Jazzpurr Society - Spay/Neuter Program

Trapping Instructions

(Tomahawk Traps Only)

Notes:

          Please pick the trap up from Jazzpurr House three days before the scheduled surgery.

Preparation for trapping

•         Get the cats used to being fed at the same place and time of day. On the last three days prior to surgery, leave the trap unset and covered with a large towel during routine feeding so that the animal will get used to seeing and smelling it in the area.

•         Don't feed the cats the day/night before you are going to trap so the cats will be hungry. Be sure to notify others who may feed the cats not to leave food out either.

•         Set the trap the night before surgery. Cats should not eat 12 hours prior to surgery. Water should be available if the cat is held in the trap for more than 4 hours after capture.

•         Prepare the area where you will be holding the cats before and after the clinic. A garage or other sheltered, warm, protected area is best. Lay down newspapers to catch the inevitable stool, urine and food residue. You may want to use pieces of wood to elevate the traps off the newspapers. This allows the mess to fall through the wire away from the cats. .

•         Prepare the vehicle you will use to transport them as well. Plastic may be an additional precaution. But remember that you will need to use newspapers or some other absorbent material in addition. (Urine will roll right off of the plastic and that isn't what you want )

•         Plan your day of trapping carefully. Remember that if you trap an animal and release it for some reason, it is unlikely that you will be able to catch it again - they learn very quickly.

Setting the traps

•         Plan to set traps just before or at the cats' normal feeding time. This is often at night. Dusk is usually the best time to set traps.

•         Don't trap in the rain or the heat of day without adequate protection for the trap. Cats are vulnerable in the traps and could drown during storms or suffer from heatstroke in the sun. Use common sense!

•         Fold a piece of newspaper to line the bottom of the trap just covering the trip plate. Cats don't like walking on the wire surface and the paper helps to keep their feet from going through when you pick up the trap. Be sure that the paper does not extend beyond the trip plate. Too much newspaper can interfere with the trap mechanism or prevent the door from closing properly.

•         Plan placement of traps on a level surface in the area where the cats usually feed or have been seen. Cats are less likely to enter the trap if it wobbles. If trapping in a public area, try to place traps where they will not be noticed by passers-by (who may not understand that you are not trying to harm the cat).

•         Bushes are often places where cats hide and provide good camouflage for the trap.

•         Use smelly food to bait the trap. We find that canned Mackerel is very effective and relatively inexpensive. 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.

•         Soak a small scrap of newspaper (2-3 inches by 3-4 inches) in the Mackerel juice and place it on the ground where you plan to place the rear of the trap.

•         Spoon a small amount of food onto the soaked newspaper scrap and place the trap on top of the food so the food is as far back in the trap as possible while still not accessible from outside the trap. (You want the cat to go all the way into the trap to avoid being injured when the trap door closes.) Press the trap down onto the food so that it squishes up through the wire. The idea is to make the food a little hard to get so that the cat has to go into the trap as far as possible and has to work at getting it long enough to trip the trap. (Some cats are very good at getting in and out of traps without getting caught. We don't want to make it too easy for them to get away with that trick. Also, having the food essentially outside of the trap prevents the cat from eating it in the trap before surgery and is less messy.)

•         After baiting the trap, open the trap door by pushing the top of the door in and pulling the bottom of the door upward. There is a small hook attached to the right side of the trap top. It hooks onto a tiny metal cylinder on the right side of the door. The hook holds the door in an open position which also raises the trip plate. When the cat steps on the plate it will cause the hook to release the door and close the trap.

•         After setting the trap, cover it with a large towel or piece of towel-sized material. Fold the material at the front end of the trap to expose the opening while still covering the top, sides and back of the trap. The cover will help to camouflage the trap and serve to calm the cat after it is caught.

•         Just before you are ready to leave the trap for the cat to enter, you may want to push the hook (ever so slightly) a little bit back off the cylinder to create a "hair trigger". (Don't get too carried away with this step or the trap will trip as soon as the cat takes a sniff!)

Waiting for success

•         Never leave traps unattended in an unprotected area, but don't hang around within sight of the cat (or you will scare it off). The trapped animal is vulnerable.

•         Passers-by may release the cat or steal the trap! 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 and see the cloth cover droop down slightly over the opening from a distance. As soon as the intended cat is trapped completely cover the trap and remove the trap from the area if other cats are not in sight. You may consider putting another trap in the same spot if it seems to be a "hot" one. Be sure to dispose of the food left on the ground when you pick up the trap. (You don't want to litter or give out any freebies and spoil any appetites!)

•         When you get the captured cat to a quiet area away from the other traps lift the cover and check for signs that you have the correct animal and not a pet or previously neutered feral. (JCCS marks the right ear of every animal we alter so we can avoid repeat animals) If you note that you have captured a lactating female, release her. Cover the cat back up as soon as possible. Uncovered, the animal may panic and hurt itself thrashing around in the trap.

•         Of course, there is always the chance that you will catch some other wild animal attracted to the food or an unintended cat. Simply release the animal quietly as stated in the releasing procedures here.

•         If you are unsuccessful in trapping the cat, you must call Jazzpurr House before 9:00 am on the scheduled day of surgery or forfeit your deposit.

•         If you find another animal in the trap, release it according to the instructions below (and call Jazzpurr House).

Holding procedures

•         After you have finished trapping, you will have to hold the cats overnight until you can take them to the clinic.

•         Place cats in the prepared protected area. Don't feed them. You can place a small bowl of water in the trap by opening the trap door just a couple of inches and placing the bowl by the trap door. Try to use a bowl that won't be tipped over easily. Don't open the door too wide or the cat may escape. (Be sure to remove the bowl before transporting the cat to the clinic.)

•         Keep cats covered and check periodically. They will probably be very quiet as long as they are covered. Don't stick fingers in the trap or allow children or pets near the traps. These are wild animals which scratch and bite. ALL ANIMAL BITES ARE SERIOUS! IF YOU ARE BITTEN SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION AND DO NOT RELEASE THE CAT. IT MUST BE QUARANTINED. CONTACT YOUR VET FOR QUARANTINE INSTRUCTIONS.

•         Wash and change clothes before having contact with your own pets as a precaution against spreading any contagious diseases the cats might carry.

Transporting to the Clinic:

•         Prepare an area in your vehicle that allows for clean, level, stable transport of the cat in the trap. Keep the cage covered with a towel. The floor of the backseat is suitable. The trunk is not. Make certain that the temperature in your vehicle is comfortable.

•         Bring the cat to the clinic at the appointed time. Leave both the cat and the trap at the clinic.

•         Make certain that you are available to pick up the cat during clinic hours in case the cat has a condition that prevents safe surgery.

Picking up the Cat:

•         The cat must be picked up from Jazzpurr House at the designated time.

•         The cat must be transported back to its territory in a safety carrier. If you do not have one, you can purchase one at any pet supply or department store for approximately $15.00. We do not sell or lend out carriers. Jazzpurr staff will place the cat in the carrier.

•         Follow the same procedures for transport as you did in bringing the cat to the clinic.

Releasing the cats

•         When cats are ready for release, return to the area in which they were captured and release them there. Do not relocate the animal! It will be disoriented and most likely die. In all likelihood, area cats will drive it away.

•         Make sure the spot you pick for release does not encourage the cat to run into danger (like a busy street) to get away from you. Keep the carrier covered until you are ready to release. When ready, simply hold the carrier door open until the cat exits. If it is confused, just tilt the carrier so the back is slightly up and tap on the back to encourage it to leave. Never put your hand in the carrier! If the animal still will not leave, prop the door open with a stick and leave it for a while.