download/print - Neighborhood Cats

Plastic or paper plates are recommended. Don’t use anything with a sharp or hardedge, like a cat food can or ceramic saucer that could cause an injury if a trapped catpanics and starts dashing back and forth. Buy plastic forks or spoons so, if needed, youhave plenty of them for placing bait on the plates.Pounce or a similar cat treat that easily crumbles is perfect for making a trail leadingup to the trap.The sheets are for covering traps after a cat is caught. Covering usually calms the catquickly by making him feel less exposed, helping prevent injury. From the time ofcapture until the cat is released at the end of the project, the trap should be kept coveredat all times. This is very important for ferals who feel more secure in dark, enclosedspaces when confined.If you’re using traps with narrow trip plates, you’ll need cardboard extenders to makethem wider or else cats may simply step over them. The width of the cardboard extendershould be a little less than the width of the trap and seven inches long. Use duct tape toattach the cardboard to the middle of the trip plate (see Figure 8-4 in Chapter 8).A basic first aid kit is a must just in case of a bite or scratch or some other injury. Aninjury caused by a cat shouldn’t happen if the techniques outlined in this handbook arefollowed, but if it does, it’s important to be prepared. Quickly cleaning a wound inflictedby a cat can stop a more serious infection from developing later. The kit should at aminimum include hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls for cleaning a wound and bandaids. If you are bitten or scratched by a cat, be sure to seek medical attention promptly.A seemingly innocent wound can become serious if left untreated. Trapping supplies - optionalThe following list of items may or may not be needed, depending on thecircumstances of your project. Some you might want to bring along just in case.NewspaperClothespinsBlanketsPlastic drop cloth (at least 3 millimeters thick)FlashlightNeedle-nose pliersVegetable oil sprayPens or pencilsColor labels & Sharpie pens (if trapping at multiple sites)Logging sheet & pen (if trapping at multiple sites)Another person or twoOnce in a while, a cat won’t like the feel of the wire floor of a box trap and willhesitate to enter. One way to overcome this is to cover the floor of the trap with a fewsheets of folded newspaper. Be aware that even the slightest breeze can cause thenewspaper to rustle and frighten a cat away, so attach the newspaper to the floor of thetrap with clothespins. Some trappers will put newspaper in all their traps as a standard69