We've had a few new cats roaming the neighborhood lately. I don't really think the ones we've seen are strays; I think they're just allowed to roam. There has been a pretty little gray calico that Eler Beth is determined to get her hands on. She just wants to pet it, but the cat is too skittish to let her get close. It wears a collar and looks like it is taken care of, so I should be able to talk her out of trying to talk us into keeping it.
Well, my intrepid daughter decided last week that she'd set a live trap to try to catch it. She got Thomas' live-trap out of the shed, set it, and baited it with an open can of cat food.
The first night she caught a very big, gray male cat. I heard it meowing out there, so I told her if we'd caught a cat, that I would handle it before she would and that we'd let it go right away. He was friendly, obviously was owned by someone; he let us pet him for a minute, then we sent him on his way.
The second night she caught a very big, black male. Same scenario.
Several times I have stepped out the back door only to scare the little gray calico away just as she was about to go inside the live trap to eat the cat food.
Saturday night Eler Beth caught a raccoon.
I kid you not.
Heidi had been barking on and off for part of the night, and finally it occurred to me that she was spending a lot of time barking at the side of the house where the trap was. I stepped outside without a light and walked around the corner to see if we'd caught a cat. I could see a dark shape in the trap that was too dark and too big to be the gray calico, and when I got closer I could see a little masked face looking at me. He had eaten all the cat food. Once I'd acknowledged that Heidi was a very good dog indeed for letting me know that we'd caught a 'coon, I went inside to wake up Thomas and the kids. Heidi had lost interest in the raccoon once I'd seen it, until everyone went back outside with me. Then we had to put her and Fancy inside their kennel (the other dogs were already inside) while Thomas set the raccoon loose.
He took it to the bank of the creek and with a long stick pried the door open. The raccoon stepped out, started off to the right, changed its mind, turned left, and then ran up a tree. We'll probably catch it again sometime soon because the trap has been re-baited and waits for its next victim.
10 comments:
Why do you trap them?
To answer Pharmolo's question below:
We don't. This was Eler Beth's idea, because she is determined to pet the little gray calico that wanders through our yard all the time but won't let her pick her up. She thought if she could trap it, she'd be able to make friends with it. Actually, by law, it is illegal to let your cats roam, just as it is to let your dogs roam. But at any given time there are a couple of neighborhood cats that everyone knows that wander in and out of everyone's yards (and keep my dogs barking all night sometimes), but we usually know the cats and their owners, and we give them a pat and send them on back home. Legally we could trap any cat that came into our yard and take it to the animal shelter if we were the type to do that. I don't mind one cutting through my yard on its feline ramblings. But they can spread disease, especially the strays, and sometimes you'll get a rambling Tom that will fight with and even hurt or kill someone's cat that is just minding its own business in its own yard. The live-trap is perfectly safe and humane.
Lori
During the winter three large tom cats would sun in our back yard. We have a lot of cats here and I think they all belong to someone. Paula
We had to trap the feralcats at the marina to get them spayed and newtered. We ended up catching fourteen cats all together. We also caught at least two racoons for every cat we got. Racoons just love cat food, LOL! By the way, yes, we released all the racoons unharmed. Just in a different locale a couple of miles away.
Sam
Oh that is a little too exciting! She would have fun at our house. There are at least 7 cats next door. You can't touch any of them! They are all wild.
traci
OMG... too funny!!! I have a feeling that what you want to catch will always just shy away... and you are going to get some interesting stuff! lol
Heck, if the racoon is smart he will visit each night and sleep in fat and full until you let him out! LOL
be well,
Dawn
I don't own a cat but watch the neighbour hood cats stalk the mice and squirrels around the woodland behind us. I also enjoy looking across the road outside our front window to watch our neighbours cat sunbathe all day on top of their shed roof. Right next to a birdfeeder which they put there recently. (No brains some folks....Lol!) Eler Beth is going to have an interesting time wakening up each day to see what she has caught...I will be back to catch up on her catches...Lol! Jeanie
I'm trying very hard not to laugh here. Oh heck I can't help it. I get the feeling when you stop trying to catch the little bundle of fur you might get an unexpected turn of events and have it slowly learn to trust you and approach you on it's own.
Lol, sounds like my house indeed. All in good faith looking out for the animal kingdom. Is Eler Beth interested in going to vet school or taking anything up like that in life? (Hugs) Indigo
LOL...wow...thats exciting! ;o)
Lisa
LOL...I used to catch the mice in my attic with a live bait cage. I'd let them go in the back woods. Of course, they returned. We've always had a cat or two roaming around here until recently. I never had a problem with the critters until the cats vanished. My Megan used to leave food for the kitties out behind our garage. That raccoon must have really been a huge surpise. I think I would have fainted. HUGS Chris
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