Elle Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 How can I catch a feral cat? We have adopted seven feral kittens and enough is enough. We want to catch the mother cat and have her spayed, so there will be no more kittens. We have tried a trap, but she won't go in. (Food in the opening, then moving it further in every day: she didn't fall for it.) We have tried throwing large swathes of material over her to slow her down, but she is vicious and escapes. We have tried slipping crushed antihistamine tablets into her food, but it doesn't make her sleepy (yes, the drowsy variety).She comes into the house via the cat flap most mornings for food. (Yes, I know how to use a cat flap, but we do have other cats who use it.) As it is the mating season again I am geting desperate. The vets won't help. I need some sensible suggestions, please, other than to move house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Elle, just be very careful. Feral cats can be very dangerous and can inflict serious injuries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Have you checked with the vets that they will do the operation if you can catch her ? It would be a great pity to capture her to find that they wouldn't. As Bugbear says they are difficult and dangerous to handle.Just a thought.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 If you leave the cat flap blocked open and stick the trap right up against it, do you think she might go in with food in it? You would have to shut the other cats away.It's a difficult one. Sometimes if they haven't eaten for several days, they finally go into the trap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Mrs Will has had many, many feral cats neutered (thanks to a special deal with the local vet) and they have mostly been difficult to catch. The vet gave us some stuff to put in the food to make them drowsy and supposedly easier to catch, but that didn't always work. Invariably it comes down to two people chasing them around and grabbing them. It's temporarily distressing but they soon calm down when they have been in a crate for a while. We have always found them very wary of traps, even with food and with the trap hidden behind a cat flap. I would agree that catching them can be dangerous. Mrs W got an infected wrist, but fortunately she know what it was and got the vaccine in good time, and I have had plenty of scratches too. The good thing (or maybe not) is that once neutered they will very easily become domesticated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Wear a pair of those leather gauntlet-type gardening gloves to handle them. Pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucky luke Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 If you feed the cat regularly why not use an oral contraceptive - these can be slipped into her food and would save you the hassle of catching her.LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Have you agreed with a Vet that they will castrate/sterilise (same words irrespective of gender in France) the cat if you bring her in ?If so get somebody to build a large cage on the wall or door through which the cat flap enters. Have the forth wall of the cage like a sash/guillotine window. Lock the cat flap so the cat can get in but not out and drop the fourth side of the cage when it is eating or has eaten.Keep your own cats inside while you are planning the final capture.Failing that teach her to drink brandy and milk and slowly increase the slug until she passes out. It works with apes but then they play chicken with cars.Sorry best I can do. We currently have inside cat living with us who should be no problem with Vet. I suspect outside cat may put up as much of a fight as I would if I knew what was coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elle Posted January 18, 2007 Author Share Posted January 18, 2007 Yes, the vet will spay her. Not a problem. We have already had one mother spayed (the mother of this one we can't catch). The one we caught is now a happy family cat.We have tried that cat flap idea some time ago - she saw it and wouldn't come in. Thanks for the thought, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elle Posted January 18, 2007 Author Share Posted January 18, 2007 Thank you for posting this idea. We had actually thought of it, but with so many other cats to look after we can't afford this extra vet bill on top of everything else. Atthe moment we flea and worm ten cats (including this feral one and one from next door who won't go home). The contraceptive is expensive and would have to be administered regularly.I think the sedative idea is the best if we can get hold of any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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