03/28/2025
TNR Tip Thursday: Trap Training
⚠️ Make sure you have a TNR appointment PRIOR to actually trapping a cat!
Trap training can be used to help a community cat get used to eating near and then in a trap BEFORE the trap is actually set, which can make trapping day more successful.
If a trap can be safely left outdoors in the cat's territory for an extended period of time, it's possible to train a community cat to go in it to eat.
The area needs to be secure so no one walks off with the equipment, like a secluded backyard or a private courtyard. The process usually takes from one to two weeks.
For each trap deployed, follow these instructions:
1. Secure the front door of the trap in a raised position. You can run a stick through the sides of the trap to block the door from falling or use a twist tie or similar item to tie it in place.
2. Place the trap in the cat's territory near the normal feeding spot. Leave it in place throughout the training.
3. On the first day of the training, put the cat's usual meal on the ground a foot or two away from the trap's front door. Use a small plate or bowl. Start further away for a more skittish cat.
4. Keep putting the plate at this spot, the same distance from the trap, until the cat starts eating the food. Then, for the next meal, move the plate six inches or so closer to the trap's front door. When the cat starts eating from this new spot, move the plate closer to the front door again.
5. Repeat this process until the plate is right next to the front of the trap. When the cat is comfortable eating there, move the plate a few inches inside the trap. Keep waiting for the cat to eat, then moving the plate a few inches further in until it is all the way in the back of the trap and she is going in after it.
On your scheduled trapping date, at the time the cat is used to eating, untie or unblock the front door, bait the trap, and set the trigger.
Thank you Neighborhood Cats for this information - https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/how-to-tnr/trapping/hard-to-catch-cats