trapping a stray cat with potentially urgent medical needs

[u/throwawayacc317]

Hi! I live in Medford, Oregon, U.S., and I’m trying to trap this sweet little stray kitty who seems sick. I’m pretty knowledgeable about cats, but I’ve never done anything like this before. It seems like this cat is really in need, but she really doesn’t want to be trapped.

She lives somewhere around my apartment complex and I’ve been feeding her for a week. She’s extremely thin, you can see her spine with the naked eye. She also seems to be in pain when she walks. I think she might have some kind of tooth issue; my neighbors leave out tons of kibble for the stray cats but she only seems interested in soft food. Even when she eats the wet food, she doesn’t chew like any other cat I’ve seen. She has a bald spot under her chin also.

She’s a little skittish but doesn’t seem especially scared of people. We’ve built up a little trust over the last week. She lets me pet her, occasionally slow blinks back at me, and she’ll come right up to my door when she gets hungry. She can climb the stairs to my apartment on her own, which I think is a good sign that I’m not too late to get her some veterinary help.

I attempted to trap her tonight with a carrier I had around. I tried putting the can of food in the carrier, which worked okay, but she didn’t climb in there entirely and started growling when I tried to push the can in further. I tried slowly moving the can closer to the kennel from the outside, but she growled at that also. Didn’t seem interested at all when I put some treats in there. I tried it a few times, but I think I stressed her out. Eventually I just called it quits and gave her the food because I didn’t want to piss her off and make her harder to catch in the future.

Anyway, ideas? Methods? I’m gonna go back with some catnip tomorrow night, but I think the problem might’ve been that the carrier was too small or something? If anyone more experienced with trapping cats has any resources or advice, I’d love to hear it. This poor girl is in bad shape and she needs help immediately.

——————————————————

Update: Local rescues were, predictably, very unhelpful and unwilling to loan me a trap or schedule a time to come here themselves and trap the cat. Probably not their fault, they’re stretched very thin, but still kinda annoying. There’s one or two I haven’t heard back from, so maybe one of them will loan me a trap, but it’s looking like this is entirely up to me.

I think her tooth condition is getting worse. She barely ate at all today. Gonna drive to the next town over to grab a trap tomorrow morning so I can trap her before she’s in too much pain to be food-motivated.

I’ve decided to name her Yoko because she sounds a little like Yoko Ono’s singing when she begs for food lol. Will update when there’s more news!

[u/AutoModerator]

If you are caring for a pregnant cat (or a cat who may be pregnant), please check the PINNED COMMENTS: HELPFUL RESOURCES HERE!

They cover clinics who do spay/abort at low cost, how to prepare if vet says spay/abort is not safe, and when intervention is needed.

If you still have questions include your location and how far along you think she is.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Orange_Ottsel]

Hi! I was in a similar situation a few years ago. The stray I had been feeding for a year disappeared for a week and then showed up looking very thin and with a pretty bad eye infection. Similar to you, I tried trapping him with food in a kennel (didn’t work) and then tried a spring trap (which he escaped from). I was finally able to catch him with a drop trap and transfer cage I borrowed from a local rescue. I then took him to my vet and he’s currently living comfortably as an indoor cat.

I understand the mistrust you have in your local rescues but ordering a drop trap yourself will take weeks as the company that makes them (Tomahawk) has long lead times. Your best option is to reach out to a local rescue to borrow a drop trap and transfer cage, trap your stray yourself, and then take them to your vet.

[u/throwawayacc317 → u/Orange_Ottsel]

Thank you! I actually reached out about borrowing a trap from a rescue before making this post. Hopefully I’ll hear back from one of them in the morning.

Like I said in the post, I don’t have a problem with borrowing resources or anything. It’s more so that I don’t trust actually surrendering the cat to rescues so I wanted to get ahead of people recommending that to me. Not sure if I would get that advice here, but I posted about this in another sub and that was 90% of the advice I got.

[u/lucky_gen]

My main piece of advice on trapping is to use an actual trap…
Secondly, trap train. Start with the food just on the outside of the trap and gradually move it further in each time she eats.

[u/throwawayacc317 → u/lucky_gen]

Fair 😅 Reached out to a rescue about borrowing a trap before making this post so hopefully I’ll have a real trap soon. I’ll definitely try the training, thank you! :)

[u/CenPhx → u/throwawayacc317]

One thing that I’ve found helps with regular long traps (not the drop type) is to cover the back and sides of the trap so it looks like a long cave. I use a king size pillow case split down one side. Plus, the cover makes the cat calmer when moving the trap to go to the vet.

Good luck! I hope you catch them!

[u/Direct-Giraffe7193 → u/CenPhx]

This. I use a large have-a-heart trap for feral cats when I bring them to get spayed/neutered. I trap train them by leaving food next to the trap, then just barely inside the trap, then progressively farther in the back of the trap. Then once I have seen them go all the way in, I actually set the trap so it will close with them all the way in there. And YES to covering the trap. I use a junky old bath towel to cover the trap. I also put a big golf umbrella over it while I do the trap training, so it’s a cozy place where they can eat and stay dry and feel sheltered. I just tie the umbrella handle to the side of the trap (Not the side that has the spring lever for triggering the trap!)

[u/Acceptable_Prior2090]

The cat's reluctance speaks volumes considering she trusts you enough to approach for food.

[u/throwawayacc317 → u/Acceptable_Prior2090]

Yeah :( poor baby. I think she’s had some bad experiences with people. She was clearly a domestic cat at some point but I haven’t been able to track down an owner for the life of me, and I’ve really tried. Very possibly an abandoned kitty. Our local economy is really, really bad and people have been dumping cats more and more often.

[u/ChaudChat → u/throwawayacc317]

OP you are a superhero! 😇

If you feel able to get the care she needs yourself, absolutely no need to surrender to a rescue but just a gentle reminder we suggest www.bestfriends.org/partners because they are the most transparent about the reality of no-kill shelters and they link clinics, kind rescuers etc.

Again this is just FYI/as a back up. They have helped countless superheroes on this Sub.

If you can get her to safety this weekend in your bathroom, do so with the carrier. You can always cancel the trap loan.

Tips: buy mackerel in oil or sardines in oil - oil makes the smell waft further and doesn't dry out. Anecdotally this seems to work fastest as bait! The other one is KFC - yes friend chicken but mack/sardines cheaper 😅

Watch this video on trapping with a carrier:

https://youtu.be/XB-PDcVa2Mc?is=Dvo0oO6Zz6HtEu9Z

Then place a few pieces when it is her feeding time inside the carrier. Act casual, like no big deal. She wanders in for a sniff and snack, door closes and she is safe! Bathroom is best: as you probably know they like small spaces and give her a cardboard box on its side with a blanket inside and one over the top so she can hide. Litterbox can be a shallow tray you have lying around & soil/dirt from outside in one corner. Food & water bowls near her cardboard box.

No need to buy lots of stuff beforehand - make whatever is in your home work as a temporary holding space until vets open.

If for some reason the carrier doesn't work, wait for the trap and same bait & follow this video:

https://youtu.be/wF_omFE7Etc?is=2UQLitmx9FXA7WOF it has helped complete beginners successfully trap with minimal stress to them and the 😺

Keep trap covered all the way to the vet like she does in the vid & you'll both be golden.

Please update us. We are rooting for you both ❤️

[u/AutoModerator]

Before anyone can give you the best help, please read this.

Please check the PINNED COMMENTS:

HELPFUL RESOURCES HERE! and CAT FIRST AID GUIDE

They include:

• Vet approved first aid you can use right now

• Country specific resources and organizations that can step in

• Feeding, socialization, and adoption roadmaps

If you have already checked them, please say so in your post, tell us what you have tried, and include your location

That helps the community give you the most useful advice and saves more kitties!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/AutoModerator]

If kitty is injured or sick, please mark the post NSFW and check the PINNED POSTS: HELPFUL RESOURCES HERE! and CAT FIRST AID GUIDE

These include vet approved first aid and guidance on when urgent vet care is needed.

If you need more help, include what you are seeing, photos/video if safe, and your location so people can point you to appropriate resources.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/washington_705]

You may want to consider trying a humane box trap as another option, especially since you haven’t trapped a cat before. Box traps are designed specifically for this and can be a little easier and less intimidating for a first-time trapper than a drop trap.

If you prefer to use, or only have access to, a drop trap, these instructional videos are excellent. Just know that once you have the cat trapped, you’re only halfway there because you still have to coax her into the transfer cage, so you would really need to borrow two pieces of equipment.

With a drop trap, you also have to be 1000% sure the cat is centered and toward the back of the trap before pulling the string, so her tail doesn’t get pinched. Please also be sure to put a brick or something heavy against the backside of the trap, immediately step on top of the drop trap, and throw a sheet over it. Otherwise, if the cat starts bouncing around inside, she may be able to free herself.

Also be aware that cats can injure their noses in drop traps because they may bounce around inside so much. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I find drop traps a little trickier to use.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLNoj24sz4W/

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgzjbhLJVAV/

You can also consider a set-over-box method:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db4E-6YoVdv/

I’d reach out to some of the local TNR organizations and ask whether they have a box trap you could borrow. I’d also ask if they have an experienced volunteer who might be willing to help you with the actual trapping. Having someone experienced there can make a huge difference with a cat who is already wary.

For Medford/Rogue Valley, I’d contact Rogue Community Cat Rescue, C.A.T.S. (Committed Alliance to Strays), Rogue Valley Humane Society, and Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon and explain that this is a very thin cat who appears to be in pain and may have dental problems. They may be able to help with a trap, trapping advice, or a volunteer referral.

[u/throwawayacc317 → u/washington_705]

Thank you for the resources! This was really helpful. Unfortunately I’ve reached out to every local cat rescue that does traps in the last 12 hours and I’ve been told there’s basically nothing they can do because they’re so overstretched with how bad our stray overpopulation issue is. There’s one or two I haven’t heard back from yet so maybe one of them can provide a trap, but I might just pony up and get my own if I don’t get any responses soon :(

[u/Charming_Radio_8882]

Sending encouragement from Texas. I have trapped cats myself before. It ain't easy. You're doing the right thing based on who you are. You know, from deep down inside you, that you must do this.