Wisdom from a “Master Trapper – Part 2

We’re back with Wisdom from a “Master Trapper – Part 2, with Stephanie Gillis, Cat Care Coordinator at Alley Cat Advocates! Today, Stephanie offers some advice for those who get discouraged when trying to trap, a few of her best “war stories,” and some final advice that will give you the confidence you need to make a difference for community cats.

CCP: You mentioned that patience is a virtue. What would you say to people who get discouraged trying to trap community cats?

SG: I try to tell people not to be discouraged for many reasons. Trapping community cats is not an easy thing to do.  These critters are crafty. They survive the cold, hot, wet, windy streets, learning how to navigate the areas they call home. Community cats are programmed for survival. If they get a sense that the slightest thing may be out of the ordinary, some of them may take off and be gone for days at a time.

Another challenge we face with trapping is the charm and charisma of the community cat. You can do everything right — even withhold food for 24 hours to get the cat good and hungry — just to find out he has 3 or 4 others doing the same thing! Sure, you may have withheld food, but many of these cats have back up plans, and even back up plans for those back up plans! In this case it is good to try to get to know your neighbors and find out who else may be feeding so you work together to get the cats trapped. Know the cats you are going for, learn their behaviors and routines.

Some cats are harder to trap than others, but if you learn something new about the tough kitties each time you try for it, you are a step closer. Learn, apply and try again. One day you will get the cat, and it will feel fantastic!

CCP: Tell us your favorite story of a successful experience with trapping a cat, and why it’s your favorite.

SG: Actually, every time I trap, it is a favorite. But I do have some pretty impressive experiences.

One hot summer day I went to trap for a caretaker who had an awesome setup. He had a privacy fence around his back yard where the cats ate with 4 holes cut out in separate places just big enough for cats to enter and exit as they please. While, he was an awesome caretaker, he just couldn’t withhold food from the cats. I was out trying to trap the little critters and having no luck. The caretaker came out to brag about how smart the cats were, but I insisted that on top of being very intelligent the cats were also not hungry. He promised he had not fed them, and went back in the house.

Two minutes after the caretaker went inside his wife came outside to quietly inform me that he did feed the cats. She said she yelled at him, but it didn’t matter: he fed them anyway. Well, I had to let this caretaker know what “smart” was. I went to the outside of the fence and set up four traps, one at each of the “kitty holes” cut in the fence.

After I got the traps all set up, I ran into the back yard screaming frantically waving my arms around like a crazy person and the cats took off. I heard snap, snap snap, snap and I trapped four cats in a matter of seconds! I jumped the fence as fast as I could, covered each trap, and escorted them to my nice cool air-conditioned vehicle. Only 4 cats were that day, but if I hadn’t done that, I would not have trapped any.

Some of my other most fond experiences are the caretakers who tell me I will never be able to trap the cat they care for: “you’ll never get her, she’s just too smart.” That’s my motivation right there. If the cat is hungry, I walk away with it in a trap. It’s the best feeling, knowing you are part of the reason this kitty is going to get grade A care.

CCP: Finally, Stephanie, are there anyother tips or tricks you think would help people become more successful?

SG:  I’d just reinforce these ideas:

1. Learn how to be patient
2. Learn how to master the drop trap.
3. Know your target. Read up on cats and community cats as much as possible. Then apply what you read to behavior you see while trapping. It helps you learn how to figure out how to trap certain cats. It might sound crazy, but try it, I swear it makes sense.
4. If you are using a box trap because you haven’t learned the drop trap yet, sometimes it helps to line the bottom of the trap with newspaper or cardboard. I feel like it makes the trap more comfortable on their feet, which makes the cats more comfortable. Also you can disguise the trap with leaves, straw, grass, branches or anything to make it seem more in tune with their environment. Think of it this way: if you were a cat, what would the trap have to look like for you to go in it?
5. There are lots of great YouTube videos. Check out the amazing resources available to you.
6. Try to trap as much as possible. Experience will make you the best.

Wow! So much knowledge to put to good use in Wisdom from a “Master Trapper – Part 2! We thank Stephanie for generously sharing her wisdom and experience. If you put even one or two of her suggestions into practice, we think you’ll find yourself a more skilled trapper, enabling you to help more cats.