Trapping Stories?

How about one of your best trapping story? Here's ours:

AzCATs have been helping us trap cats at Sahuaro Ranch Park for over two years now. Thanks to Jan and several other trappers, we have managed to TNR over ninety cats. Last spring we discovered two new litters of kittens in the park; one with three kittens, the other with two.

The litter of three we found in a woodpile - their mom nowhere to be seen (to this day we don't know who the mom is). The other two kittens were in a large fenced area known as the 'chicken coop'. Their momma was a calico we had been trying to capture since AzCats first came out to help us. Jan even brought her drop trap one evening, but still no luck. (This is one smart momma.) We named her Cricket.

We decided to first go after the (three) woodpile kittens since they appeared to be the older litter. After several failed trapping outings, Kevin built a drop trap (modeled after Jan's). We set the drop trap up next to the woodpile, where the kittens were used to being fed. In five minutes we had all three; two females and one male (Candy, Cobbles and Corky). Since their day trip to Van Aken all three have settled back into their park lives. We see them most evenings during their feeding time and they seem healthy and happy.

(Cheeto & Einstein)

The following week we set out to the chicken coop after the other two kittens and their momma (Cricket). The conditions in the coop were the most miserable we've encountered while trapping. It was early in the monsoon season - very hot and humid. Of all nights, on this one they decide to irrigate the coop. And, being a chicken coop, the ground was already a slimy, mushy swamp, reeking of chicken droppings and teeming with mosquitoes. To top it all off, ants were swarming all over.

We squished our way into the coop and set up the drop trap. As before, within five minutes both kittens were trapped, but Cricket was nowhere to be seen. We reset the trap with the kittens as bait. Then we waited and waited. As minutes turned to hours, our tempers grew short, the bugs got thicker, and still no Cricket. We decided to give it up for the evening. The two (ex-)male kittens we named Cheeto and Einstein. Cheeto, a beautiful orange and white long hair, is thriving and a regular at our evening feedings. Einstein, tragically, was somehow mortally injured and had to be put down a few months ago.

We went back several nights that week, only to have her lay there, look at the trap, and then look at us as if to say, "do I have stupid written on my forehead?" The following Sunday night we again set the drop trap inside the chicken coop. Luckily they weren't irrigating this week! Just when we were about to give up, we saw movement in the grass...A CALICO! We waited until she went in the trap, pulled the string, and voila, trapped! We were ecstatic! We covered her and took her home. The next morning I went out to check on her. AHHHHHHHHHH!!! Wrong calico, with ear already tipped!

Flash forward another week or so. There we sit again, not so patiently waiting. Eventually, Cricket comes casually strolling out from an area in which we have never before seen her. As sweat is rolling off of us, she circles the drop trap, briefly sniffing about, then walks away. After an hour has past we see her approach the trap once more. She goes closer and closer this time. Finally! She goes under the edge of the trap toward the bait. We almost cannot contain our excitement! We pull the trip string. The trap falls. Cricket is finally caught! Or not! It falls on her back, she jumps up and out of the trap. We go home feeling quite defeated and very bummed out.

Six months and numerous trapping sessions later, and still Cricket eludes us....

It's January and tomorrow is feral cat spay day. We still have approximately six cats in the park to catch. We gather as many traps that will fit in the car (four), strap the drop trap onto the roof, and head back to the park. It's still early evening and we elect to set a couple traps and the drop trap. (The other two traps we will use to house cats caught in the drop trap.) Within ten minutes we have two of the target cats - we're down to two available traps. Cricket appears, but as usual is standoffish toward the trap.

She watches from a distance as her dozen and a half colony mates (most of which are already snipped and tipped) go in and chow down on the bait tuna. Though pessimistic about catching her, we still have two traps to fill with other, more gullible ferals. To our surprise Cricket cautiously walks over closer to the drop trap. Our hearts start pounding faster in anticipation. She starts circling and watching the two cats eating from within the drop trap. Eventually, all the food is consumed but if we put more in the trap it will scare her away. We sit and watch. Gradually she inches closer to the trap. Then, she's going in! She's halfway in. Next, she's all the way in but too close to the edge. We're afraid she'll see there's no food and bolt before she goes in far enough. But she continues slowly in! AHHHH, we pull the string, down comes the trap, and... WE GOT HER!! We're jumping with joy. It's been over a year trying to get her. We can't believe it!! We're astounded by our good luck

We decide to wrap it up for the evening, even with one empty trap remaining. I ran to gather the other trap and much to my surprise, there is another feral in it... and it's one that hasn't been snipped and tipped!

So, we can add four more to the grand total of 'happy' cats at the park. Not a large addition, but a major success having caught Cricket! There are now only three more ferals to capture at the park; one more potential momma and two more males. That is, until someone else drops off their cat at Sahuaro Ranch Park!

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This trapping story was in Connecticut just before I moved to Michigan.

My daughter made friends with some ladies who worked at the post office. In conversation, Amy (my daughter) mentioned that I had experience trapping feral cats. She gave them my phone number.

I got a call from one of the women, Priscilla, who wanted to know if I'd be interested in trapping 3 feral cats, one was a mama with 3 kittens.

Priscilla got a trap from a rescue organization. I set the trap and went to work (I worked 1-10 p.m.) . Another woman said she would keep an eye on the trap till I got outta work. Well, she called me at work saying 3 kittens were in the trap!!! I picked them up after work and took them home. There were 3 males. Two orangies and a black. I named the 2 orangies Deke, Grumpy Dave and the black one Ozzie. I set them up in a cage in my back room and began the socialization process. They came around VERY quickly. I then took them to the clinic and had them neutered. The girls took up a collection to pay for the neutering. I found homes for Ozzie and Deke. Unfortunately, Grumpy Dave, after being fixed, reverted back to his feralness. He is now on a farm in upstate New York living a wonderful life with his other colony buddies.

Even though I've moved, I still get updates from the two people who adopted Ozzie and Deke. It was the most challenging thing I ever did.

We then trapped the mama and had her fixed. Unfortunately, she couldn't be tamed so we released her behind the post office. She's doing great! One of the adult males was trapped, but we made the mistake of trying to transfer him into a carrier and he got loose. The other adult male was very sick and had to be euthanized. :(

That was a great story! I love reading these, I sure hope there's some others to post.

K & L,

I have another rescue story!!

My friend called me and told me that HER friend, who owned an apartment building, found 3 kittens in the basement. I told her that he needed to leave them alone until they are weaned, as I was positive that the mama was around SOMEWHERE!

Did he listen?? Nooooooo. (check my sig on stupid people) He INSISTED on bringing them into his apartment so that my friend's daughter could see and hold them. Bad move! The mama was indeed, looking for her babies. By the time he put them back where they were found, the mama was gone. She obviously thought a predator had taken them. I tried trapping her but she wanted no part of it.

He made 3 babies orphans in a matter of a couple of hours. So, I (I didn't trust him to care for them himself) took all three, put them in a cage in my apartment and bottle bed them every 2 hours!! I swear it was deja vu of when I had my own daughter!

I snuck them into work with me, keeping them under my desk and telling NO ONE!!! Every 2 hours, I went into the ladies room, sat on the the toilet and fed them. My co-workers eventually found out about it but said nothing. One day, my editor came to my desk. I had the babies in a U.S. Postal Service bin covered with a towel. She saw the empty cat carrier and laughed "What've you got in there, kittens??" she laughed. When I told her yes, she turned around and said "I don't want to know!!" She was wonderful about it!! I could've lost my job. I brought them in every single day for about 2 weeks. My best friend, a cat rescue volunteer, was away on vacation. Exhausted, I called her when she returned. She wasn't working at the time and agreed to take over for me. What a savior she was!! They are now healthy, happy kitties in loving homes. THAT is one story I will NEVER forget!

ok i have one.....

i was in my back yard, and there was a litter of three orange kittens....i thought i might try to catch one or two of the kittens and find them homes.it came out that i woke up the next morning and all three of the kittens and the mom was in the cage....i got them fixed and found them homes....i thought it had to of been a miricle that it happened.