Cat Trapping: Phase One

So the suburban neighborhood my parents live in has become overrun with feral cats. For anyone that is unsure, “feral” means wild. These cats are 100% wild animals. Even if a person were to try to tame one, it would be the same as trying to tame an adult raccoon or fox or something of that nature. Anyone that thinks this might be a good idea, stop reading this and see a therapist. Wild animals are not pets and you need some help if you think they are.

Anywho, it all began when their neighbors moved away and put their cats out (thanks parent's neighbors, that is so very respectful and responsible of you). They, of course, put out un-spayed females. These cats stayed around their home (of course, they were domesticated and now all by themselves). But male cats started coming around and kittens started happening.

And happening and happening and happening.

This last winter was really awful in MN. My parents were feeding the cats and my dad even went so far as to build a little house for them to go in and out of.

It has two entrance/exits, two levels and is insulated. My dad never did anything half-assed.

This from a small town South Dakota man is all too funny. But, I don’t blame him because finding these dead young cats and kittens is no fun. And you can’t trap animals when it’s -10 degrees outside, they run the risk of freezing to death.

Now that the weather has been getting better, spring is in the air and my parent’s backyard has turned into a breeding ground. It’s like domestic discovery channel. They have counted a total of twelve individual cats. At least three are Toms and love is in the air.

Since I am not gainfully employed, I have been given the job of Cat Trapper. I wish I could put that on my resume but I really doubt it would help.

The plan is to trap them, bring them to a shelter, get them low-cost spayed and neutered and release them. My parents don’t like the idea of euthanizing them. I don’t blame them, they’ve been feeding them all winter and they don’t mind the cats. They just don’t want 18 more. (If all of the females get bred and only two kittens survive, that’s how many more there will be.)

Not to mention that feral cats carry a host of diseases and have no real natural predators here in the suburbs. Besides cars and feline leukemia.

So, without further ado, here are the cats:

We have the twins (females), they have a unique way of looking super pathetic when cold:

The grey female, she shares the "house" with the twins and she is responsible for paw prints on the windows - when she gets hungry she comes to the door (but runs away when you open it):
A black female that has been around longer than the twins, might be a sibling to the grey female:
This is a calico kitten that has four siblings, two black, one white and one calico. I couldn't get any of the others on camera.

And last but definitely not least is the big tom. We estimate him at about 25 lbs and there is not an ounce of fat on him. I honestly do not believe that I will be able to trap him. He doesn't eat at my parents, he's only around for the girls and he's a scrapper so I would actually prefer not to get him. My parents think he is the baby of one of the original cats that was left by my neighbors so they think he's about 5 years old, at least.

If anyone is wondering, he is all white with no other markings. He has yellow eyes. He doesn't hurt the other cats and lets them eat.

The tom also hangs around a long haired black female that I've never photographed. There is also a long haired black tom that fights with the white one. And another black cat that we suspect is a tom as well.

Today, I have rented 3 live traps that I will strategically set around the yard in hopes of tricking them inside.

I’m going to use canned tuna that I will put on a plastic butter lid. The tuna is smelly so they’ll be interested and the plastic lid is so they don’t cut themselves when they go berserk inside the cage.

I will then don my Cat Trapping Suit:

Which is actually just winter riding clothes.

I know, it appears over-precautionary. But if one of those sharp little things reaches through and actually scratches me, it will have to be euthanized to be tested for rabies.

I don’t want to have to get rabies shots. Nor do I want ringworm or anything else on the long list of bacteria and disease that comes with a feral cat.

Why go to all the trouble? You might ask. Well first, my mother asked me to. Not that I always follow through on requests, I definitely try to honor them because she is my mother.

Second, the feral cat population is a problem and I am all for being a part of the solution. Third, one of my biggest causes that I get heated up about is the humane management of animals.

Why spend the money? Well it's not my money, I don't have any money. Fortunately, there is low cost spay/neuter available for this. Second, I would be comfortable with euthanizing them if it didn’t break my mom’s heart (and secretly my dad’s heart too).

And I don’t see the harm in these cats being around. At this point they aren’t damaging anything. I do realize that they run the risk of dying some horrible death, but at the same time I don’t think many beings on this earth ever get to experience a peaceful death including people. So, as long as they aren’t a nuisance, I’ll leave it up to fate.

More to come from the cat trapper.