How to catch a cat?

[fitrigwrites4u]

This has got nothing to do with Fiverr. So admins please feel free to delete my post if this is innapropriate. But perhaps some people can give me a better advice.

This is the advice I got from some people (they all gave me the same advice):

Use food (e.g: fish) as a bait, but it didn´t work as the cat knows I want to catch him, and he only comes to the food when I am not around.

I am in the country side at the moment. In my country stray cats are super rare. But I saw one stray cat and I want to catch him because he has some wounds. I want to take him to a vet. TIA.

PS: I have a lot of experiences helping my friends saving stray dogs (in Thailand, Romania, etc) but never caught a cat. Dogs are much easier to catch.

[writer99025]

Wow, you live a wonderful, relaxing life it seems. Here in Bangalore we only have stray dogs and they are quite aggressive. See a cat now and then, but it’s rare. Wish I could stay at a nice place in a village with all modern amenities.

[fitrigwrites4u]

LOL. It could be boring sometimes in the country side because not many things happen. We used to live in the capital city (Budapest), but then we moved out because we wanted to have dogs and we wanted the dogs to be free running around on the land. I have experiences dealing with stray dogs, even the aggressive ones. I can pass through a bunch of aggressive dogs with no problem. It may be hard to believe, but when I must pass by/through a bunch of aggressive dogs, I just do it and I keep my chin up while walking (I don´t assume anything - I get rid of the thought that they will bite me) with confident and they won´t touch me 🙂

[writer99025]

That’s amazing…there’s a lady in our colony who is a lot like you…she feeds the street dogs, takes care of them…they come rushing after her with their tails wagging every time she walks on the street.

[fitrigwrites4u]

But with stray cats, I don´t have any experiences. They are very hard to catch. I am thinking to just put some food regularly in front of my door and let the cat feels comfy until I gain his trust. I don´t know. I am just afraid my dogs will try to attack the cat. So far I put the food outside of the fences so the dogs cannot attack the cat. But I cannot stay at the fence all day, LOL. I mean, I know I don´t have many things to do, but I ain´t gonna stay there all day long, hehehe… The cat won´t show up when I am standing by the fence. Even if I see him he will run away. But when I leave the fence, and then I will come back knowing that the food is gone.

[fitrigwrites4u]

hehehe thanks, I think it´s called passion? I guess I am crazy dog lady (I don´t mind if people call me that) 😛 I am just glad my husband understands me and he loves dogs too.

[misscrystal]

That is a wild cat and they will never trust anyone. You probably won’t be able to change that no matter what. After the age of about 4 weeks old it is too late to tame a cat for a pet. They must be handled gently from the time they are born to become tame like pets. Some have done it partially but it takes time and patience.

It is possible it’s wounds are from dogs or other animals. There is a slight chance it could have rabies also.

Special traps that do not harm the animal are used in USA to catch wild animals, ones where you put food inside and the door closes behind them. If you do catch the cat it is also best to have it neutered by a vet so it can’t reproduce and create more homeless cats.

People think that cats do well as wild animals but they are actually domestic animals that need a good home where food and shelter is available at all times. They often become sick, hungry and weak and have injuries and terrible deaths when they are homeless. Many people put out food for homeless cats which is a great kindness. When given a spare bedroom all to themselves, and plenty of food and water every day, cats who have been homeless all their lives, even if wild, will adjust well and be happy.

I am a lifelong friend, admirer, and rescuer of cats.

[writer99025]

That’s great info, learned so much.

[fitrigwrites4u]

Thanks for your suggestion, Misscrystal. I just checked the food and it is gone (again) now but cannot see the cat (I know it was not my dogs who ate the food, my dogs cannot reach for the food as they are behind the fences). Okay I will try to find a trap that will not be harmful. I think I know what kind of trap that you mean. We don´t normally see a cat around here (I mean, super rarely) and we don´t know where this cat is from. My friends told me that sometimes even a pet cat wanders around and goes far from its house (owner) for some time and then comes back home. So maybe he got lost. He doesn´t look skinny, only has some wounds.

Yes, that´s my plan too to sterilise the cat if I catch him. I always sterilise dogs that I saved as well, I feed them and take care of them until they are healthy again and then I find them an adopter. I adopted a few of them for myself to keep. I have been doing this independently (not with organizations) with friends who have the same interest. If I do help an organization, that´s only voluntarily and I am never tied with them. Whichever country I am in, I always like doing this thing whenever it is possible. If not possible to help physically, I donate some money (not much though). By the way, I agree with you. Cats are also domesticated animals. At least today when this planet has been taken over by humans.

PS: I am worried that the cat has lost his owner (the owner passed away). With dogs that sometimes happen too.

[fitrigwrites4u]

PPS: When the cat gets busted he runs away. So I am not sure if he has/had an owner or a feral. If he has/had an onwer, he should be not that scared, no? Anyway, never mind. Most important thing is to catch the cat. It has been a few days now that I am trying.

[misscrystal]

Many cats run from people even if they have had an owner simply in fear. Cats make amazing pets; affectionate, loyal, quiet, clean and responsive, watching their owners to find the best way to fit in and make themselves welcome. They are smart and keep rodents and insects away-- they are natural hunters and exterminators of unwanted pests. Most enjoy being petted and the soft fur and quiet purr when they are happy are delightful. After eating they usually wash their paws and faces. They should always be handled with utmost gentleness and always be talked to in a soft voice. They need something to sharpen their claws on and a litter box that is kept clean. A daily brushing with a soft brush can be a good way to begin to tame a wild cat. At first you will need to hold it gently but firmly while you do it but after a month or so it will hopefully get used to being touched and come to accept the daily brushing as part of it’s routine.

[idostuff4u]

Just my tit bit… If you’re trying to catch it so you can attend to it medically, try a small dose of Ambien. Now, it may not be 100% safe to do so but it’s worth a try depending on the injury.

[misscrystal]

That would kill it. Never give a cat drugs.

[fitrigwrites4u]

@idostuff4u I won´t give any medicines to the cat without consulting first with a vet. Thanks though for trying to help.

[fitrigwrites4u]

My husband said if we catch the cat, we will see if the cat´s gonna stay or leave. If the cat stays we will keep the cat (or if a friend wants the cat we can also give the cat to him/her. I know at least one friend who said she wants to have a cat, I will ask her if she still wants a cat - better adopt than buy). I am going to borrow a trap from someone that I know. Picking it up this afternoon. I think in USA you also use this kind of trap for raccoon?

[writer99025]

Basically the ladies are saying, thanks but no thanks 🙂

[kay2809]

I’m not an expert in cats but I’l l try.
First, How NOT to catch a cat.
Do not try to catch it like stray dogs with those “Dog collar traps” thingy that goes around the neck. I once tried to do the same. Lured the kitten under it using milk and when I pulled it, it got around her mouth instead of the neck and she ran away with it to the next house and started making weird noises. I felt really bad. I was a kid then. The other end of that thing stuck somewhere and she was trying to move away. Then I called my father and he went close to her and cut the trap. It was plastic that I made myself. But I learnt that it wouldn’t work for cats.

What I believe is that you can’t catch those stray cats unless they trust you. The best chance is when they’re small enough. I had lured 2 kittens before and to one of them, We (me and my brother) started to feed milk when she was young (lived with her mother) and slowly she was comfortable around us. Before she would run away after seeing me. Her mother never came close to me. I used bowl with milk and kept it close to me and the kitten always came for it. And then I started touching her and holding her. When I held her first, she used to shiver. Maybe because of fear. But over time, she became comfortable and I could hold her however I wanted. We didn’t keep her as a pet. We just fed her and played with her and she used to meow at night to let her in.
Once she disappeared for a long time and we though she died but one day she came back and meowed and I couldn’t describe my happiness. But the happiness didn’t stay for long and she died soon after that. Got under a car or something in the street and was crushed. My father told us about it and we couldn’t believe 😦
I used to believe that If I picked her from behind then she wouldn’t be able to bite me or hurt me as she couldn’t move her neck.This was proved wrong later when I tried to pick up another cat and she tried to bite me. Then I realized how much she trusted us back then. 😦
Never tried to attack or harm us. She used to curl around my legs and do weird poses.

The other cat was the one I told about above. She was more close to my brother but wasn’t as comfortable. Maybe because she was older when we met. She just came for the food and wouldn’t let anyone pick her up. She died soon as well. We saw her lying in front of the neighbour’s house. I doubt she died from a fall because she survived a fall from the same height before.

None of the older cats behaved this way in my life. They will just eat and go away and wouldn’t come near you. Wish you good luck
Sorry for the long post . 😦 I miss my cat.

[emmaki]

In my part of the world there are a lot of strays. They have a pretty good life in summer, as this is a Greek tourist village so there’s plenty of Northern Europeans with tidbits to give out to the cute kitty meowing and curling around chairs. Not so much in the winter. I’d say they are semi-feral because of this.

Anyway, we have a local animal charity, mainly run by German expats, who feed the animals in winter, run checks on animal cruelty throughout the year, and provide food for those who cannot afford pet food for their pets, and also arrange to rehome dogs to “forever homes” in Germany and other countries. Another duty they carry out is a yearly session (this year’s should be coming up, actually) where cats are neutered. If they require medical care (one of the charity chiefs is a vet) then they will be taken in to be treated. The course of action after that largely depends on the cat. I’m not sure how they catch the feral cats–I’d have to ask one of them next time I bump into them–but it does depend on whether the cat wants to or not.

There’s a feral cat near us but she doesn’t like my dog or my chickens, so my neighbor often moans to me about how he has to feed the ginger minger. His words, not mine! She’s been neutered though. She’s fine and God knows between me and the neighbors, she’s well fed, my dog doesn’t bother her (my dog’s main interests are barking and running after pick-up trucks, tourists and passing tumbleweed, but looking nonplussed at other living creatures), and has acres of countryside to romp about it.

It takes a while for animals to get comfortable with you, and they all have their own personality. Your particular cat may be overly cautious. Keep doing what you are and, if you can, try to bring the food closer to you on a regular basis. It’s all about reducing the “massive human threat”. Your cat could be the cat version of Donald Trump for all you know!

I’m better with dogs and chickens. Plus, chickens give you eggs and sometimes come indoors to poop all over the floor and run away clucking indignantly. Dogs provide a useful warning system for anyone who comes near your home. Cats just sleep all day and look at you like you’ve murdered their family then leave a decapitated mousehead at your doorstep and miaow proudly!

[fitrigwrites4u]

@writer99025 LOL.

[fitrigwrites4u]

That thing you were talking about is called ˝a catch pole˝. Don´t worry, I don´t use it even to catch a dog. I prefer a net. But that´s just me and don´t take it as an advice. I actually hate the idea of catching animals (It makes me sad to see that fear in their eyes, them not knowing what is gonna happen to them, and when caught they are just surrender with those scared sad eyes, oh that breaks my heart), but sometimes it needs to be done to save/rescue/help them.

I am sorry for your loss. It is never easy to lose our beloved pet (I still miss my dogs that already died too sometimes). That´s so sad how your cat died with that car accident 😦 . The other cat maybe she died because she was old?

Thanks for the good wish. No need to be sorry for your long post. I totally get it. The difference is I am a dog person, you are a cat person. LOL.

[fitrigwrites4u]

LOL. You cracked me up with how you described them animals behaviour. I will only start today to put the trap that I have borrowed. Hope it will work. I think you were right, it is up to the cat if it wants to be caught/kept or not.

Anyway, I would love to talk about more about saving/rescuing/helping poor dogs, etc. But if I start, usually it will take forever and at least for me, when it comes to dogs, there are always interesting things to talk about 😛 If you love dogs, it is possible we would unintentionally meet one day. These kind of things connect people. Because in the universe we are actually connected to each other like it or not (mumbling mode on).

[fitrigwrites4u]

Caught the cat! Just saying. Now off to the vet. Thanks everyone! 🙂

[misscrystal]

Many cats are purrfect companions, requiring very little and giving a huge amount in the way of entertainment, acting cute and doing funny things constantly, playing, exploring everything out of an abundance of curiosity and joi de vivre, sleeping with you in a cozy haven of contentment, expressing with body language and expressive eyes a wide variety of emotions including tremendous love for their owners, showing joy when their beloved family returns after being out, following the daily household routine well, making friends sometimes with other cats and animals, showing astonishing intelligence, and having amazing personalities that are a constant source of pleasure.

I could go on and on about the experiences I’ve had with pet cats, from one who would actively point to things, had ways of answering questions with body language while looking me in the eyes, sitting up on his hind haunches like a dog to beg every time we had bacon for breakfast, to one who would insist every night on laying across my ankles all night every night so that I couldn’t move or turn without disturbing him, but I was so touched and admiring of this cat I would spend all night in one position only, and wake in the morning with him still across my ankles. I could write a book on the things cats have done, even alerting me to smoke in the house at night by walking across my face to wake me up.

[fitrigwrites4u]

@misscrystal I took him already to the vet. I brought him to the vet along with the trap (he was in the trap) because I was afraid he would escape. I left the cat at the vet, I asked the vet to sterilise it and I will pick up after his total recovery (which is around 2 weeks). It is a grey and white cat, round face. I don´t know what type of cat it is. Actually very cute. The vet said that the cat is an old one.

[misscrystal]

I’m glad you are taking care of it but why leave it at the vet for two weeks?
I’ve had a lot of cats neutered and picked them up soon after the operation. They recover fast and need to be in a good home rather than a cage that long. I can’t imagine leaving it there that long! It’s a very simple operation. It takes about 3 days at the most
to recover or some cats are recovered immediately after the operation.
I’m very concerned by the vet saying to leave it for two weeks. This is unheard of.
They need to be walking around freely after the operation. That vet is either lying or incompetent.