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A drop trap is an excellent tool for increasing the efficiency of your TNR program. Photo by Laura Burns Drop Trap 101 by Laura Burns, HubCats Are you trying (and trying!) to trap feral cats who just snicker at you? Do you think they're too smart to be caught? To save time and frustration in your trapping efforts, a drop trap can be an invaluable tool in your TNR toolbox. What is a drop trap? A drop trap is a lightweight frame covered with netting made to catch feral cats. It is propped up on one side with a stick, and food is placed in the back. The trapper stands at a distance, holding a string attached to the stick. When the cats are eating, the trapper pulls the string, allowing the trap to drop, capturing the cats inside. The trapper immediately covers the drop trap with a blanket to calm the cat(s). The cats are easily transferred into traditional box (wire) traps for transport. A box trap is placed door-to-door with the covered drop trap. The box trap is also covered (top and sides only) to make it appear to be an exit tunnel. When the matching guillotine-style doors are raised, the cats discover the "exit" and move into the box trap, for secure transport to the vet!
The guillotine-style door makes it easy to transfer cats from the drop trap to the box trap. Photo by Laura Burns How does a drop trap catch more cats and save time? Drop traps don't look like traps. Most cats won't recognize that it's a trap, and will walk right in to eat. With a drop trap, you will most likely be able to trap every cat that shows up. Just reset the trap and they will keep coming. You can often catch more than one cat at a time. Use the fact that cats copy one another to your advantage. Suspicious cats see their friends eating from the trap and are lured in as well. Seven cats is the current record — a Florida mom and her six kittens. You don't have to withhold food from all cats to catch a few. Just feed a normal meal, pick up the leftovers, then trap at the next meal time. You are in control of the trap. Prioritize baby-maker females, pregnant cats, or kittens to stop reproduction now. Catch a mother cat along with her kittens to reduce stress. Or, trap a newcomer when everyone else in the colony is already spayed/neutered, catch sick or injured cats, or re-trap "trap-shy" cats if necessary. Drop Trap Links and Resources
by Laura Burns, HubCats by Laura Burns, HubCats by Laura Burns, HubCats by Laura Burns, HubCats by Laura Burns, HubCats About the Author Laura Burns is President and founder of HubCats, in Boston, Massachusetts. She built her first drop trap on a dare, and over several years, TNR'd more than 2,500 cats with it. In 2004, she introduced a folding version of the drop trap which was co-designed with her father, Dr. Richard Burns. She currently advocates for feral cats and better access to low-cost spay/neuter services in upstate New York. |
