All The stuff you need to trap a cat.

• Safeguard traps (or similar model; adult and kitten size.
• Sliding second door that can be removed)
• Small paper plates
• Canned catfood with pop-top
• Newspaper (optional)
• Trap covers
• Large absorbent towel
• Gloves
• Disposable towels (Wet Ones) for hand clean-up
• Small, heavy water crock
• An "isolator" (the large comb-like object; this is optional, but sure makes life a lot easier on you and your veterinarian).

Identify your traps

What the trap looks like, set and baited. See instructions below photograph.

First, don't be scared off by all the "don'ts" below. It is relatively simple to safely capture a cat without injury if you simply think about your actions ahead of time, and act quietly and calmly around the cat.

1. Familiarize yourself with how the trap works. How does the front door open? How does the hook hold the door up and set the pan? How does the back door come off and on, and how does it lock? When the trap is set, does it fire easily when you poke the pan gently? If this is not readily apparently to you, and you cannot set your trap, instructions will be given later on.

2. Find a safe trapping site for your CAGE-TRAP. We refuse to refer to these traps as "humane traps." You will see most animal advocacy groups refer to them as "humane traps" to differentiate them from traps animal rights organizations consider inhumane, but trappers will call them cage-traps. Why? Because you can kill an animal by neglect in a cage-trap as easily as you can in any other trap that captures an animal alive, and no trap can be guaranteed "humane" in the hands of an unskilled person. When you set a trap of any sort, you are trapper, and must follow responsible trapping guidelines.

   The trap should be situated in a sheltered area out of the sun. Do not set the trap against the side of a building unless gutters are in good repair or the weather is guaranteed to be clear. A trap set under the drip-edge of a house can kill a kitten by pouring water over it. Do not set the trap in culverts or ditches where rain could quickly swamp it. Do not set the trap in public view. Passersby will assume the trap is set to kill animals, and may release your cat. Always set the trap on level ground. If there is any danger of it rolling, stabilize it with a cement block or other heavy object on either side. Never set a trap on a roof, on a steep slope, or near a cliff edge &150;the cat could roll it off the edge once trapped inside. LOOK AROUND. What is the worst thing that could happen to the trap in the situation where you are setting it? Anticipate the worst, and then take steps to prevent it from happening.

3. Whenever possible, obtain permission of the landowner, preferably in writing. This is especially important if you will be trapping at night when police might see you. It also may be required by law. Trapping without permission is trespass. If you risk this for the sake of saving a cat's life, that's up to you, but realize you are choosing to break the law, and don't call the poor cop "animal-hater" if he or she must ticket you if the landowner complains about your actions!

4. Take steps to reduce the chance of non-target captures (raccoons, skunks, etc.). Trap during the day and close traps at dusk or just after dusk. Elevating traps on a picnic table etc, (fasten the trap down!) will keep out skunks, but not raccoons and opossums. Do not relocate wildlife. You need to have a trapping license for this. If you accidentally catch wildlife and do not have the proper license, you must release the animal on site. The best thing to do is avoid the problem entirely. If you must trap at night, try to find a way to monitor your traps. For example, you could sit in your vehicle with the trap in view.

   Please don't be one of those folks who assume because they live in the city, or they have "never seen any wild animals around," that you won't catch a skunk, opossum, or raccoon. These animals are more common in the city than in the country, and do not leave signs that untrained folk normally notice. If you have cats, then you definitely have raccoons and skunks. Period.

5. Either monitor your traps by staying on site (watching from car or window), or check traps frequently. Wildlife trappers will often leave traps unattended for 24 hours. Skunks and raccoons often simply curl up and go to sleep once they realize they are stuck. Cats, however, may injure themselves attempting to get out of the trap. It is common for cats in uncovered traps, or in traps left too long, to rub fur off their faces and paws, break teeth and claws, etc. In addition, passersby are more likely to release a cat from a trap, than a skunk, especially a forlornly meowing kitten. Cat traps must be checked far more frequently than wildlife traps for the protection of the cat and the public.
   

6. Always make sure you have made plans for the humane housing of the cat BEFORE you trap it. If a local shelter agreed to take it four weeks ago, do they have room today? If you figured you would keep the cat in the garage but the garage gets hot when it is over 90 degrees, what is the weather outlook for the next few days? Did you warn your spouse or parents that you were up to this? If you were going to cage the cat, is the cage clean and ready to go, and do you have food, water, litter pans, and cat litter? Have you figured out how you will get the cat OUT of the cage once you have the cat IN it?

• Click Here For Baiting and Covering the Trap
• Click Here For Caring for a Trapped Cat

Back To Top