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Dropping the trapBe patient! That’s the number one rule of drop trapping. Wait until the cat or catsyou’re after are crouched over the food bowl and fully engaged in eating before you pullthe string. Preferably, they will not be looking in your direction. It is amazing, but if acat is not distracted enough by eating and sees you pull the string, he can get out of thetrap before it hits the ground. So don’t get over-anxious and yank the cord as soon as acat steps under the trap. Likewise, if the cat appears nervous and furtive as he starts to gounder, wait. Even if he darts out, chances are he’ll be back when he sees everything isokay. The worst thing you could do is pull the cord too soon and not only have the catescape, but become too frightened to return.When you do pull the string, don’t hesitate at all, but give it a good, hard yank.Hesitating could cause the string to move, alerting the cat and giving him a chance to getout before you recover. This is why it’s important to practice pulling a few times beforeyou try it live.Be aware there is a risk of injury if a cat is hit by a falling trap, one more reason tobe patient and wait until she’s enjoying the bait. Don’t pull the string if there’s a catsitting or standing by the edge of the trap while another is eating. Also, be cautious whentrapping kittens or cats who are sick or injured and may have trouble moving. Be surethey’re all eating and clear of the trap’s edges before pulling.If your top priority is to catch a particular feline, like a pregnant cat or a wily, hardto-catchferal, avoid dropping the trap on any other cats until you’ve caught that one. Ifthe one you’re after sees her mates going under, having a bite and coming back out withno problem, she may be reassured about going under herself. If you were to drop the trapbefore you caught her and she was close by, most likely she would scatter along with anyother nearby cats. Most of the time, the cats return soon afterwards, but you don’t wantto take that chance and give her any reason to be suspicious of the trap.Sometimes you’ll be able to catch more than one cat or kitten at the same time. Youmay see a mom and her litter all coming to eat together. It’s fine to drop the trap on morethan one cat provided they’re all engrossed in eating. Transferring out of the drop trap1. Cover the drop trap. Once the trap is dropped and a cat is captured, he’s goingto frantically try to find a way out. You need to cover the entire drop trap with theblanket as quickly as possible to help him calm down and reduce the risk of injury. Use ablanket rather than a sheet; it will block out more light and be easier to throw over theentire trap. Wait for the cat to settle down before attempting the transfer.2. Line up and secure the box trap or transfer cage. Align the rear door of thebox trap with the sliding side door of the drop trap, making sure there are no gapsbetween them (Figure 10-8). Drape the sheet over the top and sides of the box trap ortransfer cage, being sure to leave the end opposite the drop trap uncovered. During thetransfer, you want to trick the cat into thinking the only way out is through the box trap or101