how to trap young mom cat

I am trying to trap a young mom cat who gave birth about one week ago to 7 kittens in a boiler room here in Harlem.

I was feeding her and her brother - who has been trapped successfully last saturday - outside, within the courtyard, late afternoon/evenings.

I left the trap outside but she din't go there for two days. That is when I figured out she must have given birth. I went n discoved 7 kittens. Today I counted only 5 of them ...

I put then the trap in the boiler room where I feed her once a day in the evening/late afternoon. The trap is not set.

She is going into the trap and eat the food and leaves. But I don't know at what time ... I was supposing she would eat just after I left the food in the trap, she was also coming the the food rigth after I left it outside, but only after I left and was out of sight ...

Tonight I tried to set the trap, and waited for almost three hours, without success. I reduced the portion yesterday, hoping she would be hungry enough to go right to the food...

Tonight I reduced the portion again, hoping that she will come rigth away tomorrow night. Am I risking the life of her kittens? ...

Since I don't see the trap I attached a little bell on the door and a string with a paper at the end, so that if the door closes I will see the little paper moving.

Does anyone has an another good idea how to get her into the trap, without having to spend the night ouside?

I thought of putting one of her kittens in the trap, but I'm afraid it would be cought under the part that is moving up when the trap is set, and then would be crusched by it when it comes down ... I am alos afraid that she would move them then and that I won't be able to find them anymore ... It is a dark room with a lot of garbage in it where you could hide tonnes of kittens ...

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

I've had great luck trapping new mothers by using the babies for 'bait'. Scoop up the babies and put them in a small carrier or transfer cage. Make sure you put a hot water bottle or microwavable heat disc in with them to keep them warm. Butt the back of the humane trap, (be sure the back panel is secured if it's a two door trap), against the opening to the carrier or transfer cage and cover the trap and carrier/cage with a towel. Bait the trap with food as usual.

When the babies cry, the mother will be irresistably drawn to them. Once she's trapped, move the kittens into a large carrier and _very carefully_ transfer the mother from the trap to the carrier containing her kittens.

If you haven't caught the mother within four hours, you'll have to either give her back her babies and risk her moving them or bottlefeed them and try the trap/carrier again.

Once you've got both mother and kittens, it's best if you set her up in a large dog cage and let her take care of her kittens for five weeks. Once they are old enough to be weaned, the mother can be spayed and released and her babies can be fostered without her.

Good luck and thanks for caring about this little family.

Weren't you the person who posted about some cats in Jan & got help from Stays from Heights group? How had you gotten the other mom & kittens?

I would call any local shelters and see if they would be willing to take the kittens now. Sounds like two have already been lost and a shelter may have a nursing mom they could put the kittens with until you catch the mother. You never know who else might make their way into this boiler room and those kittens could be in danger.

Your right to make her hungry but she also needs to eat if she's feeding them. You could feed her a big meal and then starve her for a bit with food only in the trap for 36 hours if nothing feed her a big meal again wait a day and try again. Its possible someone else is feeding her too in which case your job will be a lot harder. You've got a smart cat who knows somethings up just keep at it 3 hours isn't alway long enough.

What food are you putting in the trap? Best foods to use are something smelly like tuna, sardines, kfc people say works well too. It shouldn't just be dry cat food but something she'll really like. Also where in the trap are you putting the food. It should be as far back as possible behind the release door.

Don't put the kittens in there she might just abandon them or as you say a kitten could get hurt either by the door or by the mother going nuts when she gets caugth.

Which is why you need to speak to a shelter about taking the kittens now. People who are experienced at hand feeding kittens can make them survive even without a mother, and they may have a better chance even as orphaned kittens then they do in a boiler room.

Best of luck

Congrads! You certainly persevered and deserve a pat on the back!

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