Expert: Jessica - 1/6/2011

Question
We have a feral cat that we take care of.  Our neighbors took care of her TNR, and thus she is fixed and vaccinated.  When the neighbors moved a few years ago, we took over her care.  She comes by to eat almost every night, and she hangs out on our patio.  She will let us get within a about 1 1/2 feet of her, but no closer.  Our problem is this:  we plan to buy a house in the next couple of months or so, and we want to take her with us.  No one else in our condo complex will take care of her (we are technically violating condo rules by taking care of her ourselves).  We believe based on our experience with her that she will domesticate just fine -- she is very used to us.  The difficulty is that we cannot seem to trap her.  She is just too darn smart.  She won't touch food in the trap, and she won't get near a trap, no matter how long we leave it out on our patio for her to "get used to it."  I saw some directions on a box trap, but I don't think we have the space on our patio for that.  Do you have any ideas for how to catch a feral cat that is too darn smart for her own good??  We love this little cat, and simply can't leave her!

Answer
Hi Amber,

Some cats are very frustrating!  Unfortunately, we are at their mercy.  The only thing I can suggest, if you have not tried it, is to start inching the food into the trap day by day.  Even the smartest of cats eventually will walk into a trap using this method, in MOST cases.  It can take a couple of months to do, but it tends to be successful.

Also, for at least 24 hours before the first time that you attempt placing the food completely in the trap, past the trigger, etc., withhold her food.  Most cats are willing to go hungry for a day or two rather than wander into a trap.  I find day three tends to be the charm with the very difficult to trap cats.  At that point, most cats are hungry enough that the risk seems worth it.

Be sure to have a small, quiet, dimly lit place to keep her once she's trapped (a dog crate covered with sheets can even be ideal).  Cats who've been outdoors for long tend to react badly to being inside at first, but this wears off after a few weeks.  After that, I find my ferals are happier to be indoors than the housecats!

Best wishes, and congratulations on your new home!

Jessica