effective, some experienced trappers will use it instead of box traps to catch all the cats ina colony, not just the more difficult ones.When the first edition of this handbook was published, we included instructions onhow to build a drop trap because none were commercially available on a large scale.Since then, <strong>Neighborhood</strong> <strong>Cats</strong> has teamed up with Tomahawk Live Trap to design amass-produced model and now all you need to do is place your order. The trap doesrequire a little training and practice. Chapter 10 describes in detail how to use one.For the do-it-yourself trapper who wants to build her own drop trap,check out the Drop Trap Design Bank (http://droptrapdesign.blogspot.com/).Trap designs, demonstration videos and more are available.• Train the cat to enter a box trapIf a box trap can be safely left out for one to two weeks, a cat can be trained to enter itto eat. Begin by securing the front door of the trap in an open position. Use a cable tie orrun a stick or rod through both sides of the trap just below the open front door, blocking itfrom falling. Place the trap near the normal feeding station or spot.The first day, put a plate of food on the ground a foot or so away from the front of thetrap. Keep placing the food at this spot until you see it’s being eaten. Then, next timeyou feed, move the plate so it’s still outside the trap but right below the open front door.Again, wait until you see the cat is eating from the plate, and then move it a few inchesinside the trap. Continue this process until the plate is at the back of the trap and the catis going all the way in. Then set the trap.This method works well with lone cats, but can be problematic if the hard-to-catch catis part of a larger colony. In that case, you might not be able to tell whether the target catis eating the food and being trained to go in the trap as opposed to other cats in thecolony. If the colony is a small one, say six cats or less, you could try training all of themby putting all of their food on the plate or in a big bowl. Then when you’re confidentyour target cat is among those entering the trap to eat, use the bottle-and-string trick tosingle him out (see “Bottle-and-string trick” in the “Kittens” section earlier in thischapter).Training a cat this way assumes it’s safe to leave a trap out unattended for anextended period of time. A private setting, like a caretaker’s backyard, is best. If thelocation is accessible to the public, precautions to protect both the cat and the equipmentshould be taken. The trap should be locked with a chain to an immovable object, like afence post or stairwell rail. The rear door should be removed and taken away, renderingthe trap useless if anyone wanted to try setting or taking it. In this situation, , where thecat can enter either the front or rear door, the goal is to train the cat to go to the middle ofthe trap’s interior to eat.Even with these precautions, if the trap is too visible and foot traffic is too high, thismethod should not be used. Only try it in a publicly accessible place with light traffic.Even then, find a spot that is at least somewhat hidden, like behind a concrete barrier orsome bushes.92
A variation of this method can be used before you even find out whether you have ahard-to-catch cat on your hands. If the site is private and secure, like a residentialbackyard, then a couple of weeks before the trapping date, put out as many traps as thereare cats and start training the entire colony to eat out of them. When the big day arrives,you may be surprised how quickly they’re all caught.• Camouflage trapBlending the trap in with itssurroundings or disguising it in somemanner may lure a cat in. If you’retrapping in a setting with grass, trees orbushes, drape burlap over the sides of thetrap and on the trap floor. Cover the burlapwith leaves and branches, making sure notto create an obstruction which wouldprevent the front door from closing. Also,don’t cover the rear door – you want the catto be able to see all the way through toreduce his fear of entering.There are many other ways to disguise a trap. Put it inside a large cardboard box,again leaving the rear door uncovered so the cat has a line of vision all the way through.Lean a large board against a wall and put the trap behind it. Rest objects, such as debris,a wooden plank or a trash bag on top and against the sides of the trap to make it appearmore like part of its environment. The more the trap appears like a natural part of theenvironment, the less hesitant the cat will be going inside.• Lure into a closed spaceIf you can lure a cat into an indoor space like a shed, garage or room and securelyshut him inside, there are a couple ways to then get him into a box trap, though avoidusing a room with ceiling tiles or a drop ceiling which would allow a cat to hide in theceiling. Before luring the cat inside, you’ll need to set things up.The simplest kind of “indoor trapping” is to place a baited trap in the room before thecat arrives and set it in the normal manner. Once the cat is shut into the indoor space,you wait it out. If the cat is trap shy, it might take two or three days before he’ll enter thetrap. In the meantime, make sure fresh water is always available and a full litter pan. Putout a pile of newspaper as well in case the cat doesn’t understand what a litter pan is.The only food available should be the bait in the trap. Be very careful when entering andexiting the space to avoid an escape. If the cat does not go in after two or three days, startusing food to train him to go into the trap (see “Train the cat to enter a box trap” earlier inthis chapter.) Don’t withhold food indefinitely and risk damaging his health.A faster technique takes a bit more work. Before the cat is lured into the room,remove or seal off any hiding places – anything the cat might go behind, into or under. Ifthe cat is already in the space, leave his hiding place alone and remove or seal off all therest. Then take a large board or piece of cardboard, approximately five feet high and four93
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TNR HandbookThe Guide to Trap-Neute
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Table of ContentsForeword by Susan
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Chapter Ten: The Neighborhood Cats
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ForewordOne of the first ferals I e
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Introduction“If we keep ‘em in
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2. What is Trap-Neuter-Return?Trap-
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c) Fewer nuisance complaints. As me
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and as their hunger grows, they wil
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3. The TNR Process - An OverviewEve
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After you’ve determined how many
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for this purpose. Once you can talk
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like the board of a homeowners asso
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information provided because of the
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act to discourage cats from enterin
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epel. It operates on four “C” b
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• Free-standing fencesPurrfect Fe
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• Type of feeding stationThe perf
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Amazon (www.amazon.com) for “Le B
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will be drawn to this easily reache
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a search for “heated water bowl
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interior warm enough to prevent or
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food works best for your budget, th
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When the cat no longer uses the cag
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alternatives, like scratching posts
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• Where to lookIn order to attrac
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In case you’re unable to return t
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18. Feral Cat ResourcesBooks Implem
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Petco Foundation (4Rs Project Suppo
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ToolkitsAction Kit: Advocating for
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Appendix BHOW TO BUILDTHE NEIGHBORH
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5. Place piece E two inches back fr
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Trap LogProject/Colony: ___________
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In memory ofBobby Kergis1952 - 2011