Humane Trapping Instructions for Community Cats
| humane_trapping_instructions.pdf |
The following are guidelines recommended for trapping community (AKA free-roaming/ stray
or feral) cats. These instructions assume trappers are using traps from the Tomahawk. Specifics
regarding the traps may be slightly different if you are using another type of trap.
Finding Traps
Humane traps are sometimes available from local shelters, and if you inquire, shelter staff may
be able to explain how to use them. They sometimes will know the names and phone numbers of
other local nonprofit groups that may be able to help you with trapping and locating low-cost
spay/neuter clinics like HCMT. HCMT has limited traps available for loan; please contact us at
412-321-4060 to request. You can also buy humane traps at www.livetraps.com, your local
Agway or Trader Horn, or even sites like Amazon. HCMT has traps for sale from time to time.
Preparation for Trapping
If possible, get the cats used to being fed at the same place and time of day. Don’t feed the cats
the day before you are going to trap, so the cats will be hungry. Be sure to notify others who
feed not to leave food out.
You want the cat to be in the trap a minimum amount of time before surgery, so trapping the
night before is usually the best approach. Cats should not eat after midnight the night before
surgery.
Prepare the area where you will be holding the cats before and after surgery. A garage or other
sheltered, warm, protected area is best. Lay down newspapers or absorbent material to catch the
inevitable stool, urine and food residue.
Prepare the vehicle you will use to transport them as well. Putting down plastic is a good extra
precaution, but you will need to use newspapers or some other absorbent material on top of the
plastic. (Urine will roll right off the plastic and that isn’t what you want.)
If there are young kittens involved, they should not be weaned from their mother before six
weeks of age. If you wish to foster and tame the kittens in order to get them adopted, they
should be taken from the mother at six weeks. If you wait until the kittens are older than six
weeks, you will find that the job of taming them gets harder the older they are.
Setting the Traps
Plan to set traps just before or at the cats’ normal feeding time. Don’t trap in the rain or the heat
of day without adequate protection for the cat in the trap. Cats are vulnerable in the traps and
could get drenched during storms or suffer from heatstroke in the sun. Please use common sense.
Fold sheets of newspaper or another absorbent material to line the bottom of the trap, just
covering the trip plate. Cats don’t like walking on wire surfaces and the lining material helps to
keep their feet from going through the wire bottom when you pick up the trap. Make sure the
lining material does not extend beyond the trip plate. Too much lining material can interfere
with the trap mechanism or prevent the door from closing properly.
Place traps on a level surface in the area where the cats usually feed or have been seen. Cats are
less likely to enter the trap if it wobbles. If you’re trapping in a public area, try to place the traps
where they will not be noticed by passersby (who may not understand that you are not trying to
harm the cats). Bushes are often places where cats hide and provide good camouflage for the
trap.
To bait the trap, spoon a small amount of tuna or mackerel (those are just my two suggestions)
onto a paper plate and place the food inside of the trap so the food is as far back in the trap as
possible. The idea is to make the food a little hard to get so that the cat has to go deep into the
trap and has to work at getting the food long enough to trip the trap. (Some cats are very good at
getting in and out of traps without getting caught. We don’t want to make it too easy for them to
get away with that trick.
After baiting the trap, open the trap door by pushing the top of the door in and pulling the bottom
of the door upward. There is a small hook attached to the right side of the trap top. It hooks onto
a tiny metal cylinder on the right side of the door. The hook holds the door in an open position,
which also raises the trip plate. When the cat steps on the plate, it will cause the hook to release
the door and close the trap.
After setting the trap, COVER IT COMPLETELY with a large towel or other piece of towelsized
material. Cover the top, sides and back of the trap; fold the material at the front end of the
trap to expose the opening. The cover will help to camouflage the trap and serve to calm the cat
after he/she is caught. NEVER LEAVE A CAT IN A TRAP UNCOVERED.
The Waiting Game
Never leave traps unattended in an unprotected area, but don’t hang around within sight of the
cats, or you will scare them off. Remember, the trapped animal is vulnerable. Passersby may
release the cat or steal the trap. Wait quietly in a place where you can see the traps without
disturbing the cats. If you’re quite a distance away, you can often hear the traps trip and see the
cloth cover droop down slightly over the opening.
As soon as the intended cat is trapped, completely cover the trap and remove the trap from the
area immediately. You might consider putting another trap in the same spot if it seems to be a
“hot” one. Be sure to dispose of the food left on the ground when you pick up the trap. You don’t
want to litter or give out any freebies to spoil appetites!
When you get the captured cat to a quiet area away from the other traps, lift the cover and check
for signs that you have the correct animal and not a pet or a previously altered feral. If you note
that you have captured a lactating female, check the area for kittens and remember that this
female must be released as soon as she is awake and alert after surgery so she can care for and
nurse her kittens. Cover the trap back up as SOON as possible. When the trap is uncovered, the
cat may panic and hurt itself thrashing around in the trap.
If you inadvertently catch a wild animal attracted to the food or a cat you didn’t intend to trap,
simply release the animal quietly.
Holding Procedure
After you have finished trapping, you will have to hold the cats overnight in a safe, enclosed
location until you can take them to the clinic. Place the trapped cats in the prepared protected
area. Keep the cats covered and calm, and don’t feed them. They will remain quiet as long as
they are covered. Don’t stick fingers in the traps or allow children or pets near the traps. These
are very frightened animals who can scratch and bite in defense.
After Surgery
If a cat does not seem to be recovering well, consider having him/her re-checked by a vet before
releasing the cat. If the veterinarian finds that the cat has a serious medical problem that you will
not be able to treat, you must make a decision, with the advice of the vet, about whether it is safe
to release the animal or kinder to euthanize him/her. Untreated abscesses, respiratory infections
and a number of other conditions can mean suffering and a slow death for community cats.
Releasing the Cats
When a cat is ready for release, return to the area where captured and release the cat there. Do
not relocate the animal because he/she will be disoriented and will most likely die trying to get
“home”. It’s common for cats to drive away new cats who appear in their area.
Make sure the spot you pick for release does not encourage the cat to run toward danger (like a
busy street) to get away from you. Keep the trap covered until you are ready to release the cat.
When you’re ready, simply hold the trap with the door facing away from you and open the door.
The cat will probably bolt immediately out of the trap. If that doesn’t happen, tilt the trap so the
back is slightly up and tap on the back of the trap to encourage the cat to leave. Never put your
hand in the trap! If the cat still will not leave, lift off the rear door and wait out of sight for the
animal to leave.
After releasing the cats, hose off the traps and disinfect with bleach. Never store traps in the
“set” position (door open); animals may wander into even unbaited traps and starve to death.
Click below to download these instructions as a three-page PDF.
or feral) cats. These instructions assume trappers are using traps from the Tomahawk. Specifics
regarding the traps may be slightly different if you are using another type of trap.
Finding Traps
Humane traps are sometimes available from local shelters, and if you inquire, shelter staff may
be able to explain how to use them. They sometimes will know the names and phone numbers of
other local nonprofit groups that may be able to help you with trapping and locating low-cost
spay/neuter clinics like HCMT. HCMT has limited traps available for loan; please contact us at
412-321-4060 to request. You can also buy humane traps at www.livetraps.com, your local
Agway or Trader Horn, or even sites like Amazon. HCMT has traps for sale from time to time.
Preparation for Trapping
If possible, get the cats used to being fed at the same place and time of day. Don’t feed the cats
the day before you are going to trap, so the cats will be hungry. Be sure to notify others who
feed not to leave food out.
You want the cat to be in the trap a minimum amount of time before surgery, so trapping the
night before is usually the best approach. Cats should not eat after midnight the night before
surgery.
Prepare the area where you will be holding the cats before and after surgery. A garage or other
sheltered, warm, protected area is best. Lay down newspapers or absorbent material to catch the
inevitable stool, urine and food residue.
Prepare the vehicle you will use to transport them as well. Putting down plastic is a good extra
precaution, but you will need to use newspapers or some other absorbent material on top of the
plastic. (Urine will roll right off the plastic and that isn’t what you want.)
If there are young kittens involved, they should not be weaned from their mother before six
weeks of age. If you wish to foster and tame the kittens in order to get them adopted, they
should be taken from the mother at six weeks. If you wait until the kittens are older than six
weeks, you will find that the job of taming them gets harder the older they are.
Setting the Traps
Plan to set traps just before or at the cats’ normal feeding time. Don’t trap in the rain or the heat
of day without adequate protection for the cat in the trap. Cats are vulnerable in the traps and
could get drenched during storms or suffer from heatstroke in the sun. Please use common sense.
Fold sheets of newspaper or another absorbent material to line the bottom of the trap, just
covering the trip plate. Cats don’t like walking on wire surfaces and the lining material helps to
keep their feet from going through the wire bottom when you pick up the trap. Make sure the
lining material does not extend beyond the trip plate. Too much lining material can interfere
with the trap mechanism or prevent the door from closing properly.
Place traps on a level surface in the area where the cats usually feed or have been seen. Cats are
less likely to enter the trap if it wobbles. If you’re trapping in a public area, try to place the traps
where they will not be noticed by passersby (who may not understand that you are not trying to
harm the cats). Bushes are often places where cats hide and provide good camouflage for the
trap.
To bait the trap, spoon a small amount of tuna or mackerel (those are just my two suggestions)
onto a paper plate and place the food inside of the trap so the food is as far back in the trap as
possible. The idea is to make the food a little hard to get so that the cat has to go deep into the
trap and has to work at getting the food long enough to trip the trap. (Some cats are very good at
getting in and out of traps without getting caught. We don’t want to make it too easy for them to
get away with that trick.
After baiting the trap, open the trap door by pushing the top of the door in and pulling the bottom
of the door upward. There is a small hook attached to the right side of the trap top. It hooks onto
a tiny metal cylinder on the right side of the door. The hook holds the door in an open position,
which also raises the trip plate. When the cat steps on the plate, it will cause the hook to release
the door and close the trap.
After setting the trap, COVER IT COMPLETELY with a large towel or other piece of towelsized
material. Cover the top, sides and back of the trap; fold the material at the front end of the
trap to expose the opening. The cover will help to camouflage the trap and serve to calm the cat
after he/she is caught. NEVER LEAVE A CAT IN A TRAP UNCOVERED.
The Waiting Game
Never leave traps unattended in an unprotected area, but don’t hang around within sight of the
cats, or you will scare them off. Remember, the trapped animal is vulnerable. Passersby may
release the cat or steal the trap. Wait quietly in a place where you can see the traps without
disturbing the cats. If you’re quite a distance away, you can often hear the traps trip and see the
cloth cover droop down slightly over the opening.
As soon as the intended cat is trapped, completely cover the trap and remove the trap from the
area immediately. You might consider putting another trap in the same spot if it seems to be a
“hot” one. Be sure to dispose of the food left on the ground when you pick up the trap. You don’t
want to litter or give out any freebies to spoil appetites!
When you get the captured cat to a quiet area away from the other traps, lift the cover and check
for signs that you have the correct animal and not a pet or a previously altered feral. If you note
that you have captured a lactating female, check the area for kittens and remember that this
female must be released as soon as she is awake and alert after surgery so she can care for and
nurse her kittens. Cover the trap back up as SOON as possible. When the trap is uncovered, the
cat may panic and hurt itself thrashing around in the trap.
If you inadvertently catch a wild animal attracted to the food or a cat you didn’t intend to trap,
simply release the animal quietly.
Holding Procedure
After you have finished trapping, you will have to hold the cats overnight in a safe, enclosed
location until you can take them to the clinic. Place the trapped cats in the prepared protected
area. Keep the cats covered and calm, and don’t feed them. They will remain quiet as long as
they are covered. Don’t stick fingers in the traps or allow children or pets near the traps. These
are very frightened animals who can scratch and bite in defense.
After Surgery
If a cat does not seem to be recovering well, consider having him/her re-checked by a vet before
releasing the cat. If the veterinarian finds that the cat has a serious medical problem that you will
not be able to treat, you must make a decision, with the advice of the vet, about whether it is safe
to release the animal or kinder to euthanize him/her. Untreated abscesses, respiratory infections
and a number of other conditions can mean suffering and a slow death for community cats.
Releasing the Cats
When a cat is ready for release, return to the area where captured and release the cat there. Do
not relocate the animal because he/she will be disoriented and will most likely die trying to get
“home”. It’s common for cats to drive away new cats who appear in their area.
Make sure the spot you pick for release does not encourage the cat to run toward danger (like a
busy street) to get away from you. Keep the trap covered until you are ready to release the cat.
When you’re ready, simply hold the trap with the door facing away from you and open the door.
The cat will probably bolt immediately out of the trap. If that doesn’t happen, tilt the trap so the
back is slightly up and tap on the back of the trap to encourage the cat to leave. Never put your
hand in the trap! If the cat still will not leave, lift off the rear door and wait out of sight for the
animal to leave.
After releasing the cats, hose off the traps and disinfect with bleach. Never store traps in the
“set” position (door open); animals may wander into even unbaited traps and starve to death.
Click below to download these instructions as a three-page PDF.
| humane_trapping_instructions.pdf |
