download/print - Neighborhood Cats

Figure 12-1 shows the Setup fullyassembled. The bottom of the cage islined with newspaper. The den with asmall towel inside sits in the rearcorner to your left as you’re facing thefront of the cage. This leaves theround side door accessible from theside. Towards the front of the cage,the litter pan sits to the left and thefood and water bowls are to the right.A sheet covers the back half of thecage at all times and can be pulledover the front half when you want tomake the cat’s environment as calm aspossible.For the litter pan, you can use asmaller one, measuring approximatelyFigure 12-110 inches in width and 14 inches in length. Or a small plastic dish pan with similardimensions will work. Using shredded newspaper instead of regular litter may help keepthe cage cleaner. Placing the cat insideDon’t try to transfer a cat directly out of a trap and into a cage. This type of transfercarries a high risk of injury or escape because both the trap door and cage door have to beopen at the same time. Because the door of the trap is much smaller than the door of thecage, a large gap above the trap is created. All the cat has to do is exit the trap, twistaround, jump over the trap and take off. You won’t be able to pull back the trap and shutthe cage door fast enough to stop him. A much safer technique is to transfer the cat fromthe trap into the feral cat den, then put the den inside the cage. (See “Transfers fromtraps” in Chapter 9.)If the cat will go directly into the Setup after a visit to the veterinarian or spay/neuterclinic, give the den (with a towel inside) to the staff and ask them to put the cat in whilehe’s still sedated. That way, when you pick him up, he’ll already be inside. Make surethe side door is locked before you carry him home(Figure 12-2). It’s difficult for a cat to open theside door even if it’s unlocked, but things can shiftand move around during transport and you want tobe as safe as possible. If you’re using an oldermodel den without a side door lock, use a piece ofduct tape to secure the side door. Also check thatthe front door is locked.Once the cat has been transferred or isotherwise inside the den, place the den, stillFigure 12-2: closed & lockedlocked, into the Setup cage. Next, put in the litter110