Читать книгу Cats For Dummies - Gina Spadafori - Страница 71

After you have your trap and your veterinarian is on standby, you’re ready to get down to the business of catching cats. Make sure that the trap is clean to start with. Scrub with hot, soapy water and follow with a spray of diluted bleach (a half cup of bleach to a gallon of water will do). If you can manage it, prepare several traps at once. Cats quickly become wary of the traps after seeing others caught, and your best chance may well be a mass trapping.

Stop feeding your cat colony for a couple days before you put traps out. You want them hungry!

Set the trap in a protected area, such as under a bush, or in the shade of a fence or building. Cover the trap with an old towel or blanket to make the cat feel more secure after he has been captured.

If you set out more than one trap, position them so that they’re out of sight of one another. Set the trap according to the instructions that came with it, and choose something irresistible as bait. A common recommendation is canned cat food. Another hit with cats is canned mackerel, which is relatively inexpensive and very smelly!

Check your traps at least a couple times per day and ideally every three-four hours — and even more frequently in cold or hot weather. Traps offer no protection against the elements. A trapped cat is also vulnerable to attack by dogs or by people intent on mayhem.

After you have a cat trapped, don’t attempt to remove him from the cage — you’ll be bitten. Keep the cage covered and use the handle to transport the cat, cage and all. Your veterinarian and her staff are trained and experienced at handling less-than-cooperative cats. Don’t risk a bite!