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11 inches in height. In our opinion, it is too small to double as a cage after a cat iscaptured, so we don’t recommend it.Safeguard- Large Raccoon Trap with Rear DoorModel SG52836 / SG-36D (36”L x 11”W x 12”H; 12 lbs.)- Raccoon Trap with Rear DoorModel SG52830 / SG-30D (30”L x 11”w x 12”H; 10 lbs.)Heart of the Earth Animal Equipment, www.animal-traps.com; 1-800-526-1644; also check: Animal Care Equipment & Services(ACES), www.animal-care.com; 1-800-338-2237The Safeguard trap has the basic featuresneeded for TNR – a sliding rear door andlength of either 30 or 36 inches. It’seconomically priced, so cost is a bigadvantage, and it’s easy to set by pushing ahook-shaped trigger under a crossbar near thefront door. Some trappers also like the 11inch width, one inch wider than theNeighborhood Cats Trap. This gives the catsa little more room when confined.The trap suffers from two major flaws.First, the trip plate is too small and, left as is,many cats will either step or lean over it to reach the bait. You can get around this bytaping a piece of cardboard to the middle of the trip plate, effectively extending its length(Figure 8-4). The cardboard piece should be a little less than the width of the trap(approximately 10 inches) by 7 inches long.The second flaw is the rear door’s lockingmechanism. The rear door locks by pushingrotating hooks attached to the top of the doorbeneath the crossbars on top of the trap. The handleof the door is then held in place by a thin metal barwhich you pull over the handle. The design isconfusing and people who are inexperienced or in arush – like clinic workers – often make the mistakeof thinking the rear door is locked when the thinmetal bar is pulled over the door’s handle. TheyFigure 8-4forget or don’t realize the hooks on top of the doorneed to be pushed under the crossbars. This omission allows the rear door to be pushedup and open by a cat struggling to get out. If you use this trap, you must develop a habitof constantly double-checking that the rear door is properly locked, especially when thetrap – with cat inside – is returned to you by your spay/neuter provider. Also check rightafter baiting a trap out in the field, before lifting a trap with a recently captured cat, and60