My feral cat

Clodagh

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Is no tamer at all - although if I am late with tea she does come and sit on the back path where I can see her. I now say she as another cat has turned up, a ginger one, and I am now paranoid about kittens.
Today I am trying to get hold of a trap to catch her so I can take her to the vets. Both of them if possible. I have phoned a local animal charity to see if I can borrow one. CPL is miles away.
I have stocked up on pilchards in tomato sauce - I think someone on here said that was a good bait? If all else fails I can use the fox trap but they haven't gone in that yet and it is set in an area they visit.
I hope I catch her before kittens come, mainly because it will be a nightmare to catch them as well.
 

meleeka

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I had a cat like this. I was able to borrow a trap from the RSPCA and they neutered her (and carried out a termination which they were very apologetic about but was fine by me). I also trapped her kittens and the RSPCA took them. The benefit was that I didn’t know when I’d be able to trap her so it wouldn’t have worked to make an appointment. She was never tame, even after many years and just disappeared one day. I still wonder what happened to her (they chipped her as well). I think she was probably hit by a car and a fox ate her but I’ll never know. I did love her even though I couldn’t fuss her like a normal cat.
 

Clodagh

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Transferred this one to a dog cage and have reset the trap to try for the other. :). CPL are sending me a voucher for a £5 neuter, which is great as it would be £50 otherwise, more if she is pregnant.
 

Clodagh

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Well we caught the other one, but when I went to move the trap it got out, the trap had not quite shut properly. Dammit. I hope it will go in again, but cats might be too clever for that! Any suggestions?
 

meleeka

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Well we caught the other one, but when I went to move the trap it got out, the trap had not quite shut properly. Dammit. I hope it will go in again, but cats might be too clever for that! Any suggestions?

Presumably you’ve put food in there and nowhere else? Have you covered it with something so it’s not blindingly obvious what it is? Is this one a Tom?
 

Clodagh

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Presumably you’ve put food in there and nowhere else? Have you covered it with something so it’s not blindingly obvious what it is? Is this one a Tom?
It has got a tin of pilchards in tomato sauce cable tied up the end. No other food, but so many baby rabbits even the labradors are retrieving them!
It was against a wall where I used to feed them, since it escaped and I reset it I have moved it a bit, yes it is covered.
It is ginger, so I assume boy.
 

splashgirl45

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it may take a couple of days but at least you have the female and can get her sorted out so she doesnt have kittens. we had 4 ferals from a cat rescue and they were all completely different temperaments, 2 of them became very tame, one was very calm in our prescence but kept just out of reach and the other one would hiss and spit and we never got near her until she had been with us for about 8 years and then she would rub round out legs and we could sometimes give her a stroke...good luck with yours
 

Clodagh

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Well she is all done. :) She wasn't pregnant, which is good news. They think she is full grown but young, she only weighed just over 2kgs. They have lopped the top off her ear so she can be identified as a neutered feral. She is not a happy bunny, but is going to have to stay in the stable for a few days while I catch the other one and make sure she comes back from the surgery OK.
 

ycbm

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Well she is all done. :) She wasn't pregnant, which is good news. They think she is full grown but young, she only weighed just over 2kgs. They have lopped the top off her ear so she can be identified as a neutered feral. She is not a happy bunny, but is going to have to stay in the stable for a few days while I catch the other one and make sure she comes back from the surgery OK.


That sounds a bit drastic! Did they tell you why they do that? I would have thought that they could just give them an ear tattoo to mark that they been neutered if they are worried about cutting open a cat who has already been done?
 

AmyMay

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That sounds a bit drastic! Did they tell you why they do that? I would have thought that they could just give them an ear tattoo to mark that they been neutered if they are worried about cutting open a cat who has already been done?

It’s common practice. I picked up a badly injured cat from the road the other week, and as soon as the vet saw her she said she was a neutered feral.
 

Clodagh

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Little Grey managed to get out of a gap that a mouse would have trouble with. Anyway, have seen her on the cctv and she looks fine, and is eating and drinking. I guess the stress is less than being in the stable, and no sign of the other. Hopefully now she is done he will move on.
 
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