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4. Prepare the trapsAfter you’ve transported your equipmentand supplies to the colony site, unload the trapsand line them up in a row, rear doors all facingthe same way. Put the traps down acomfortable distance from where the cats arenormally fed and, if possible, just around thecorner and out of sight. This will reduce thechance of alarming the cats with what to themwill appear to be new and unusual activity.Remove the rear doors, placing each on topof its trap. At this point, if you’re using trapswith small trip plates, tape the cardboardphoto: Bryan Kortisextenders on, making sure the edge of thecardboard, and not simply the tape, reaches the middle of the plate (see Figure 8-4 inChapter 8). Next, open the bait and place generous portions on small paper or plasticplates. Use mostly your favorite bait but also add at least a bit of a second kind. Thenplace the bait behind the trip plate – right up against the rear door is good. Shut the reardoors, double-checking that they’re locked properly.One exception to using a fair amount of bait is if you know a cat is going to beoperated on within hours, for example, if the trap is set early in the morning of yourspay/neuter date. In that case, only use a small amount of very smelly bait. Ideally,when a cat goes for surgery, her stomach is empty to avoid possible complications causedby anesthesia, such as vomiting then choking and gagging. If the cat did eat within hoursof surgery, even a small amount, be sure to inform your veterinarian.As mentioned earlier, at Neighborhood Cats, we don’t usually line the floors of all thetraps with newspaper, but only do so later in the trapping if there are cats reluctant to goin. Some trappers prefer to start out withnewspaper on the bottom of all traps. If that’swhat you want to do, too, then after you’velocked the rear doors, go to the front of each trap,open the front door and line the floor withnewspaper, using clothespins to attach it to thesides of the trap.Finally, roll up a sheet and tuck it between thehandles on top of each trap. That way, when a catis caught and you need to cover him quickly, youwon’t have to go running back and forth, lookingphoto: Meredith Weissfor a sheet.5. Place the traps in the territoryOnce all the traps are ready, place them all in the territory at the same time. Don’t putonly some out, thinking you’ll put out the rest after you’ve caught some cats. The fewer73