There’s a cat that has been loose on my street since May apparently, but only came into my yard Thursday night. I tried to catch it, but it bit me and ran away. Someone has also shaved it for some reason, and I want to catch since it’s getting colder in the evenings. I saw the cat last night too was and was friendly to me, but it had a bit of a cough, so I’m worried. Didn’t see it tonight, and it’s really cold and windy.
A couple of my neighbours have been feeding it, but no real effort in trying to trap it or check to see if it’s microchipped. I want to take it to the vet and see if it has an owner/check for diseases. Apparently the cat likes dry food over wet, so I don’t think leaving cans of wet food will work.
Any advice given from experienced pet owners/ trappers would be helpful.
I had a similar situation last February, and succeeded.
I started by putting cat food out in a bowl every other night. I put it on the side of the street, at the edge of my property at first. Then every time I filled it, I moved the bowl closer to my front door.
Some raccoons, and even a groundhog would also come eat the cat food every now and then, watch out for other animals.
If I ever saw the cat eating, I would open my door and watch him without doing anything. After a few months, the cat was eating at my front door steps and was pretty friendly. My girlfriend let the cat inside one day, and we let him settle before finding who the real owner was.
Food.
If the cat bit you then get that shit checked by a doctor asap.
Already done, have my tetanus boosters and low risk of rabies in my city from cats. Just got my wounds cleaned, some antibiotics, and sent on my way. Thanks though!
Getting a cat to come to you is easy, you give it food and pets, and then stay calm when it’s eating/enjoying.
Repeat until you’ve built trust, a sick or hurt cat will typically take longer to trust. Count on several days of repeating this without hitches (no sudden loud noise while you’re doing it, etc).
Sometimes cats are desperate and everything turns up in a magical, calm way without bloodshed. But more commonly thr next part is trickier, the cat will resist you picking it up (especially if hurt) or shutting it in.
Trick here is to be decisive and clear in your body language. Prepare a cat carry box with hard sides, feel free to prepare it with some textile smelling of you, be mindful that it will almost certainly be pissed on. Also bring a towel.
You will have to, in a calm manner, put the folded tower over the cat, and with it lift the cat into the carry. The towel is to trap legs so you won’t be scratched, and if you manage to have it snugly around the cat, there’s also a way to calm cats by gently pressing them down.
If you are unsure, slow, nervous or hesitate in your movement, the cat will bolt. If you’re too fast, loud, big in movements, it will as well. Relax and do it in a deliberate motion.
If you release the cat from the carry, it will take considerable time to rebuild trust. Consider either going with it to the vet at once, or let it out in a quiet spare room with food, water, and litter box, and giving it a day or three to get accustomed to the room before letting it explore the rest of the place.
Don’t get scratched by the cat, they can have some pretty nasty stuff on the paws, and some transmittable pathogens if anything draws blood or gets in your face/eyes.
Good luck!
Thank you for this write up! I think yours is the best way to go about it. I hope it shows up tonight.
Also, avoid direct eye contact, and never ever stare into their eyes. This is the equivalent of an oath of blood and despair.
That’s something people who don’t own a cat don’t understand: the less you look at them, the more friendly they think you are (that’s why cats love allergic persons)
I mean I stare into my cats eyes all the time. The key is to long blink. You have to have built enough trust or the cat will try to attack you.
You can build trust by just being in the same space and ignoring it.
You’re right. The rules are not the same with your own cats. One of my cats likes long blinks (aka “eye kisses”), and for an other one it’s a call to play and cuddle on the rug.
You already got some great tips, but i wanted to caution you about the bite. If it left a wound, particularly a deep puncture wound, maybe visit the doctor. Cat bites are notorious and can be very dangerous.
Already done, and yeah cat bites are DEEP, lol. I have my tetanus boosters already and low risk of rabies. Just got my wounds cleaned, some antibiotics, and sent on my way. Thanks though!
was the shaving on the belly? means it might have already been fixed. if it has one ear tip missing, it’s definitely been fixed
local rescues and hardware stores usually have live traps for rental. you have to leave like a $75 refundable deposit but you get it back as long as you don’t break this trap.
also a lot of pet shops tend to have scanners available, you can call around to see if there’s one closer
No, it’s entire body was shaved. No tips of ears missing. I think it might have been a house cat before, and has been unable to reunite with it’s owners for whatever reasons.
I’ll call the rescues first thing Monday (since they’re closed over the weekend) and see if I can get any more advice on how to trap the cat. Thanks!
Ask a local vet or shelter if you can borrow a cat trap. Else it takes a long time and patience to get the cat to trust you.
Me and my gf way back in the day trapped a stray kitten once.
It was living under a car. We put little piles of dry food out for it for a few days, gradually moving the pile further and further away from his hiding place. Then one day we made a little trail of food leading to a carry box that we filled with food. Once we heard it chomping away inside, we crept up and slammed the door shut. It felt like a scene out of a cartoon lol
Little thing freaked out and clawed at the door and cried for a while. But once we took it into the house and out of the summer heat, it was very happy.
Note, I am neither an experienced pet owner nor a trapper. I just like telling this story hehe
Edit: …what pronouns do you use for a kitten from decades ago whose sex you don’t remember?
It’s a good story! Hopefully mine turns out a success like yours too lol
Start feeding it too, or get one of the neighbors who’s been feeding it to help out. Your best bet is a feral cat trap, which are kinda pricey, but if you call around to a few local rescues or “trap, neuter, release” programs, they may be able to lend you one. Then you can likely just use food to lure it into the trap.
Of course, if this cat used to be someone’s pet, you could even just try luring it into a garage or, hell, a big cardboard box, from which you could put some thick gloves on and transfer it into a pet carrier
I think it did used to be someone’s pet, it’s very friendly to everyone, so that’s why I’m trying to get it into my enclosed backyard without a trap. A cardboard box isn’t a bad idea either, maybe I can make a makeshift shelter for them.
havahart traps.
Will contact a shelter near me on Monday to see where I can get one.
In my own experience, just existing is enough to get a cat to come up to me. Or a dog. Even some deer once.
I wish I was an animal whisperer like you, but most animals are scared of me 😞
Put out food, a cardboard box, and a blanket.
You may get more than one!
Having a makeshift shelter outdoors is not a bad idea, thanks!
