Cats are animals incredibly beautiful, intelligent and freedom-loving. Representatives of cats since the birth of civilizations live side by side with humans. What to do if your pet runs away or you decide to take a wild cat from the street ? How to catch a cat on your own without calling experts?
The Return of the Prodigal Cats
In modern cities, most domestic cats spend their entire lives in apartments. There are frequent cases when an animal that is not familiar with the street falls out or jumps out of the window. A cat can leave her home through an open front door. How to catch a cat if he is on the street? Try to calm down and find out the exact location of your pet. Do not immediately run into the yard and try to grab the animal with your bare hands. This option for catching cats in 90% of cases is doomed to failure.
If a pet has never left the apartment, a close acquaintance with the street is always stressful for him. Even the calmest animal will behave aggressively and may simply not recognize the owners. A trick will help bring the cat home. Be sure to dress in tight clothing and protect your hands with leather gloves. First, try to lure the animal with food or your favorite toys. To enhance the effect, you can sprinkle the litter on which the cat sleeps at home, "catnip" (sold as a spray in pet stores) and take it out onto the street.
Do not expect the animal to go into your hands. Most likely, he will have to be grabbed very quickly. A good option is to wait until the cat is interested in food, and then throw a jacket or blanket over it.
We catch a cat using traps from improvised materials
Use radical methods is only if you are confident in your abilities and you urgently need to return the animal home. In cats, stress passes quickly enough and without serious consequences. In most cases, the pets that have fallen / jumped out of the windows of the apartments will return to the owners after a few days. But if the street is too unsafe, for example, a lot of stray animals, you should very quickly figure out how to catch a cat. Hurry should also be in the event that you think that the animal must be urgently shown to the veterinarian.
A homemade trap can be made from a net for fishing. Hang it by securing it to the branches of a tree. Attach the ropes, pulling which, you will set the trap in action. Now it remains only to put the bait under the net and wait for the appearance of the animal. You can catch the runaway cat using one more device, loved by the fishermen - landing net. This is a large sized butterfly net of a triangular shape. Your task is to sneak up to the animal from behind and quickly throw a net on it.
Carrying and special trap cages
If the runaway cat adequately endured travels in a special carrier, you were very lucky. It is enough to leave the feline crew open near the place where the animal is hiding. Put some goodies inside. Do not forget that cats are quick to react. It’s best not to try to close the carry door yourself. Tie a rope to her handle and stay at a distance or come up with an automatic closing mechanism.
For catching animals in street conditions, there are special cages. Visually, they often resemble ordinary carriers, they have a built-in door closing mechanism. Buying such a device for a one-time use is unprofitable. Typically, these traps are in shelters and veterinary clinics. Try to negotiate a rental of this device and go to catch the animal in the most technological way.
Truth and myths about Valerian
An established fact - all cats are not indifferent to valerian. You can try to use this pharmacy to catch an escaped animal. Get alcohol tincture of valerian, most cats do not show interest in tablets. The best option is to lubricate your own hands or clothes with the drug and wait until the animal comes to you.
If the cat is too scared, this method will not work. Then leave the carrier or a regular cardboard box near the place where the pet is hiding. Inside, build a litter, drip a few drops on it and wait for the cat to appear. Valerian is best not to use in places where many wild animals live. The smell will lure all, without exception, representatives of the cat family. But, having seen a large concentration of his relatives, a domestic cat that has experienced stress is unlikely to leave the shelter.
Choose a way to catch a cat on the street, based on the nature of the animal. Remember: every unsuccessful capture attempt is a new shock for the pet.
How to catch a wild animal?
We hope that you plan to catch a “no-man's” street cat exclusively with noble thoughts. Feline representatives who have grown up on the street or have been affected by abuse usually don’t trust people. How to catch a wild cat that does not hold hands? To start, watch the animal. Determine the approximate location of his habitat and try to find out if someone is feeding this cat. If a feral cat trusts at least one person, you can always try to negotiate with him and ask for help in catching the beast.
You can try to make friends with a cat, if you definitely decided to pick it up from the street. Begin to regularly feed the animal, talk with him. Do not try to pet or grab the cat if it does not fit on its own. Be patient, and after a few days the cat will rub on your legs, and then voluntarily go to his hands.
Is it worth it to catch other people's cats?
Typically, cats and dogs are caught on the street for two purposes: to pick up an animal in their home or to provide him with medical care, and then attach it in good hands. All these are good intentions, but what if you met a domestic cat on the street? Do not catch such cats. Some owners let their pets go for a walk. If the animal looks scared, exhausted or wounded, but it has a collar, then you should act immediately. The easiest option: try to find the owners of the "loss" and tell them information about the whereabouts of the pet. In the case when the animal is calm and goes into the hands of strangers, you can take it home and only after that start the search for owners.
The best cat bait
A treat will help to attract a cat. Which is the best to choose? If you catch your runaway pet, focus on his food preferences. A universal option is ready-made feed. Dry mixes for feeding cats are considered more convenient to use. You will appreciate all their advantages as soon as you try to lure a cat hidden in a secluded place. Wet canned foods are more fragrant, and all kinds of pastes and soufflés for cats are a real delicacy. Many animal experts to the question: "How to catch a neighbor's cat, luring food?" - advised to try to interest the cat in canned fish.
You can also use fish, seafood, meat, sausages as bait. Be sure to finely chop the selected product. If you are giving meat or fish, first boil a piece and remove all the bones. Do not feed the cat with milk and dairy products. It is not known who invented the myth of cats' love for this product. In fact, not all cats like milk. In addition, its use harms the digestive system of these animals.
What you need to know about unfamiliar animals
Be careful when catching cats on the street. An animal can scratch or bite you. Cats are carriers of various diseases, many of them occur without severe symptoms. Be sure to show the captured animal to the veterinarian as soon as possible. If you plan to keep the cat at home before visiting the doctor, quarantine it, isolating it from other animals.
When a wild cat bites, you should immediately see a specialist. It’s better not to touch street animals that look unhealthy. But if you want to cure such a cat, follow all hygiene rules and try to avoid direct contact.
The above instructions on how to trap a cat will help you. The fact that you can’t touch a cat by the tail, we all know from childhood. Try to remember also that only kittens can be lifted by the fold of skin on the neck. Grown up adults are not recommended.
How to catch a cat at home?
Cats are said to have excellent intuition. And it’s true, most cats fearing the road begin to hide immediately before the training camp. If you regularly visit a veterinarian or go with a pet to the country, you should try to accustom him to travel.
Get a convenient carry and place it in a conspicuous place. You can put your favorite cat litter or food inside. Let your tailed friend sniff this acquisition himself and make sure that inside is not scary. If the trip is not planned, but important, feel free to catch the animal and place it in a carrier or a special bag. It is worth noting that catching a cat at home is much easier than on the street. In a small room, two people can cope with this task in 5-10 minutes.
When you need specialist help
Our pets sometimes climb into completely unexpected places. Remember one simple rule: if the animal is in a hard-to-reach place and cannot get out on its own, try to adequately assess the possibility of salvation on its own. A cat can climb high on a tree, fall into a ventilation hole or sewer. In all such cases, one should not be heroic; it is better to seek professional help. A special service for trapping animals or a single rescue service (if the situation is really emergency) will save your pet.
What to do if you need to catch an animal very quickly? Consult your veterinarian about the possibility of using sedatives and ask for the correct dosage. The medicine should be mixed into a treat-bait. As soon as the animal eats, do not take your eyes off it. Try not to let the cat hide in the basement or other secluded place. Then try to catch a black cat in a dark room! As soon as the drug begins to act, the reaction will slow down and the animal will look sleepy. At this point, you can pick it up.