around!
 
They are begining to love their "daddy"!!!
Nice work Huntr! :howdy:

My Edo sarted out int he bathroom with her 2 siblings and learned how to do the shoulder walking...still does it today and stay there as I walk around!
If/when I catch one of the older cats again I will call you about the forks. Haven't seen momma or the black one since the black one escaped.
 

Dymphna

Loyalty, Friendship, Love
I gave the girlie cat a bath today. All of her long hair was matted down with water. I was drying off her tummy and realized, now that all the long hair was out of the way, that she is a he.

Turns out all 3 are males, this one just has longer hair and shorter...ah, hem.

This one has been the most reluctant to accept taming....not that that says much, because all 3 cats are fairly open to it. But, although he didn't want a bath (like any cat) and tried to get away, he didn't claw me at all and purred quite happily while being toweled down.
 
I gave the girlie cat a bath today. All of her long hair was matted down with water. I was drying off her tummy and realized, now that all the long hair was out of the way, that she is a he.

Turns out all 3 are males, this one just has longer hair and shorter...ah, hem.

This one has been the most reluctant to accept taming....not that that says much, because all 3 cats are fairly open to it. But, although he didn't want a bath (like any cat) and tried to get away, he didn't claw me at all and purred quite happily while being toweled down.
Maybe now that he will no longer be called a she, he will stop hissing when I go to pick him up. He has at least stopped trying to smack me (no claws) when I go to pick him up.
 

Tigerlily

Luvin Life !!!
I gave the girlie cat a bath today. All of her long hair was matted down with water. I was drying off her tummy and realized, now that all the long hair was out of the way, that she is a he.

Turns out all 3 are males, this one just has longer hair and shorter...ah, hem.

This one has been the most reluctant to accept taming....not that that says much, because all 3 cats are fairly open to it. But, although he didn't want a bath (like any cat) and tried to get away, he didn't claw me at all and purred quite happily while being toweled down.

I took in a kitten about a month ago that is now 12 weeks old. He needed some TLC and is adjusting just fine. My daughter's friend is an assistant at the Well Pet Clinic and bathed him for me before I treated him for fleas, tics, etc.

I was so impressed at how quick and efficient she was. She clipped his little nails too. Now if I can just get my daughter to have her over once a month maybe I can bribe her to give all my little furry friends a spa treatment.:lol:
 
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