How to Set a Feral Cat Raccoon Trap
Catching feral cats can be tricky. The best way to catch them without harming them is to use a humane live trap, similar to those used to capture other wildlife, including raccoons and other small mammals. The principle is simple. A wire mesh cage fitted with a spring-loaded door and a trigger plate is set in an area where feral cats are known to frequent. The trap is baited and when the cat comes looking for an easy meal, he steps on the trigger plate, snapping the door closed behind him, trapping him safely inside. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Pull the handle attached to the rear sliding door upward. This process will allow the door to slide freely up. This is the rear of the trap and the access door you will use to place the bait into the trap. As you pull this handle upward, you will notice that the security wire becomes unhinged from the trap mechanism.
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Place the bait inside the rear of the trap. Bait can be anything from peanut butter to tuna fish to canned cat food. The smellier the bait, the better chance you will have of luring your quarry into the trap. Make sure that the bait container is placed on the trap floor and not the trigger plate.
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Open the front, spring-loaded door. This will require a little dexterity on your part. Press the vertical part of the door so that it is flush with the angled part of the door and then lift both pieces so that they are parallel with the mesh roof of the trap.
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Lock the trapping mechanism in place. With your other hand, reach in and engage the trigger mechanism that links the trigger plate to the door. Hook this device to the mesh of the door. If the trigger mechanism is set properly, the door should remain open on its own.
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Place the trap into position. Locate the set trap in an area known to contain the feral cat you wish to remove. Since cats are nocturnal hunters, odds are you will capture the animal overnight or around dusk. Check on the trap several times throughout the day, especially first thing in the morning and at dusk.
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References
- Photo Credit cat image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com
