More Details for Drop Trap

Recently, I spoke of drop traps. Below are links to a great video on the subject and building plans. I have found this trap design to be so valuable with any homeless/abandoned cat who is somehow trap-wise, eluding capture for spay/neuter or for a needed vet visit. Liddy, pictured here, avoided being trapped in the traditional trap for nearly a year. We successfully trapped her with a drop trap. Now she is very happy and much healthier being free of future litters.

Here's a little more detail which has helped some people who email me about this ..

Set up the drop trap where you normally feed your colony. Leave it up for days so they get to see it as simply part of the environment. Leave it propped up when you feed them (feed them under it) but put it down without the propping when you leave. Don't actually trap anyone until you see the cats are fairly comfortable eating under it. You will know they are used to it because they won't be sniffing it and will go under it for food without hesitation. This will pretty much guarantee that if the cat comes around daily that he will go under it for the food when you decide to spring the trap.



Do not trap any cats and leave them in it overnight. One which I trapped chewed his way out of it when he was in it overnight, nearly ruining the trap.




Use a really long cord as mentioned in the specs so the cat cannot see you and will be more likely to go under the trap. You will need another person available when you do the trapping. Once the cat is trapped, one of you must hold all edges of the smaller regular trapping cage firmly up to the exit door while the other person lifts the exit door. If only one tries to do both, you risk the cat forcing her way out when you open the exit door. If the cat does not exit the drop trap into the trapping cage, consider using a squirt water bottle or plastic kitchen spoon to prod him to move. This sounds unkind, but if you are careful, it only anoys them and does not hurt them. If cats get trapped which do not need to get fixed, do all you can not to let them exit into the trapping cage the same time as the one you are to get fixed. Once you have the un-neutered one transferred, lift the drop trap to let any other cats go.




Where I am in Arizona, most vets who are set up to spay/neuter feral cats will let you bring them in the trapping cage (I think some administer the anesthesia while they are still in it). So you don't want to try to transfer your subject from trapping cage to a holding cage for overnight for comfort or you will have a rough time getting him back into the trapping cage for the neuter appointment.(very difficult job) I leave water in the cage overnight and cover the cage with a blanket so they are less frightened. It might seem crue to some to leave a cat in such a small space for hours, but they do OK. And it's so much better than the struggle with the alternative. Don't get upset if such a cat moves bowels overnight and makes a mess - you can clean it up later.



If you have a morning appointment, I think it's best to do the trap procedure the afternoon or evening the day before the spay/neuter appointment since a cat who is getting put under the next morning cannot have food after 12:00 midnight. You can poke food through the cage if you want before the deadline. But know it can be difficult to get the food out if she has not eaten it by then. Often they don't eat because they are scared.



Have your spay/neuter appointment set up ahead for the morning of the next day. Also, in case your cat does not cooperate the day before, and you have to catch him whenever he cooperates, ask the vet ahead of time if you can call them spontaneously to bring the cat in without an appointment. I'm happily surprised some vets are very agreeable with this when you have a difficult feral/homeless cat.



I hope this helps any of you who may be overwhelmed at the prospect of trapping with a drop trap or with any methods for trap neuter release / return (TNR).

Video

http://droptrapdesign.blogspot.com/2005/10/demo-tape-available-vhs.html

Building specs
http://droptrapdesign.blogspot.com/2005/10/build-your-own.html

Would love your comments!

Debby in Arizona