Humane Trapping Instructions
Preparation for trapping
Understand how the trap works before you set it. (1 cat per trap only)
Do not feed the cats the day/night before you are going to trap so the cats will be hungry. Plan to trap so that you DON'T have to keep the cat too long before surgery. Trapping the morning of or the night before is usually the best approach.
Prepare the area where you will be holding the cats before and after the surgery. A garage or other sheltered, warm, protected area is best. Do not leave the cat in a trap in the cold or hot sun or on grass where ants may get to them. Lay down newspapers to catch the inevitable stool, urine and food residue.
If there are young kittens involved, remember that they should not be weaned from the mother before 4-6 weeks of age. Kittens must be completely weaned before the mother is spayed. The mother can not continue to nurse kittens after surgery. If you are trapping a lactating female, you may want to wait until you have located the kittens and they are old enough.
Setting the traps
Plan to set traps just before normal feeding time. Please do not trap in the rain or the heat of day without adequate protection for the trap. Cats are vulnerable in the traps and can suffer from heatstroke in the sun. Please use common sense.
Use newspaper to line the bottom of the trap. Use smelly food to bait the trap. Fishy canned cat food is very effective. It is best not to put any bowls inside the trap to hold food since the animal can easily hurt itself on it in a panic or while recovering from anesthetic.
After setting the trap, partially cover it with a large towel. The cover will help to camouflage the trap and serve to calm the cat after it is caught.
Never leave traps unattended or in an unprotected area...the trapped animal is vulnerable. Wait quietly in an area where you can still see the traps without disturbing the cats. Check traps every 15 minutes or so. You can often hear the traps trip.
When you get a trapped cat lift the cover and check for signs that you have the correct animal and not a previously neutered feral which has a notch to the left ear.
Releasing the cats after they are Spay/Neutered.
When cats are ready for release, return to the same area in which they were captured and release them there. Do not relocate the animal.
Never store traps in the "set" position (door open); animals may wander into even unbaited traps and starve to death.
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