cat trap

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formerly known as 'cat arranger' - 11 Jul 2004 09:36 GMT

What's the best humane cat trap. The
haveaharts seem to have too strong a
spring and no second door to help release
feral cats. Thanks

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frlpwr - 11 Jul 2004 21:03 GMT

> What's the best humane cat trap. The
> haveaharts seem to have too strong a
> spring and no second door to help release
> feral cats. Thanks

I have always used Tomahawk traps, 2-door deluxe models. However, I
purchased five new traps in May and was sorely disappointed in the
quality. Two of the backdoor clips have already broken, the new locking
device is very hard to manipulate, especially with greasy catfood hands,
one trap was so bent in shipping the frontdoor wouldn't open and the
frontdoor of another one was misaligned and would catch-up on the side
of the trap.

Next time, I'm ordering the large Tru-Catch traps. I have two older
models. They are roomier, making them good for recovery and cheaper,
too. The self-locking backdoor does not inspire confidence and it is a
little more cumbersome than the Tomahawks when it comes to transfering
cats from dirty traps to clean, but I easily rigged up a back-up clip
for security and, with a little more care during transfers, the backdoor
has not been a problem...so far.

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formerly known as 'cat arranger' - 12 Jul 2004 01:33 GMT

I'm a little worried about larger traps as the
vets give anesthetic to the ferals before spay
through the cages and it seems a larger trap
would make that more difficult. Is that a
reasonable fear?

: > What's the best humane cat trap. The
: > haveaharts seem to have too strong a
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
: for security and, with a little more care during transfers, the backdoor
: has not been a problem...so far.

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Sunflower - 12 Jul 2004 04:58 GMT

> I'm a little worried about larger traps as the
> vets give anesthetic to the ferals before spay
> through the cages and it seems a larger trap
> would make that more difficult. Is that a
> reasonable fear?

No if the vet handles ferals enough to know what she's doing. I'm a vet
tech with a low cost spay/neuter operation, and since I'm also the "cat
lady" with the Humane Society, it usually ends up being me who handles
getting the ferals out of the cage. It's been darn rare that we've had to
resort to the syringe on the pole. Usually a fishing net, a towel, and a
bit of rotating the trap around it's axis a time or two will result in the
cat emerging safely within the fishing net, and covered with the towel,
immobile enough to administer anesthesia to quite easily. Or, there's the
other approach of one of the local vets who has an oxygen chamber that's
he's able to pump ISO through. He just places the whole trap in there,
gasses them out and then removes them.

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Sharon Talbert - 12 Jul 2004 20:56 GMT

Our vet get simply sets the trap on end or uses the trap divider we
provided their clinic. It is an inexpensive, over-sized fork that
isolates the cat at the end of the trap you want it in.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats

> I'm a little worried about larger traps as the
> vets give anesthetic to the ferals before spay
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> : for security and, with a little more care during transfers, the backdoor
> : has not been a problem...so far.

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Arjun Ray - 12 Jul 2004 06:48 GMT

| I have always used Tomahawk traps, 2-door deluxe models.

I use Safeguard traps, which are the same basic havahart design
but better engineered. The only downside is that the trip plate
is too thin (a cat could step over it), but this can be fixed by
taping a 6" piece of stiff cardboard to the plate, making a longer
ramp.

http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/recommendtrap.htm

| However, I purchased five new traps in May and was sorely
| disappointed in the quality. Two of the backdoor clips have
| already broken,

Yes, this happened quickly with my Tomahawk too. I don't really
like the eyehole+latch design on the second door either: the latch
gets in the way when transfering cats.

| one trap was so bent in shipping the frontdoor wouldn't open

Interesting. This is exactly what happened to me too. I sent it
back and they promptly shipped a good one.

| Next time, I'm ordering the large Tru-Catch traps.

They are heavy! And setting the trigger is a bit of an art form.
But otherwise they're very good too.

One really has to go with 36" models, so-called "raccoon traps".
Some of the traps out there being marketed as "cat traps" are just
too small.

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