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The bottle-and-string method is useful not only for catching kittens, but for targetingany particular cat for trapping, like a pregnant female, a cat you missed during an earliermass trapping and a cat who appears ill or injured. The best way to pick cats out of thecrowd is by using a drop trap, as described in Chapter 10, but the bottle-and-string trickcan work, too.• “Kittens only” admissionAnother way to trap only kittens is to transform a regular box trap into a “kittensonly” trap by use of a kitten screen. As discussed in the “Kitten screen” section ofChapter 8, Tomahawk Live Trap manufactures a screen designed by Neighborhood Catswhich fits its traps that are 10 inches wide and 12 inches in height. It should work withany wire mesh trap with the same dimensions. The screen creates a 3 inch by 3 inchdoorway in front of the trip plate which only young kittens can pass through. Whenusing a screen, the trigger should be set lightly as described earlier in this section.If you’re using traps which are not 10inches wide and 12 inches high, you canmake your own screen. Cut out a rectangularpiece of cardboard the height and width ofyour trap. In one bottom corner, cut anopening of 3 inches x 3 inches. Place thecardboard inside the trap a few inches infront of the trip plate, positioning it so itblocks further access except for the doorwayin the lower corner (Figure 9-4). To hold thescreen in place and stop an adult cat fromsimply pushing it out of the way, poke holesin the three intact corners of the screen, nextto the upper, outer corner of the doorway andnext to the lower corner of the doorway aswell. (see Figure 9-4). Attach the cardboardFigure 9-4to the trap with twist ties or cable ties.3. Nursing mothersFree-roaming female cats can give birth at any time of year, especially in warmerclimates. In all regions, births peak during the spring and again, to a lesser extent, in theearly fall. Some TNR groups stop trapping during the peak seasons to avoid dealingwith nursing mothers and baby kittens. Most, including Neighborhood Cats, workstraight through. Whatever time of year it is, it’s important to decide ahead of time whatyou will do if you capture a lactating mom. That way you can make any necessarypreparations and not have to make snap decisions in the heat of the action.How to proceed with a nursing mother depends largely on three factors: (1) the ageof the kittens, (2) the location of the kittens, and (3) how much information, if any, youhave about their age and location.82