I found the old dog cage at the local thrift store. The cage looked like it had seen better times and they were asking $20.00 for it. I negotiated down to $10.00 and brought it home.
Miss Dash’s son had followed her out of our home some time ago and we had been trying to capture Chaplain ever since. He was wise to the ways of the trap as most cats are when they see others being trapped inside, they know not to go near. There were plans to make a drop trap in the works, but as I drove home from the thrift store, a plan started forming in my head. What if, instead of building a drop trap, we modify and use the cage instead?
Hubby agreed so with the help of a regular flat-head screwdriver and small hammer, we removed the steel bands from the bottom of the cage and lifted it apart. Using a large, stout stick we propped up the cage in the yard and waited. Sure enough- Chappy came out from under the house and went inside the cage to eat.
I pulled the string- but as it fell he ducked out from under the darn thing and escaped! Darn!
Back to the drawing board……..
I think the trap will work, but perhaps use a shorter stick. The cage needs less time to fall to the ground. If the food is tempting enough, the cat will slip under even six inches of space, and the cage will fall that distance in no time. He may still escape, but I think your idea is sound.
Thanks but the problem is it isn’t really a drop trap it is a heavy steel cage and has a lot of weight to it, a shorter stick wouldn’t work as we tried that already. So what I did this morning is I took the cage, set it on the grass so the door is facing away from the house. I put food in the back of the cage and rigged the cage door open with just a small weight. I tied clothesline to the door, ran the line up high in the cage out the back of the cage and into the small window on the porch. When he gets over his fear of this new object in the yard and has gone in and out a couple of times to eat, I will remove the block on the door, swing the door shut when he is inside, secure the line to a post near the patio door (so he can’t push out) and then go and get him and bring him back inside.
That’s the plan- I just hope it works. I think it will because with the bottom out of the cage, they won’t feel that wire underfoot and be more comfortable with this new feeding station.
Such a let down when he got away! I was really expecting a different ending there LOL. Many vibes the new plan works!
I did a lot of research on building my own drop trap for “smarter” cats who are “trap-shy” of the smaller animal traps.
It was recommended at least the dimensions 3 feet by 3 feet to prevent the cat from “ducking out” during the actual drop. The prop stick needs to only be 14 inches long.
I also designed mine with a “trigger” that pops the prop stick when the cat tugs on bait dangling from the inside that is attached via string to the trigger. It works like a charm and I have already caught one problematic cat.
🙂
Kerry,
I would be cautious using string. Instead try something natural like long blades of grass or a piece of straw to dangle the bait. String looks to stray cats like the innards of the mouse and most of the cats will eat the string-especially if they are confined for a period of time. Otherwise, your drop trap sounds like it is working quite fine.
Hi sweet friends!Your words are so beatuiful… and we can see them all right there in Luna’s eyes. You and Luna have such loving spirits… you brighten our days with your visits and comments. Thanks for coming by my blog today! Glogirly has been busy lately and has made it all but impossible for me to visit my friends. But I’m hovering over her shoulder now. it’s the least she can do to make up for my V-E-T visit.mew!Katie(Glogirly’s Cat)