Whether you are looking to trap a stray cat to help, a missing kitty to return them to their home, or a feral cat to TNR (trap, neuter, release) to help work toward ending the cat overpopulation problem... you're going to want to know how to use a humane live trap. ​

• if you are in a hurry to trap a lost cat, you can usually find live traps at farm supply stores such as Blaine's Farm and Fleet or Tractor Supply

With a good quality, working trap, first and foremost - HAVE A PLAN for when you trap the cat. DO NOT trap a cat without a plan of what you are going to do next! If you are unable to take the cat in, return the cat home, or bring the cat in for spay/neuter surgery, DO NOT TRAP THEM. Never trap first, plan second. It puts unnecessary stress on the kitty, and you may not be able to trap them again. It's better to wait until the right time. 

Once you have a plan, you'll want to find a SAFE place to set your trap. If there is a particular area where you've seen them, or near where they may be hiding or eating - find a somewhat hidden spot where it can be 'camouflaged' such as under brush or next to a building. Covering the trap with a towel, or placing the trap in a bag may help the kitty feel more comfortable walking into the trap. If a kitty is missing near their own home, they usually don't go very far. Set traps close to home where they are likely to return to find food. Make sure your trap is located somewhere where the kitty will find it (they'll smell the bait, more on that next!) and where they will walk into it - avoid loud noisy areas, or just setting it out in the open. 

You may also want to label your trap with your information (like this) - so that if someone comes across your trap they will know a humane live trapping is in progress, and your contact information for assistance if there is an animal in the trap.

If you are trying to trap a kitty who's been around for a while - they may already be used to coming around for food, which you can use to help make sure they go in the trap when the time comes! Once you get them into a routine, you can continue to feed them INSIDE the trap (and may even want to ziptie the trap OPEN so it doesn't trigger until you're ready to trap - such as the night before a surgery). You may even refrain from feeding them the night before so they are extra hungry when you need them to go in the trap!​

Once your trap is set - the hardest part begins... waiting. 

Make sure you check your trap(s) FREQUENTLY. The kitty may wander into the trap 5 minutes after it's set, or 5 hours... or another unwanted animal may find themselves in it! You never want an animal stuck in a live trap for longer than necessary... so make sure you are able to check the traps frequently so you can move your kitty, or release any unwanted critters. If you aren't sure if the kitty is friendly, or you've got an unwanted critter - USE CAUTION!!! A humane live trap is a relatively safe method of transporting unfriendly friends, but us humans must still use caution when dealing with unknown animals. 

​If you are having trouble trapping - 

• relocate the trap to a new location, even close by but facing another direction
• switch up the bait, switch up the timing, switch up the trap (are they too small to trigger the plate? is the trap too small for them to feel comfortable walking into?)
• more camouflage! make the trap like a hidey-hole the kitty knows they will find food in and could use as a hiding place
• try playing mama cats calling kittens videos on YouTube! I literally have gotten kittens to come close enough to me to catch by playing videos like this one, or this one :) 

**I am NOT a veterinary professional, this is all my own opinion based on my own experience and research. I will include further resources below**

Over the years, we've lost several kitties and been made aware of several adopted kitties who have passed away (likely) from something called FIP. Feline Infectious Peritonitis, or FIP can happen when a virus that almost all kitties (especially in a rescue/shelter setting) are exposed to, mutates in a largely unknown way, and they are not able to fight it off.

There are different types of FIP and it cannot currently be accurately diagnosed. However, there are warning signs, and tests that can be run that give 'clues' that kitties symptoms may be stemming from FIP, but no clear cut test. In the past, if a kitty was suspected of having FIP, typically they were humanely euthanized... FIP was a death sentence.

BUT, there is some good news. In February 2019, a study was published by UC Davis (General Feline Infectious Peritonitis Resources) regarding the efficacy of a new drug against FIP. This was a BIG deal, and the study showed GREAT results - showing that FIP may in fact be treatable. 25 of the 31 cats studied were successfully treated.

However, this drug has NOT approved or made widely available for use... yet! But it has been shown over and over again to be effective in kitties 'diagnosed' with FIP.

It is also extremely expensive. Approximately 1 week's worth of injections is almost $100. With at least 12 weeks of injections and regular vet visits and blood work and other testing, it's not an easy process... but it is a HUGE leap for FIP kitties - FIP may no longer be the death sentence it has been for so long. 

In 2020, we noticed one of our foster kittens, Stitch, was acting funny, not gaining weight like he should, but had a BIG BIG belly. It was FULL of fluid, a telltale sign of FIP. We worked with our vets to do bloodwork and diagnostic testing and he was 'diagnosed' with FIP. Typically at this point, kitties are not eating, have no energy, are lethargic, and you can tell they don't feel good. Typically they don't have long.

Stitch though was still semi-energetic, still eating and  drinking, and we thought he would be a good candidate  to try this new treatment. TO BE CLEAR - this was NOT  prescribed or provided by our vet. We reached out to some experienced contacts, discussed the process with Stitch's foster at length and decided to try, with the support of our vet. Stitch received an injection for 84 days and was very closely monitored to ensure that he moved in the right direction throughout the process.

Stitch made it through all his awful injections, and 84 more days of close observation, and was considered 'cured' in 2021. He's now in his forever home, he got adopted with his sister, who kept him company through his treatment, Lilo!

If you or your vet suspect a kitty might have FIP - there are options!! Don't give up! 

Further Reading: 
- Researchers study crowdsourced cure for deadly cat disease (Veterinary Information Network News Service)
- Unlicensed GS-441524-Like Antiviral Therapy Can Be Effective for at-Home Treatment of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (MDPI Journal, Animals) 
- Efficacy and safety of the nucleoside analog GS-441524 for treatment of cats with naturally occurring feline infectious peritonitis (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery)
- Confusion besets first legal FIP treatment in US (Veterinary Information Network News Service)

One of our amazing fosters has been working with one of our shy cats, Yeti. Yeti Belly is famously hard to catch and get in a carrier (as are lots of kitties) but next week is moving day for foster mama!

This method is HIGHLY recommended if you have a kitty who is afraid of the carrier (or you picking them up!) - in case of emergency, moving or going to the vet for a checkup - check it out!

Last week, we were contacted about a tiny orphan kitten whos mama had him (and another sibling, already deceased) and ran away. Mamas often know when something is wrong, or they can't take care of their babies, and he was rushed to a bottle baby foster.

He was 2.6oz, about half the weight of a 'normal' newborn kitten - he was cold, and hungry. He survived 3 days.

Whenever we get bottle babies, we always work with finders to try and locate mama and any other babies she may have - there was no sign of mama until today. She was found... dead.

TNR works.

Further reading and resources:
- Cat Help (Kzoo Cat Cafe and Rescue)
- TNR (Ally Cat Allies)

- Put out a bowl of water and food and WATCH for mama somewhere she won't see you (like inside a car or inside through a window). IF after a few hours there is no sign of mama, or babies start to cry or feel cold to the touch, THEN it's time to intervene. If mama is spotted, work with a local rescue or TNR group (like Animal's Best Friend here in Kalamazoo!) to trap her AND the kittens. Again, kittens have a MUCH higher chance of survival WITH their mama - and mama can get spayed so she won't have to have babies ever again!

- Kittens need to be kept WARM - you can use a heating pad, rice sock/warmer or a hot water bottle (never directly ON the kittens - use a towel or blanket in between). Wherever they are kept, make sure there is a non-heated area they can move to if they become too warm. Typically, kittens will huddle up together for warmth and comfort.
           (Heat Sources for Orphaned Kittens - Kitten Lady)

- Kittens need to eat every 6 hours MINIMUM - but don't feed them if you don't know what you're doing!! NEVER ever feed a kitten (or cat) cow's milk, or even water. This is the time to call in reinforcements! Reach out to a rescue organization to see if they have someone who can take on bottle babies.

- If the kittens are older (eyes open at about 14 days, they learn to walk around 3-4 weeks and they are typically able to walk around and start eating on their own around 4-6 weeks) it's time to trap! The only way to END cat overpopulation and stop finding kittens like this is to SPAY AND NEUTER!! This is why it's especially important to get mama too - so that they don't just keep reproducing!
             (How Old is That Kitten? - Alley Cat Allies)

Soon, shelters will be OVERRUN with kittens - 'kitten season' is typically in the summer months when cats are reproducing at an alarming rate and there just aren't enough homes for them all.

Help us help them by taking the appropriate steps if you find kittens this summer! Make sure to SPAY AND NEUTER your pets and help reduce the overpopulation in our kitty community!

Further reading and resources:
- What To Do (and NOT do) If You Find a Newborn Kitten (Animal Alliance NYC)
- What to Do When You Find Stray Kittens (Central California SPCA)
- You Found a Stray Kitten - Here's What To Do (Catster)
- Stop Kidnapping Kittens (The Animal Foundation)

Responsible dog owners know - dogs should be tested and kept on heartworm prevention year round. "There are treatments available for dogs with heartworm, but prevention is the wisest approach" (AKC, heartworm in dogs)

But did you know - cats can get heartworm too!? This mosquito borne disease can affect dogs, cats, ferrets and other mammals including wolves, coyotes and foxes. We do a snap blood test on all our new kitties and one of our new kitties, Molly, tested positive for Heartworm this week.

"Heartworm disease in cats is very different from heartworm disease in dogs. The cat is an atypical host for heartworms, and most worms in cats do not survive to the adult stage. Cats with adult heartworms typically have just one to three worms, and many cats affected by heartworms have no adult worms. While this means heartworm disease often goes undiagnosed in cats, it’s important to understand that even immature worms cause real damage in the form of a condition known as heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD). Moreover, the medication used to treat heartworm infections in dogs cannot be used in cats, so prevention is the only means of protecting cats from the effects of heartworm disease." (American Heartworm Society)

Unfortunately, there is no approved treatment for heartworm in cats, so there is nothing we can do to treat it at this point. The vet told us what to look out for, and if Molly is in any obvious distress to call them right away!

However, this does not mean Molly can't find a forever home and live a normal life! We do not know what will happen, but we do know that we will do the best we can for her and educate others to the risks and preventative measures for heartworm in cats!

Further Reading & Resources:

American Heartworm Society - Heartworm in Cats