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either not wide enough or made from inferior and weakermaterials, so they bend easily and can become difficult toinsert with continued use. They are not safe for the methodswe teach. By contrast, the Tomahawk and Tru-Catch dividersare strong, durable, the correct size and easy to use. In fact,we helped design the Tomahawk model. They fit not onlyTomahawk and Tru-Catch traps, but any other trap of similarsize and wire mesh construction.Warning! If you are purchasingtraps by a manufacturer other thanFigure 8-5Tomahawk or Tru-Catch, do not letyour vendor talk you out of buying the trap dividers werecommend and instead purchasing one “specially made foryour trap by the trap manufacturer.” Just because it was“specially made” does not mean it is adequate for TNRpurposes.If you’re unable to borrow trap dividers from a local trapbank or shelter, consider buying a pair for yourself to alwaysFigure 8-6have them around. Two trap dividers should be used whenfeeding and cleaning inside a trap, so we recommend you order them by the pair. Kitten screenNeighborhood Cats Kitten Screen by TomahawkModel K100Tomahawk Live Trap, www.livetrap.com; 800-272-8727Sometimes you may want to catch a litter of kittens before you trap any of the adultsin a colony. Perhaps the kittens are young enough to be easily socialized and adoptedout, so you want to catch them right away and not wait until you’re able to trap the wholecolony. The problem is how do you keep the adults out of the traps and away from thebait and only let the kittens in? Some trappers try using very small traps designed foranimals like squirrels or chipmunks, but an adult cat can still squeeze into most of them.Remember, on winter shelters, the recommended doorway is only 6 inches x 6 inches.Problem solved with the Neighborhood Cats Kitten Screen, designed by us andmanufactured by Tomahawk Live Trap. The screen is a steel mesh panel that installseasily into any wire mesh box trap measuring 10"W x 12"H, including Tomahawkmodels 108, 606NC, 608, 608NC and 608FN. Placed in front of the trip plate, its 3inches by 3 inches opening only allows small kittens to pass through so only they canstep on the trip plate.See the section, “Kittens,” in Chapter 9 for tips on trapping kittens, including how toset the trigger so a kitten’s weight will trip the trap, how to close the trap door manuallyinstead of using the trigger/trip plate mechanism, and how to build your own kittenscreen if the Neighborhood Cats Kitten Screen won’t fit your trap. Also, see Chapter 10for how to use a drop trap, another method for capturing young kittens.63