Category: Cats

Operation Desensitization

On By CarynIn Cats

Setting up the live trap and leaving it for a couple days worked to desensitize the cats to its presence.

View from my vehicle of four cats circling the live trap

I used a prop to hold the trap open, with fishing line tied to the bottom so I could control when the trap closed. I had at least three already fixed cats circle in and out of the trap before an unfixed torti finally went in far enough for me to close the door. She was not happy, but I got her in to be fixed, so no kittens from her.

Unhappy torti

I saw three more unfixed while I was watching. So we’ll run this setup again. We are up to 12 fixed in the colony.

Tying it down

On By CarynIn Cats, Craft

We are down to the most skittish of cats in my neighbors colony needing to be caught and taken to be fixed. The slightest breeze ruffling the trap cover sends them running. So I did a little tailoring on the scrap of sheet I use to cover the trap. I sewed seams along the backsides for a close fit, then sewed buttons and button hole elastic along the bottom so it won’t have room to billow.

Button and button hole elastic sewn on the bottom of the cover

The button hole elastic did not come this thin. When I was in a frenzy of making fabric masks and all the thin elastic was sold out, I bought thicker elastic and cut thin strips, leaving a narrow button hole band. It works quite well for this purpose.

Trap on its side showing how the button and elastic hook around the wire
Trap with secured cover

I left the front part of the cover loose so it can easily be put back to set the trap, and be pulled forward when the cat is caught to help reduce freakout. The trap is also sitting closed at my neighbors house so the cats get used to seeing it (and not only seeing it when they see me).

Something lives there

On By CarynIn Cats

There is a tree with a deep crevice in our back woods. The neighbor cats like to sit in the crook above the hole and watch, so I’m pretty sure something has made a home in there. I’m just not sure what.

Cat looking in a hole in the tree
Different cat, different day, same hole

Bird in the hole

On By CarynIn Cats, Wildlife
Sophie looking to see if she can get the bird

We have some rust issues with the back fence that need to be fixed. However, after we saw a small bird fly into the hole, and Sophie the cat’s interest in the hole, we think a bird has a nest in the bottom. Fixing can wait until after nesting season.

Show me your ears!

On By CarynIn Cats

I put batteries back in the trail cam, and left it out where we trap cats to see who might be left to take in to be fixed. The cats aren’t very cooperative with showing their ears to the camera. Mostly I see sides and tails!

No ears, and looking suspiciously large
There are ears! No notch, though.
She gets the star, good ear picture, showing off her notch

It has been a rough few weeks with the weather being uncooperative, then my youngest was sick with Flu A for two weeks (yes, she had a flu shot, but back in September). I’m hoping we can get back to fixing the cat colony soon. There should only be a handful left (famous last words, ya know).