Glenn just called and asked if I could meet him where he works, at the end of the day, with a live trap, carrier, big towel, and wet cat food. As he was leaving lunch today, he spotted a large kitten or small cat, hobbling around the auto repair overflow lot; not putting weight on one of its legs, but no visibly open break.
(Yes, this is the same auto repair shop where Otto and Ellis were found 1.4 years ago, as CH kittens.)
Wish me luck! Will update later on tonight.
Posted 2 weeks ago by anncetera2 #
Just found out more info. I'll be taking 2 live traps, 2 carriers, a can of tuna, and a big ol' towel. Cat is a dilute red tabby; leg has been noted as non-functional for two months. There may be another cat that's hanging about (thus the second trap). Good news is that since the leg's been damaged that long, it's not an open break or wound in danger of going septic. Bad news is that since the leg's been damaged that long, it may or may not be repairable.
More updates later tonight!
Posted 2 weeks ago by anncetera2 #
Thanks for all the good wishes! Hope it won't be too tough... injury makes it tough to get in & out of dumpsters, and the cat sometimes gets tossed lunch scraps by some of the workers at the shop. So it's accustomed to finding food there sometimes... don't know about the other cat/kitten.
2P, glad to hear Mili's become a cuddly gal! I know Chloe is a gem and darling, but sometimes it's really nice to have a cuddler! Glenn's discovered that Misty and Sweet Pea will cuddle with him nearly endlessly... and Even plays king-of-the-mountain when Glenn's in bed. Violet is still a bit skittish, but she now comes around looking to get petted... and gets pretty vocal in demanding attention.
Posted 2 weeks ago by anncetera2 #
Partial success on Operation Kitty Rescue. There are two cats involved, but one's already been TNRd. The other is the injured one. Two traps were set tonight; one baited with wet cat food, the other with tuna. The tuna-baited trap had its food polished off within 20 minutes, but the trap never sprung (trap-shy cats and a bit of corrosion). The wet-food baited trap hadn't been touched.
So the tuna-baited trap was removed for cleaning and de-corroding before re-deployment. The other trap will be left out overnight, and Glenn will check it in the morning. If there's still food in it, he'll leave it; if it's empty, he'll bait it with tuna at lunchtime and come by to check it at the end of the work day. (No telling which cat ate the tuna.)
So at least one cat's eaten tuna successfully from a trap, without springing it; this can lead to becoming habituated, which can make it easier to eventually trap him or her. We'll see what happens... we may have to habituate with a jammed-open trap and tuna for a week, before successful trapping.
Posted 2 weeks ago by anncetera2 #
Crossing fingers that Operation Tuna is successful.
Posted 2 weeks ago by Moonshadow_NZ #
You've given me a great tip, A! Thanks! I have been trying to figure out how to trap a wily tom that hangs out in my yard... he walked right thru the trap that caught Hester nearly 2 years ago; he won't let me get within 5 feet of him... bait a jammed trap for a while, let him eat yummy wet food, and then one time, snap! he is in the trap and on the wey to the snipper!
Posted 2 weeks ago by nawlins catmom #
NC, habituating a feral cat to a bait trap that's jammed open for a few days (or weeks, if needed), then finally setting the trap properly to spring, is actually my preferred method for catching ferals. If you can reliably get the cat feeding from the trap about the same time every day, then you can pretty much set the "spa" appointment and make recovery arrangements.
Posted 2 weeks ago by anncetera2 #
Ah, I hate it when that happens!!! I once sat and watched as a kitty sat right on top of the spring-mechanism of a trap, happily eating the food, without setting it off. *curses* Was a bit sad though - the kitty was too thin to trigger the trap, she had FIP, we had to put her to sleep :(
Continued Hope that your able to trap the little kitty. TNRing can be so nerve-wracking. The 'Hurry-up-and-Wait thing that goes on between some very smart & feral felines. That's why It took longer to catch Hissy. I'd trapped her a couple times in a humane trap but, had to release her because both times she was in full bloom nursing mode & the kittens couldn't be found.
I ended up doing some major imagination work to finally trap her in a dog crate...baited everyday for weeks till she was sure it was safe to go in & eat regularly. Her son Naughtyboy helped w/that by being so trusting of everything I did. :)
This morning, found the trap empty - no food, no cat - but tripped closed. Went ahead and set up both traps, facing one another, not far from where the cat normally sleeps. Baited with sardines in oil, this time, though tuna seems a good choice as well (preferred over canned cat food).
The good news is the cat doesn't appear to be terribly thin; the restaurant next door keeps the cats well-supplied with food. While this makes them harder to trap, it's not impossible.
Got a better look at her (I think it's female). Her right foreleg obviously was seriously injured at some point, most likely broken. There's an area mid-foreleg where the fur is mussed a bit and the leg appears a trifle swollen in that spot. She avoids putting weight on it, if at all possible, and sits with that leg slightly drawn up. Her elbow joint also appears stiff, to the point of nearly frozen. But her shoulder joint appears pretty much fine, from what I can see. So whatever happened isn't currently septic, just limiting her mobility. She seems to jump up and down just fine (at least from a height of 3 feet), which would be congruent with landing on only one foreleg.
She will allow a person to approach within about 15 feet; closer, if you have lunchmeat or something similar to toss to her.
Glenn will be checking the traps at lunchtime; when I left, she was curled up loaf-style (but favoring her bum leg) only about 4 feet from the traps.
Posted 2 weeks ago by anncetera2 #
It's so Ironic...I went outside to see If Hissy was home to eat at all. It's 10 am with the sun shining bright. What do I find? Two young racoons eating up the kibble. It looks like mom may have been trapped by someone else & removed to leave these guys alone. They look to be close to teenage size. My problem...only one trap & If I trap it during the daytime, it will probably have to go to animal control...& then it's sibling after that when caught. I sure hate it when they're paired up like that when I only have the one trap anymore.
Before he went to lunch, Glenn reported that the cat is lying in the sun, resting, about 2 feet from the entrances to the traps. The food is untouched. In other words... she doesn't feel comfortable going into the traps, but no way in hell is she going to let any other kitty get at such luscious-smelling food. The darker brown tabby is lingering about, but has had no opportunity to get to the sardines.
Glenn will be checking again after lunchtime.
Posted 2 weeks ago by anncetera2 #
One cat is trapped!
It's the small dark brown tabby; I think it's a female. Very feral. She is currently caged in a 2.5' x 3' cage in the basement. We've draped fabric on 3/4 of the cage to reduce any visual stressors for her. She's not happy, but no longer climbing the cage walls attempting to escape when we come in sight. (She was rolling somersaults and clawing like crazy in the live trap; anything to try to get out of the trap.)
We have a phone call in to our local spay & neuter group to find the earliest time we can take her in for spaying, shots & eartipping. I'm hoping they'll be able to see her on Monday or Tuesday. She's drinking water, but seriously stressed by her confinement; refuses to eat dry food at all. I wouldn't put her through this, except we don't want her producing kittens.
She will definitely be released back where she was trapped, about 24 hours after her surgery (weather permitting). She is far too intolerant of human presence to consider any other option. She should survive fairly well, with junked car interiors available for shelter and an endless supply of food from the restaurant dumpsters next door. It's a situation that's far from ideal, I know. But it'll be better if she's not making babies, and it's a good sign that she's learned the street-smarts to survive this long.
After we return her to the lot, we'll be setting up the trap again for the other cat. She's very trap-smart, and I've only got one trap that will work to capture her. (She pushed the end panel open on the other one.)
Posted 1 week ago by anncetera2 #
Ann...I have to chuckle at the image of her pushing the 1 end of the trap out. The old trap I use to use (before some blessed angels sent me new ones) was pushed out the same way by Hopper, allowing him to escape several times. It's ironic that it took me twice as long to catch him tho as it did Hissy. He's got only a fraction of the smarts she does.
Please don't tell him I said that. He's an indoor-only cat now & I wouldn't want him hurting me. :)
Susie, you did such a great job getting both Hopper and Hissy trapped! Not an easy thing with Hissy, that's for sure.
For all I know, the one tabby she got her foreleg trapped & smashed in a similar live trap. (It would certainly explain her being so trap shy.) The good news, though, is that it appears she's eating in the trap. We should be able to get her accustomed to eating in the trap, then spring it one day. The hard part will be persisting until we trap her, rather than the dark brown tabby (who will already have been TNRd). No solution for it but to buy at least 10 cans of sardines, and being more persistent and patient than she.
Posted 1 week ago by anncetera2 #
One down one to go Ann, I hope you can trap the injured cat soon.
Posted 1 week ago by Moonshadow_NZ #
Ann...I'm blushing...Thank you...I just wish Hissy was that grateful. Hopper has turned into a complete lovebug. It's almost frightening. As for Hissy...she comes home only sporatically. Her last injury seems to have changed her personality for good.
I can tell you...you've always come thru for the furbabies you set out to help & I'm certain you'll be able to successfully trap the newest injured baby. It seems to already know your there to help. So sweet of Glenn to step up & help as well. He sounds like a keeper to me.
Prayers continuing that the little one will cooperate.
The injured feral is very trap-smart. Part of the sardines were eaten, but the trap remains untripped. She remained sitting in the disabled car when I went to check this morning, only 8 feet away from me. Drat! I will have to come up with a good system to trap her. A drop trap may be the only way, and I'd have to get her habituated to it.
The other feral is at SNKC this morning for her spa surgery. She appears less panicked, but still very, very wary of people and her surroundings. Hopefully, she will recover well enough to be returned to the overflow lot tomorrow. I'm 100% positive she'll be relieved to be returned.
Posted 1 week ago by anncetera2 #
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