Weddingbee boards

Wish me luck!!

Tonight is my first attempt to trap the stray/feral cats that hang out in our yard. I'm attempting to trap 3 and really really hope I can get 3 (there are 5~, that I know of!). Taking them to a local super low cost spay/neuter clinic tomorrow to get altered and get their rabies shots. I feel good knowing I'm doing my part to decrease Atlanta's feral cat population, but I'm super nervous and I know they'll be crying and upset and I just hope I can stay strong and get them to the clinic tomorrow.

Wish me luckkkk!!

You are wonderful for doing this. Be careful though!

Best of luck to you!!

I'm using traps borrowed from a friend who traps all the time. The cages are covered with towels to help stop them from freaking out as well as to help draw them into the cages. I used mackarel to bate them. OMG. I almost lost it..it smelled like tuna so I was NOT expecting enormous chunks of whole fish. Yack! Some of the traps were being funny, so I pray they all work properly.

I think the worst part will be driving from where I am, about 35 mies to the clinic tomorrow with feral cats.

Thanks all for the well wishes!! I won't be coming in any sort of contact with these cats, in fact, once they get to the clinic they'll be gassed down in the traps so the veterinary staff isn't put at risk.

I work with animals and I actually need to get a rabies shot to be safe. I've heard it's not a fun one!

@Nona99:  Is your kitty that bad???

@Nona99:  So trips to the vet are fun?? :)

You are seriously an amazingly selfless person to do this! wow!! I don't even know you and I am so proud!

@Nona99:  Awesome.

I guess I'm surrounded by friends and coworkers who do the same thing, that I don't really think that much of it. I've been meaning to set traps for awhile, but the other week I heard them mating outside and that's what pushed me to finally do it. No kittens for us! Just praying everything goes well.

Trapped 2 cats!!!! We just went out there and saw we caught my two favorites (Orange Cat and Sherbet). Moved them closer to our house and covered them with some blankets to keep warm through the night. They are NOT happy when exposed but when covered they're silent and just unhappy. Hoping to get 1 more and will check again around midnight.

Ended up trapping 1 more cat sometime between midnight and 6 am this morning. I had considered setting an alarm for 3 to go check and didn't- regret that now because I'm sure he was freezing out there. Of course, I can't really know when exactly he was trapped. Getting them altered this morning and then keeping them over night before releasing them tomorrow. I have 1 more trap that was being finicky last night and kept tripping itself, but I may try to set that one tonight. We'll see!! Thank you all for the support.

Awww congrats! All I can think about is the expression "like herding cats". You are literally doing that!!!

@lealorali:  Bahaha I guess so!!

I thought we had caught my favorite cat, "Orange Cat" it was hard to tell last night 'cause all we had was a flash light and covered them entirely immediately, but this morning when we got to the clinic I realized it wasn't "Orange Cat", but a cat I have never seen. So my dear "Orange Cat" is sitting in my yard, probably wondering where his friends are. I have one remaining trap I'm going to try to use this afternoon (when I normally feed him) and hope I can catch him.

It's amazing the high I'm getting from this, by the way- knowing that these sweet babies won't be reproducing, spreading disease, and increasing this terrible pet overpopulation crisis the US has.

@love108:  I have no idea. I have all adults and all three I took in today are male. I have one trap set out right now and it'll be my last one until I know my next day off and how it works with the clinics schedule. Two I have I think could be barn cats, but the third..although he could be worked with..maybe?..is ANGRY! They're wild and I have no problem letting them go in the morning and I really think they're happy outside. I just hate that it's getting so cold :(

Edit: On the paper work I wrote "unknown" next to age but when I got it back it said 1. So maybe they could tell by the teeth the age.

@caits615:  This is so cool! Hope you catch Orange Cat soon!

@somethingaquamarine:  No luck last night. Released the 3 I caught this morning and it was super smooth and easy- I was concerned they'd get fiesty, but I think they're so frightened they just wanted out. Once I lifted the opening to the trap they took off.

I was convinced I'd continue to trap them when funds and the logistics were possible ($20/cat for spay/neuter, rabies, and ear tipping- much cheaper than the full cost, but can still add up), but when I began cleaning everything up and putting the blankets I covered the traps with in the wash one of my own cats began to get aggressive smelling the urine on the blankets from the other cats. We'll see!