This beautiful black cat has been evading capture for over a year. I finally caught it with a can of sardines. When not actively trapping, I would leave the trap open with a can of sardines inside. When I came back, the sardines would be gone, so I’d set the trap (I use a pull stick on a string rather than the trap mechanism), and wait. And wait. And wait. It circled five times, with three partial entries before it made the commitment to go for the tin in the back. This was only after our neighbor withheld food in the morning. I’ve used the neutral pronoun because I was convinced at the time of catching that this cat was male. Nope. The TNR papers declared her female, and not pregnant.

I did not get the unfixed calico also evading the trap. I’m going to have to get more creative with that one.

I have learned that listening to audio books during stake out helps pass the time. I use headphones so the sound doesn’t carry. If I do any crafty thing, they see my movement in the car and shy away.

If you look closely at the shadow to the left of Mr Tom, you will see the shadow has eyes. This is Mr Tom’s buddy, and he has actually become bold enough to join Mr Tom when he comes to greet me at the chicken coop. He is still too wary to accept touching or brushing, but this is progress.

This is Mr Tom’s buddy, that hangs out in the meadow with him, and will sometimes accept treats, from a distance. He is fixed, and probably remembers I had something to do with it. The two white whiskers are quite charming, even with the death stare.