What To Do If You Are Catching Wildlife
- Don't relocate wildlife. This is detrimental to the animal and illegal in many states.
- Make sure that you have a plan for releasing wildlife before you catch any.
Why You Should Not Relocate Wildlife
Depending on your location, it is very likely that you will accidentally catch some wild animals while trying to trap your lost cat. In the US, the most common animals to trap are raccoons, opossums and skunks.
Please do not relocate wildlife for the following reasons:
- It is often cruel to the animal. Many animals will not survive after being relocated.
- You may accidentally separate a mother animal from her young.
- Removing the animal will only temporarily resolve the problem of catching wildlife. If you continue to provide a food source, other wild animals will soon take it's place.
- Relocation of wildlife is illegal in many states.
How to Safely Release Wildlife
In general, raccoons, opossums and skunks are not dangerous, but you still need to be careful when releasing them. Never place your fingers inside the trap. Be aware that all these animals can carry rabies though it is uncommon in many locations. Raccoons and opossums may growl or hiss while trapped, but are unlikely to come after you once released. Just don't stand in front of the trap door when opening it.
Before you catch any wildlife, make sure that you have a plan for releasing them. If you aren't comfortable doing it yourself, then have someone on-call that will help you. If at all possible, don't leave the animal in the trap for hours. This is stressful to the animal and they may injure themselves trying to escape. Also, as long as they are in the trap, you are missing a potential opportunity to trap your cat.
Be sure to practice opening the trap to release wildlife. You want to do so without putting your fingers inside the trap or standing in front of the trap door. Some animals like raccoons are more likely to run right out of the trap once it is open. Others like opossums and skunks may remain in the trap, so you need a way to keep the trap door open until they leave on their own time. Don't try to shake them out!
If you are using the more common Havahart trap, you can place a stick under the trap door to hold it open. Some of the better traps have a sliding rear door, which makes releasing wildlife much easier. You can even tie a rope to the rear door and open it from farther away.
Releasing Skunks
When releasing a skunk, there is the added risk that they may spray you. Fortunately, this doesn't happen often, especially if you are careful. Always move slowly and don't make any loud noises. Skunks are most likely to spray is they feel threatened or surprised. Hopefully, the trap is already covered in a towel or blanket. If not, you may want to carefully place one over the trap. If possible, release the skunk at the location where they were caught rather than carrying the trap anywhere.
It's best to approach the skunk from the front. If the skunk turns its hind end towards you, turns sideways, does a handstand or starts stamping its feet, you should move away from the trap immediately. This means the skunk may spray. Let them calm down before trying again.
If you or the trap are sprayed, use this formula to remove the odor.
How to Avoid Catching Wildlife
You can reduce the chances of catching wildlife by using these tips:
- Only trap during the day. Since most cats are trapped at night, I only recommend this method IF you are having sightings of your cat during the day.
- Place the trap inside a garage, basement, shed or porch. Note: this may only keep out some wildlife. More likely to work in rural areas.
- Place the trap on a table. Skunks cannot jump and they're not good climbers. If you place the trap even a foot or two above the ground, you can avoid catching skunks. There are "raccoon proof" platforms that you can build, but they often don't work. Raccoons and opossums can climb just about anything.
- Place out an alternate food for the wildlife that your cat won't eat. Raccoons like marshmallow sandwiches and opossums like apples.
- Monitor the trap using live-feed surveillance and a microphone like the Blink XT2. If you see a wild animal on camera, you can make noises to scare them off.
What To Do If You Catch Another Cat
You may catch other cats when trying to catch your lost cat. How involved you get with the welfare of these other cats is up to you. Many people just release them. In any case, as long as they appear healthy, I do not recommend bringing them to a shelter. Very few cats are reunited with their owners once they end up in a shelter.
Many of the cats that you catch, probably live nearby either as either owned or feral cats. However, it's quite possible that you may catch someone else's lost cat or a stray cat in need of a home. When trapped, many cats will panic and appear feral, so you won't be able to tell whether a cat is an owned cat just by looking at it in the trap.
What To Do If You Keep Catching the Same Cat
Usually if you catch another cat, they are unlikely to go into the trap again at least for another week. However, some cats will repeatedly go into the trap.
- If you know who owns the cat, ask them if they'll keep their cat inside for a few nights.
- If you don't know who owns the cat, try to find out if anyone does. Take photos of the cat and ask your neighbors. If the cat is friendly, consider putting a paper collar on the cat with a note such as: "If this is your cat, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX."
- If you can't find the owners and the cat keeps coming around, it may be a stray, feral or lost cat. Consider keeping the cat while you make a more concerted effort to find the owner or bring the cat to a rescue or shelter.
In some cases, another cat may be preventing your lost cat from coming home. This is most common if the cat is a known bully cat, intact male or spends a lot of time in your yard. Of course, never relocate a potential bully cat. He may be someone's cat. However, some people make the decision to temporarily keep the cat (sometimes in a spare room or large dog crate) until they catch their cat.