Trapping
Trapping Equipment
How To Trap
Documents & Resources
Trapping Equipment
Choosing a Trap
This is the most important piece of equipment for TNR. Most people start with a box-style humane trap like the one to the right, and it is the mainstay for most trappers. We will talk about drop traps later, but start with one of these.
As with many things, you get what you pay for. We recommend Tru Catch gravity traps over spring-loaded traps. Spring traps close quickly, forcefully and loudly when a cat steps on the trip plate. Gravity traps, like the Tru Catch close by gravity when the trip plate is triggered. To find out why we recommend gravity traps, check our comparison tables below. Need to borrow a trap? Check here.
Click the trap image to go to the Tru Catch site.
Gravity Traps (Tru Catch brand)
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|
Safer for cats and other animals because the door comes down by gravity. |
More expensive and not as easy to find. |
|
The trap makes little noise when triggered so it doesn’t spook spectator cats. This reduces the risk of them avoiding traps in the future. |
Can sometimes be triggered accidentally by animals or wind bumping the door. |
|
It is easier to release cats or accidentally caught wildlife. You just tip it over with the door facing away from you and it opens automatically. |
If the trap isn’t on level ground and it tips over, the cat can escape. |
Spring Traps (Havahart Brand)
This trap style has earned the name “silver slappy” in the TNR world because they make a loud slapping sound when they close. Do they work? Yes, many of us started with silver slappies and some still use them. But they aren’t our first choice.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Inexpensive | Loud slapping sound may startle cats and cause them to avoid the trap. |
| Easy to find online and in feed stores. | Cats are occasionally injured by the trap door coming down on their tail, leg or on the body of a second cat or kitten following the first into the trap. |
Trap Dividers (Trap Forks)
These handy tools are have several uses:
1. They can be used to contain a cat in the back of a trap while cleaning or providing food.
2. If you trap two cats, you can use the fork to separate the cats and transfer the extra cat to a new trap or carrier.
3. When transferring to a carrier or cage, you can use the fork to prevent the cat from escaping while you position the carrier in front of the trap. You can also use it to attach a second trap to provide more space during holding. (Use zip ties.)
How to use a trap fork
Most people do this incorrectly the first time they try them. You slide them in sideways as shown in the photo. If you slide it in through the top, the cat could escape. If needed, you can zip-tie it in place. Just make sue you do it by the top bar near the handle. Nothing is worse than losing a cat you just trapped!
Cameras
Cameras are indispensable in trapping. We use them to:
1. Find out how many cats are in a colony before trapping. When you know how many cats are there, you can bring the right number of traps and make sure you have enough appointments at the spay neuter clinic.
2. Count the kittens. How many are there? And did you trap them all? You don’t want to leave one baby alone to starve.
3. Determine if predators or new cats are showing up at a managed colony.
4. See which cats are getting along. This is critical information if you have to relocate them later. You want to put compatible cats together.
5. Find lost cats. Cameras can help you identify if a cat is showing up in a certain area so you know where to set the traps.
6. Identify the mom cat. If you have a colony with moms and tiny babies, you want to get the right mom cat. This is critical if she is still nursing and you are going to be fostering them together.
“Obie’s” life was saved by a wildlife camera. A senior citizen living in a remote area contacted the CCC for help when he was moving to another state. He was feeding a few cats and knew all the cats he fed. Or so he thought. After all the known cats were trapped, a camera was set up “just in case”. Yep, this skinny boy showed up on the camera. He was soon trapped, neutered and rehomed. Obie is now a chubby boy in his adoptive home.
Types of Cameras
Game Cameras
Advantages:
- Weatherproof
- Battery powered
- Easy photo storage to an SD card
- Moderately priced ($35 to $175)
Disdvantages:
- You have to retrieve the SD card from the camera or view on a screen to see what it captured. No remote viewing.
Cellular Game Cameras
Advantages:
- Weatherproof
- Battery powered
- Images can be viewed remotely
Disadvantages:
- Require a cellular plan
- Expensive ($150 to $500)
Wi-Fi Cameras
Advantages:
- Images can be viewed remotely
- Inexpensive ($20 to $75)
- Notifications can let you know when a cat is near or has triggered the trap.
Disadvantages:
- Requires Wi-Fi or a hot-spot
- Some of the cheap ones need to be covered outside.
Drop Traps
Drop traps are big and clunky to move around and you have to practice using them to get the knack. But they are wonderful for cats who are too smart to go in a standard box trap. The video below was made by CCC member Phil.
People generally make their own drop traps. Here is a link to a Facebook Post we did on drop traps. You will see a big variety. Alley Cat Allies has a page with directions. And here is another video of a drop trap.
Need to Borrow a Trap?
There are many local organizations that will loan or rent a trap to you for safely and humanely catching feral cats or any cat that is in need of help that won’t come to you. Here is a list by county.
King
Island
Pierce
Skagit
Snohomish
*Please call first to confirm trap availability and deposit/rent fees. If you learn of any changes or errors, please email CCCofWa@gmail.com so we can update this information.
Snohomish County
Purrfect Pals – $75 deposit Fully Refundable Deposit
230 McRae Rd NE
Arlington, WA 98223
Email first to check availability of traps. cats@purrfectpals.org
Phone: (360) 652‐9611
The Community Cat Coalition – $75 Fully Refundable Deposit / Free for CCC members
Email CCCofWa@gmail.com to arrange for trap pick up from the CCC storage unit.
316 128th St SE
Everett, WA 98208
Feral Cat Spay Neuter Project – $85 Fully Refundable Deposit
4001 198th St SW Ste #3
Lynnwood, WA 98036‐6731
Call first to check availability of traps.
Phone: (425) 673‐2287
PAWs Lynnwood – $10/day or $50/week, plus a $100 deposit
15305 44th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98087
Phone: (425) 787‐2500
NOAH Center – $50 deposit
31300 Brandstrom Road
Stanwood, WA 98292
Phone: (360) 629‐7055
*These traps are designated for trapping cats for spay/neuter at their clinic.
Homeward Pets – No deposit required at this time. Traps are “silver slappies”
13132 NE 177th Pl
Woodinville, WA 98072
Phone: (425) 488‐4444
King County
MEOW Cat Rescue – $70 Fully Refundable Deposit
10600 NE 68th, Suite F
Kirkland, WA 98033
Phone: (425) 822‐6369
Seattle Animal Control (no charge to Seattle residents)
Phone: (206) 386‐4254
Renton Animal Control (no charge to Renton residents)
Phone: (425) 430‐7550
Auburn Valley Humane Society – $75 Refundable Deposit, $5/DAY
4910 A St Se, Auburn, WA 98092
253 249‐7849 or info@auburnvalleyhs.org
Island County
Camano Animal Shelter Association – $50 refundable deposit, $10 for 3 days of use then $2 daily
198 Can Ku Road
Camano Island, WA 98282
360‐387‐1902
WAIF Coupeville Shelter – $50 refundable cash deposit ‐ Two week trap limit
20168 State Route 20
Coupeville, WA 98239
360‐678‐8900 ext. 1100
Pierce County
Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County – Trap program still in progress Fees TBD
2608 Center St,
Tacoma, WA 98409
253‐284‐5809 Pattyr@thehumanesociety.org
Northwest Spay & Neuter Center – 15 traps to loan $40 Refundable Deposit
6401 Pacific Ave,
Tacoma, WA
253‐627‐7729
Next to Nature – Photo ID required
1624 Tacoma Ave S,
Tacoma, WA
(253) 779-8141
Skagit County
Mount Vernon Police Department – Free live trap rentals to citizens of Mount Vernon
1805 Continental Place
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
360‐336‐6271
Saving Pets One at a Time (S.P.O.T.) – Provides traps, education and support for TNR
No physical address but provides services throughout Skagit County
savingpetsoneatatime.org
360‐336‐5388
Purchasing your own trap
Many feed stores and hardware stores sell humane traps. We recommend buying Tru‐Catch traps.
These have ring closures instead of springs. This makes them both safer and quieter. The cheaper
spring‐based traps make a loud slapping sound when triggered and many cats will avoid going
into one if they hear one go off or accidentally spring it themselves while investigating the trap.
Trappers often refer to these as “silver slappies”. Occasionally, a cat will be injured when their
tail or leg gets caught by the spring door of this type of trap. www.trucatchtraps.com $50 ‐ $100
P.O. Box 1236
Mukilteo, Wa 98275
Email: CCCofWa@gmail.com
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