23 February 2010
In Nov, 2009 Community Cat Coalition of Clark County (C5) volunteers trapped, staged, and transported to Heaven Can Wait Society monthly feral clinic nearly 40 cats from the Thai Buddhist temple in North Las Vegas. Over the next several days, the monks continued trapping and at the end, 57 cats had been trapped, spayed/neutered, and returned to the temple. The Monks were thrilled that the cats would no longer be producing the large number of kittens they had seen in the past. We have remained in contact with the temple and will continue maintaining the virtually 100% spay/neuter rate.
On Friday the 19th of February at about 4pm, the Monks at the temple received a visit from Dale Smock, North Las Vegas Police Department Animal Control Manager. They were told that they would be allowed to have only three cats at the temple or face a $1200 fine if the excess cats were not removed. They were told to round up the cats and adopt them, providing names and address of where the cats went. If this could not be done, the Monks were to trap them with 11 AC provided traps and turn them over to NLVAC. They were told that they have until the 24th of February, Wednesday to begin complying.
Mr. Smock was evasive when asked what would happen to any cats turned over to NLVAC. What he wasn't willing to say was that they would be taken to Lied and virtually all of them would be killed. These are cats that are not socialized to living in homes and are not adoptable as regular pets. The monks see no way to avoid complying and having the cats removed and killed. The ordinance provides for an appeal to the city council, which we are in the process of determining how to file, since the monks were not provided a written copy of the complaint.
The Monks want nothing more that to live in peace with their community. They understand the problems that an uncontrolled breeding population of cats would cause and have been very cooperative in supporting the responsible management of these cats with Trap, Neuter and Return. With continued management of the cats the number is expected to decline as time goes by. This is a fairly isolated property and it is unlikely that a significant number leave there to bother any neighbors. If any of these cats are causing problems for neighbors there are several methods to address these issues that we would be happy to assist with.
If this site were a couple of miles away, in unincorporated Clark County, instead of NLV, the cats would be protected under the very progressive feral 10.06 ordinance! This ordinance has fostered the program which made the spay/neuter of these animals possible. County Animal control provides us with traps for long-term loan, and county grant money is used to spay/neuter many of the animals that we trap.
Trap Neuter Return and Manage is the only proven effective way to reduce the Community Cat population! The goal of our community-based TNR program is to have more sterilized animals on the streets as opposed to unsterilized animals, which will in turn halt the growth of the population. Every time one of the sterilized animals is destroyed, the ratio is going in the wrong direction!
If you would like to contribute money to help with fines or legal fees for the monks and or support the temple cats, send contributions to:
Wat Buddhapavana Temple
ATTN: Temple Cats
2959 West Gowan Road
North Las Vegas, NV 89032-3437
If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Community Cat Coalition of Clark County:
C5
4933 W. Craig Road #248
Las Vegas, Nevada
89130-2730
UPDATE 2/23 9:00 AM : We will be holding a peaceful protest in honor of national spay day at the Buddhapavana Temple located at Gowan and Simmons from 1 - 5 PM. Come join us and help protect these community cats!
UPDATE 2/23 6:30 PM: We have reached an agreement to meet next week in person to further discuss the case. Please cease any emails or calls to NLV officials until further notice! Thanks a lot to those that did call or write, you certainly got their attention!
On Friday the 19th of February at about 4pm, the Monks at the temple received a visit from Dale Smock, North Las Vegas Police Department Animal Control Manager. They were told that they would be allowed to have only three cats at the temple or face a $1200 fine if the excess cats were not removed. They were told to round up the cats and adopt them, providing names and address of where the cats went. If this could not be done, the Monks were to trap them with 11 AC provided traps and turn them over to NLVAC. They were told that they have until the 24th of February, Wednesday to begin complying.
The Monks are profoundly distressed about this situation. The Buddhist temple is considered to be a sanctuary and all living things that find their way there are cared for and protected by the Monks. This is a sacred duty. Buddhists believe in reincarnation. It is entirely possible for you to come back in the next life as any animal, including a cat. A cat that finds it's way to the temple, rather than say a used car lot, is entirely likely to be a fellow Buddhist looking for sanctuary. Being forced to pick three cats to live and trap the rest to die is a profound affront to their faith. It is on the same scale as calling the priest out of Sunday service, telling him to pick three of his congregation, and then forcing him to nail the door shut on the rest and set the Church on fire.
The Monks want nothing more that to live in peace with their community. They understand the problems that an uncontrolled breeding population of cats would cause and have been very cooperative in supporting the responsible management of these cats with Trap, Neuter and Return. With continued management of the cats the number is expected to decline as time goes by. This is a fairly isolated property and it is unlikely that a significant number leave there to bother any neighbors. If any of these cats are causing problems for neighbors there are several methods to address these issues that we would be happy to assist with.
If this site were a couple of miles away, in unincorporated Clark County, instead of NLV, the cats would be protected under the very progressive feral 10.06 ordinance! This ordinance has fostered the program which made the spay/neuter of these animals possible. County Animal control provides us with traps for long-term loan, and county grant money is used to spay/neuter many of the animals that we trap.
Trap Neuter Return and Manage is the only proven effective way to reduce the Community Cat population! The goal of our community-based TNR program is to have more sterilized animals on the streets as opposed to unsterilized animals, which will in turn halt the growth of the population. Every time one of the sterilized animals is destroyed, the ratio is going in the wrong direction!
If you would like to contribute money to help with fines or legal fees for the monks and or support the temple cats, send contributions to:
Wat Buddhapavana Temple
ATTN: Temple Cats
2959 West Gowan Road
North Las Vegas, NV 89032-3437
If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Community Cat Coalition of Clark County:
C5
4933 W. Craig Road #248
Las Vegas, Nevada
89130-2730
UPDATE 2/23 9:00 AM : We will be holding a peaceful protest in honor of national spay day at the Buddhapavana Temple located at Gowan and Simmons from 1 - 5 PM. Come join us and help protect these community cats!
UPDATE 2/23 6:30 PM: We have reached an agreement to meet next week in person to further discuss the case. Please cease any emails or calls to NLV officials until further notice! Thanks a lot to those that did call or write, you certainly got their attention!
10 February 2010
When I woke up in the morning, Tommy Boy had eaten all of his food so I loaded him up again. After feeding, watering, and changing paper for 15 cats, I found myself late to go meet Kristina at a mini-storage near the Palms hotel. We got there around 3:30. I setup the drop trap on one side of the complex while Kristina put traps out on the other side. I had my camera and tripod so I setup the camera where I could see the display while hiding from the cats by standing around a corner. It took nearly 15 minutes for the first one to work up the nerve to enter the drop trap. Emily had TNR'd a bunch of cats (15+?) here so many of them were previously fixed. I could see that he was not one of the four I was after on this side. After a few more minutes more of the cats started to appear. A small black cat appeared, and I slowly peeked around the corner with my binoculars to see if it was the one I was after. It was! Now there two cats eating the bait. A second ear tipped cat entered the trap. Fortunately some sound spooked her and she bounded away. I started thinking about spring the trap when I saw one of the grey and white cats checking things out. I decided to wait and he too entered the trap.
Preparing to pull the string I accidentally dropped the plastic reel and it clattered on the ground. I thought for sure the the noise would scare the cats but they sat there unperturbed. I sprung the trap and knabbed all three. We released the previously trapped cat and put the other two into traps. I reset the drop trap, but 30 minutes later there was still no action. We trapped one more from the other end and left four traps behind to be checked later.
Moving
on I met Susan, David and Erika at Nathan Adelson Hospice. They had managed to catch a couple and when we finsihed up there, we had five more bring the total so far this location up to 10. A minor SNAFU occurred as I was convinced that we had left a trap somewhere at NAH, when in fact I had never counted the traps which were left at the storage place! Tricia and Trudy helped me at the White Sands and we manged to trap three more cats. Bobbi stopped the storage place and delivered two more cats. Jean, Denise and Joe had managed to trap 4 more at the NSPCA, including three that I had specifically targetted! Yeah! The total for the night ended up at 14. We staged these cats at the Humane Society.The next day, Monday, I delivered the cats that we had trapped on Sat. night to the clinic and got the checked in. The intention was to have a lot of cats ready to go first thing in the morning. Later Tricia and I took one final stab and Nathan Adelson and the White Sands. At NAH we managed to trap 2 more but had had no luck at the White Sands. Leftover kibble in the food bowls explained the reason. One very wary cat spent a long time checking out the drop trap from different angles while we hid from site behind the vehicles. Just as she about to go into the trap, a juvenile I nicknamed the "crack kitten" came zooming up to her, scaring her away from the trap. The crack kitten got his name when on the first night he ran in circles around the empty pool, never straying more than a couple of inches away from the edge.
The next morning I learned Tara would be bringing in another cat, and that Bobbi had two more. I called Kerry at HCWS to let her know how many we would be bringing in. When we got to the clinic, it was obvious that the 100 cat day was going to be a success! Before Bobbi and I arrived with our 20 cats, they had already checked in nearly a hundred. With so many cats to handle it was obvious that more help was needed so I decided to stay and see how I could help. Initially I changed paper in traps, but Harold soon took me in to do what they lovingly refer to as "The Huckeberry" or cleaning and sterilizing the surgical instruments in spay packs. Having worked years ago in a hospital performing the same work on a much larger scale, I found it quite easy to fall into a rhythm and keep up with the workload. I snuck out for a couple of hours in the afternoon to go see a client. The last surgery finished up at around 6:00 and by the time we cleaned up, and loaded up cats it was after 8 PM. 117 Signed in with 4 "Already Been Neutered" and 1 euthanasia.
Bobbi and I took our haul of 37 cats to the Humane Society office for staging. After feeding and watering all of the cats, it was nearly 10:00 PM. After showing Bobbi some of my videos and BS'ing some, it was after 10:30 by the time I got home and I was exhausted. Doc Henderson asked for 100, and Valley trappers over delivered!
07 February 2010
The last month and a half I've really struggled to be productive at trapping. Bad weather, poor planning, and uncooperative caretakers have all taken their toll on my ability to deliver cats. The final straw came during the trapping for the Jan feral clinic. I had access to nearly 50 traps and a half dozen trappers. We delivered 11 cats and that was only because Angela trapped 8! I spent nearly 12 hours to catch a measly 3 cats. GRRRRR! I was determined that this week, I'd be prepared to fill the 30-40 cat quota we're expected to deliver each Tuesday.
My truck was parked a couple of hundred feet away from the drop trap and I had setup on the hood of my truck a small command center consisting of my binoculars, a spotlight and my spotting scope. I watched ear-tipped cat after ear-tipped cat enter the trap and eat the food. Just as I was beginning to think it was going to be a bust, Princess poked her head out between the fence. My heart started racing as she approached the trap. A car came speeding out of the adjacent business complex and she ducked back inside of the fence. A few minutes later, she cautiously came out and entered the trap just as another cat was leaving. Double checking that she was inside I sprung the trap and got her! I hustled over and removed her from the drop trap.
About 10 minutes later, a crowd was starting to form around the drop trap again. A couple of already fixed cats had been in and out of the trap.but no sign of the other one I was after. Suddenly, a cat appeared on the wall. I looked with my binoculars and saw it was the white and black cat. He jumped down and eyed the drop trap cautiously. Skittish, he decided to run across the street and view it from a different angle. After several minutes, he cautiously approached and then entered the trap. I sprung the trap on him, hustled over and got him quickly out of the drop trap.
Joe B. arrived and helped me setup traps in the wash and stayed to monitor them while I set off to me Trudy and Tricia at Nathan Adelson Hospice. By the time I arrived, Trudy had already trapped one. We setup some more traps and a few hours later, we had trapped a total of seven cats from NAH. Soft-hearted Joe delivered another cat from the NSPCA with a questionable eartip and an injury to his eye. I verified the that he was one that had been previously trapped and then pondered what to do with Tommy Boy. Stone-hearted Mike would have turned him lose in the wash without hesitation. Now though, I had him, it seemed like the right thing to try to get him some antibiotics and hold him for a little while to see if his eye would clear up.
We moved onto the White Sands Motel on the strip and trapped 5 more. We packed up from the White Sands around midnight and I went home with 15 cats, 14 keepers and Tommy Boy. By the time I got everyone food and water, it was 1:30 AM.
(to be continued...)
On Thu afternoon, I received and email from Emily stating that they wanted to do 100 cats the following Tuesday. By Friday afternoon I was calling and emailing trappers to figure out who could help when. The response was quite positive. I printed up some signs to notify caretakers that we were trapping, called some other caretakers and checked out a couple of the sites to make sure the food was taken up. On Sat morning I returned to police up food from the feeder whom I correctly predicted would ignore my sign.
Sat afternoon I rolled out with a dozen traps and the drop trap. I setup the droptrap on the sidewalk outside the landscaping company near the NSPCA. I've done extensive trapping in the is area (it's where I got my start!) and at this location alone, I've trapped 22 cats. There are only a few left to be done amongst the horde. I'd tried unsuccessfully a few times to trap these but to no avail. It was light enough to see well when I started, but at that time there was still too much traffic for the cats to come out. After an hour or so, things quieted down and the cats started feeding from the drop trap. I know these cats quite well, so I knew exactly I wanted to catch. A long-haired calico I called "Princess". She had successfully eluded the summer dragnet resulting in a new litter of five which had to be trapped this fall also! The second cat was a white and black short-hair that was new to the colony. He'd shown up a few months ago and was shy and had resisted previous attempts at trapping.
My truck was parked a couple of hundred feet away from the drop trap and I had setup on the hood of my truck a small command center consisting of my binoculars, a spotlight and my spotting scope. I watched ear-tipped cat after ear-tipped cat enter the trap and eat the food. Just as I was beginning to think it was going to be a bust, Princess poked her head out between the fence. My heart started racing as she approached the trap. A car came speeding out of the adjacent business complex and she ducked back inside of the fence. A few minutes later, she cautiously came out and entered the trap just as another cat was leaving. Double checking that she was inside I sprung the trap and got her! I hustled over and removed her from the drop trap.
About 10 minutes later, a crowd was starting to form around the drop trap again. A couple of already fixed cats had been in and out of the trap.but no sign of the other one I was after. Suddenly, a cat appeared on the wall. I looked with my binoculars and saw it was the white and black cat. He jumped down and eyed the drop trap cautiously. Skittish, he decided to run across the street and view it from a different angle. After several minutes, he cautiously approached and then entered the trap. I sprung the trap on him, hustled over and got him quickly out of the drop trap.
We moved onto the White Sands Motel on the strip and trapped 5 more. We packed up from the White Sands around midnight and I went home with 15 cats, 14 keepers and Tommy Boy. By the time I got everyone food and water, it was 1:30 AM.
(to be continued...)
30 January 2010
Monthly Meeting
Despite the torrential downpour a little more than a dozen folks dragged themselves out to our Jan monthly meeting on the 19th. I'd like the thank David from Nevada Corporate Center for generously allowing us the use of their meeting room. We look forward to hosting other meetings in the venue! Come join us on Feb 25 to meet other cat friendly folks and eat cake! Jan TNR Classes
Our first two Introduction to TNR classes were held at the HCWS Spay/Neuter Clinic on the 9th and the 23rd. 15 students attended these two classes and got great information on trapping, staging, transporting cats humanely. The new Training Coordinator Tricia Brain has jumped right in producing very professional looking training manuals as well as preparing to take over presentation of the training material.Trapper Certification Process
C5 is committed to humanely trapping, staging, and transporting feral cats. As feral cats are wild animals, trappers, stagers and transporters need to use caution. C5 supports a TNR certification process, which is required to be a trapper, stager, or transporter. The certification process includes: * Attending a two (2) hour C5 TNR class
* Eight (8) hours in the field with a mentor
* Four (4) hours volunteering at one(1) monthly feral cat clinic to gain a better understanding of the requirements and processes
Email TNRClass@gmail.com to register for the class. Contact Debbie alyse24@aol.com to volunteer for the clinic. Trapping for Weekly Slots
We continue to attempt to fill 30 weekly slots on Tuesdays for community cats from Clark County. With the bad weather it's proven to be a challenge but with the formation of a number of trapping teams, we hope to get a little more organized and continue to deliver cats. If you'd like to assist in trapping for these slots, contact Keith info@clarkcountyferalcats.org to find a trapper team near you.
Jan HCWS Monthly Feral Clinic
http://kittenpaparazzi.blogspot.com/2010/01/hcws-january-2010-monthly-feral-clinic.html Monthly HCWS Feral Clinic No No's
Please do not bring cats in carriers or non-approved traps. Arrange to get a trap before the morning of the clinic and transfer the animal into the trap before coming to the clinic.Transferring cats disrupts the check in process and you may be asked to step aside while other people's cats are processed. If you need assistance in performing a transfer be prepared to wait and provide your own trap, otherwise there is no guarantee that a trap will be available. Make sure you have pre-printed labels which include the following lines: Trapper, Trapper Phone, Trapping Location, Sponsor, Sponsor Phone. A template is available on the clarkcountyferalcats.org website. If you do not, you may be asked to step aside while you fill out the labels. Make sure you sign a release every time! The monthly clinic is only for community cats that are going to be released back to outdoor colonies. Cats that will be fostered, adopted or rescued in any way are not be brought into the monthly feral clinic! The clinic targets the free-roaming cat population and the vets, vet techs and others who volunteer at the clinic expect to work on this demographic of animals. Cats that are fixed at the monthly clinic receive no paperwork (sterilization/shots), are ear tipped, and are exposed to all manner of parasites and disease found amongst the feral population. If you trap kittens small enough to tame or friendly strays that you intend to foster or adopt, do not bring them to the monthly clinic. Contact Keith at info@clarkcountyferalcats.org or myself if you need to have an animal fixed that will not go back to a colony. HCWS is happy to aid folks and animals who are truly in need. All that is expected is honesty about the animals and what will happen to them.
Public Outreach
Keith and I attended a couple of events for public outreach this month. One was Chris G.'s town hall meeting on fixing County budget shortfalls and the other was the Westley Neighborhood associations monthly meeting. At both events, Keith expressed the advantage of a community based TNR program: why use tax payer dollars to endlessly kill cats when volunteers and resources are available to do TNR?In other tabling event news, C5 will have a booth at the Clark County Library Districts Petstacular event of Feb 27 at the Rainbow library. If anyone is aware of other pet friendly venues where we can have a booth, let me know and I'll try to get us signed up! I've wanted to start tabling at Petsmarts, Petcos, etc. to push more traffic to the TNR Class and get more caretakers to register etc. Several cat adoption rescues in town already have arrangements to run operations out of the locations. I've contacted a couple and I think we can leverage the traffic they already have by having C5 volunteers available to give information about the Community Cat problem and upcoming classes, clinics, etc. If you are interested, contact me with a Petsmart/Petco location near you and the days or hours you'd be willing to spend.
Drop Trap Primer
Information on building and using a drop trap to catch more cats! http://kittenpaparazzi.blogspot.com/2010/01/whys-and-hows-of-drop-trapping.html
Feb Upcoming Events:
Introduction to TNR Class, Saturday Feb 6 and 20 12:00 - 2:00 PM
Heaven Can Wait Society Spay/Neuter Clinic
546 N. Eastern Ave
Email TNRClass@gmail.com to registerHCWS Monthly Feral Clinic Sunday Feb 21 6:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Heaven Can Wait Society Spay/Neuter Clinic
546 N. Eastern Ave
Volunteers needed to aid in checking in cats from 6:30 - 10:00 AM
Email alyse24@aol.com to volunteer C5 Monthly Meeting Thursday Feb 25 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Plaza Tower and Suites
101 E. Convention Center Dr. #P-111Petstacular Pet Fair Saturday Feb 27 10:00 to 2:00 PM
Rainbow Library
3150 N. Buffalo Dr.
Despite the torrential downpour a little more than a dozen folks dragged themselves out to our Jan monthly meeting on the 19th. I'd like the thank David from Nevada Corporate Center for generously allowing us the use of their meeting room. We look forward to hosting other meetings in the venue! Come join us on Feb 25 to meet other cat friendly folks and eat cake! Jan TNR Classes
Our first two Introduction to TNR classes were held at the HCWS Spay/Neuter Clinic on the 9th and the 23rd. 15 students attended these two classes and got great information on trapping, staging, transporting cats humanely. The new Training Coordinator Tricia Brain has jumped right in producing very professional looking training manuals as well as preparing to take over presentation of the training material.Trapper Certification Process
C5 is committed to humanely trapping, staging, and transporting feral cats. As feral cats are wild animals, trappers, stagers and transporters need to use caution. C5 supports a TNR certification process, which is required to be a trapper, stager, or transporter. The certification process includes: * Attending a two (2) hour C5 TNR class
* Eight (8) hours in the field with a mentor
* Four (4) hours volunteering at one(1) monthly feral cat clinic to gain a better understanding of the requirements and processes
Email TNRClass@gmail.com to register for the class. Contact Debbie alyse24@aol.com to volunteer for the clinic. Trapping for Weekly Slots
We continue to attempt to fill 30 weekly slots on Tuesdays for community cats from Clark County. With the bad weather it's proven to be a challenge but with the formation of a number of trapping teams, we hope to get a little more organized and continue to deliver cats. If you'd like to assist in trapping for these slots, contact Keith info@clarkcountyferalcats.org to find a trapper team near you.
Jan HCWS Monthly Feral Clinic
http://kittenpaparazzi.blogspot.com/2010/01/hcws-january-2010-monthly-feral-clinic.html Monthly HCWS Feral Clinic No No's
Please do not bring cats in carriers or non-approved traps. Arrange to get a trap before the morning of the clinic and transfer the animal into the trap before coming to the clinic.Transferring cats disrupts the check in process and you may be asked to step aside while other people's cats are processed. If you need assistance in performing a transfer be prepared to wait and provide your own trap, otherwise there is no guarantee that a trap will be available. Make sure you have pre-printed labels which include the following lines: Trapper, Trapper Phone, Trapping Location, Sponsor, Sponsor Phone. A template is available on the clarkcountyferalcats.org website. If you do not, you may be asked to step aside while you fill out the labels. Make sure you sign a release every time! The monthly clinic is only for community cats that are going to be released back to outdoor colonies. Cats that will be fostered, adopted or rescued in any way are not be brought into the monthly feral clinic! The clinic targets the free-roaming cat population and the vets, vet techs and others who volunteer at the clinic expect to work on this demographic of animals. Cats that are fixed at the monthly clinic receive no paperwork (sterilization/shots), are ear tipped, and are exposed to all manner of parasites and disease found amongst the feral population. If you trap kittens small enough to tame or friendly strays that you intend to foster or adopt, do not bring them to the monthly clinic. Contact Keith at info@clarkcountyferalcats.org or myself if you need to have an animal fixed that will not go back to a colony. HCWS is happy to aid folks and animals who are truly in need. All that is expected is honesty about the animals and what will happen to them.
Public Outreach
Keith and I attended a couple of events for public outreach this month. One was Chris G.'s town hall meeting on fixing County budget shortfalls and the other was the Westley Neighborhood associations monthly meeting. At both events, Keith expressed the advantage of a community based TNR program: why use tax payer dollars to endlessly kill cats when volunteers and resources are available to do TNR?In other tabling event news, C5 will have a booth at the Clark County Library Districts Petstacular event of Feb 27 at the Rainbow library. If anyone is aware of other pet friendly venues where we can have a booth, let me know and I'll try to get us signed up! I've wanted to start tabling at Petsmarts, Petcos, etc. to push more traffic to the TNR Class and get more caretakers to register etc. Several cat adoption rescues in town already have arrangements to run operations out of the locations. I've contacted a couple and I think we can leverage the traffic they already have by having C5 volunteers available to give information about the Community Cat problem and upcoming classes, clinics, etc. If you are interested, contact me with a Petsmart/Petco location near you and the days or hours you'd be willing to spend.
Drop Trap Primer
Information on building and using a drop trap to catch more cats! http://kittenpaparazzi.blogspot.com/2010/01/whys-and-hows-of-drop-trapping.html
Feb Upcoming Events:
Introduction to TNR Class, Saturday Feb 6 and 20 12:00 - 2:00 PM
Heaven Can Wait Society Spay/Neuter Clinic
546 N. Eastern Ave
Email TNRClass@gmail.com to registerHCWS Monthly Feral Clinic Sunday Feb 21 6:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Heaven Can Wait Society Spay/Neuter Clinic
546 N. Eastern Ave
Volunteers needed to aid in checking in cats from 6:30 - 10:00 AM
Email alyse24@aol.com to volunteer C5 Monthly Meeting Thursday Feb 25 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Plaza Tower and Suites
101 E. Convention Center Dr. #P-111Petstacular Pet Fair Saturday Feb 27 10:00 to 2:00 PM
Rainbow Library
3150 N. Buffalo Dr.
Michael White
PresidentHave Drop Trap, will travel...
702-688-0295
Contact Me 
--- @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now
28 January 2010
Despite the poor weather and the fact that several large projects did not come together for C5 as planned, 274 cats were signed into the clinic with 98 coming in under C5. 265 surgeries were performed with 156 males being neutered and 109 females being spayed. 6 were "Already Been Spay/Neutered (ABS/N)" and sadly 3 had to be euthanized. The check in process went fairly smoothly considering that Debbie, the largest cog in the wheel was unable to be there. Caretakers were lined up as early as 6:30 to drop off their cats. Most people cooperated with the new check in policy, and lined their vehicles up for drop off. Printed labels were provided for those who did not have them and for the most part the check in went smoothly. As a reminder, please don't get to the clinic before 7:00 AM. There are no prizes for being first, and as a practical matter, even if you're first in line, you'll never get checked in before the cats Emily trapped the night before! Besides, you'll probably end up behind Keith with 40 traps or Trudy with 80 and have to sit and wait anyways!
The day started off with a bang as a poorly balanced trap fell off one of the first carts. I saw it tipping off and watched in horror as it flipped over and landed on the ground upside down. No longer secured by the rings, the trap door started to fall open. I rushed over and blocked the door closed with my hand. Quickly grabbing the trap with my other hand I flipped the trap over in one motion averting disaster.
This was the first month that non ring-door style traps were not allowed at the monthly clinic. Seven non-conforming traps and two carriers contained cats that had to be transferred into allowed traps. Fortunately for the folks who brought these cats in, I had exactly the number of traps needed to trade out carriers/traps for them. I learned my lesson this month, and next month I won't be bringing any extra traps with me! Transferring the cats and keeping track of who needed to be transferred back after the surgery was a pain and gummed up the check in process!During the second or third transfer, a cat managed to escape. Without even thinking about it, I tossed a towel on top of him and we got him into the trap without any further problems.
Harold was happy to have a good number. Keith was happy he didn't have to take any heat for any of the cats brought in under C5. I'd like to thank Tricia, David, Susan, David, Matt for helping with the checkin.
I took just enough pictures and video to cut together this little diddy on video. Bonus points if you can name the composer and the musical though really it should be quite obvious ;-)
Finally, even though there were a large number of cats, the clinic went so smoothly that Dr. Henderson and Harold had enough free time to dance to hip hop songs with me while Joanie taped the entire incident. I shudder to think of that video making it into public! Next month, barring more bad weather, the monthly clinic sign-in number will break 320, I'm sure of it!
Michael White
President
Chat 
Google Talk: phreephallin@gmail.com
President
Have Drop Trap, will travel...
Google Talk: phreephallin@gmail.comContact Me
27 January 2010
When I first started learning about TNR, I came across this video of entitled "A Drop trap catches more cats!" I watched the video and was impressed with what I saw. I did a little more research and built my own drop trap. After using it to catch well over a 100 cats, I'd like to share what I know so that more people can use this versatile and effective trapping tool. With a good design and construction, proper tactics and patience and you will easily catch the most trap shy cats.
THE PRO'S:
1. Able to trap cats which are trap shy from being previously trapped.
2. Able to catch multiple cats at one time.
3. Able to select individuals out of a crowd.
4. Able to "stand-off", or watch and activate trap from a distance.
THE CONS: My trap is bulky, heavy and difficult to transport. Finding a good spot to place it is often difficult and managing the string can be a pain. Impractical to use in some locations.
THE TRAP: The trap I built is 3'X3' and 1.5' tall. I used 1"X2" lumber which I screwed and glued together to form a box and the frame for the transfer door. The transfer door was fashioned out of a piece of plywood. A crude flap is attached to the back of the trap with hinges. To reduce the weight at the front of the trap, I placed the door in the rear corner. I lined the bottom with weather stripping to dampen the noise of the trap falling. I then attached garden netting using zip ties and rope.
THE WEIGHT and COVER: The weight, a kitty litter bucket filled with rocks, sits on the crude flap in the back of the prevents the cats from being able to move the trap. The cover, a fitted queen size sheet , calms them down when placed over the trap. I bundle it up and keep it with the weight at all times. As soon as the trap is sprung, the cover is immediately available to quiet the cats.
THE PROP STICK and STRING: The prop stick is approximately 12" long. Something like a paint stirring stick would be good, but I usually just used scrap from parts I have sometimes as large as 1"x2". I try to bevel the end that is going to be on the ground so that when the stick is leaning at an angle, the bevel is flat on the ground. I also place a notch on top to hold the trap. With the notch and bevel the stick should be quite stable while holding the trap. Cats have rubbed up against the trap numerous times and I have yet to have one knock it over. I drill a hole in the front part of bottom end and attach the string at this point. Pulling the stick from this point knocks it over quite easily. I also like to pad the stick with weather stripping or tape so that it doesn't make as much noise when the trap is sprung.
The string has to be lightweight without any stretch. Mason's string works very well. Make sure to wind it back up using the reel as opposed to wrapping the string around the reel which will cause it to twist up.
THE TACTICS: I try to cause as little commotion as possible when setting the drop trap up. A slow quiet approach is best if you don't want to upset the cats too much. The trap should sit on a flat surface so that no gaps show underneath the trap. A tenacious cat may be able to wiggle underneath! Ideally, I place the trap so I can view it from the front left quarter (my transfer door is on the right side). This is the best view for me to see if the cat is in and not beside or behind the trap. Normally, I put the prop stick at the front left corner of the trap with notch holding the trap and the string hole closest to me. The bait goes in the very back center of the trap. At this location, any cat that is eating the bait is completely inside of the trap. I usually bait the drop trap with a lot of food to hopefully draw multiples and because with a lot of food, cats will relax and sit down to eat, making them easier to trap.
If I think a cat is especially wary, I might move the prop stick further back to hold the trap up higher. It is also not unusual for me to sit in my vehicle and at a distance of up to 300 feet. A pair of binoculars is absolutely necessary for determining if the cat is actually in the trap or not, especially when lighting conditions are poor. At night, if I want to sit back at a distance, I usually select locations for the trap that are underneath a street lamp or other light source.
Another option is for the person pulling the string to hide out of site from the trap. A second person can watch from a better vantage point and signal when to spring the trap. If you are going to use this system, practice your communication signals before you start trapping. Screwing up the signals is a sure fire way to miss cats that you should have trapped! Another tactic is to setup the trap outside of a window or door, lead the string inside and then watch from inside the building in the dark.
Things other than food will cause a cat to enter the drop trap. One cat sat next to the trap for two hours until the frustrated caretaker went over and shooed her underneath the trap! Laser pointers, hanging feathers, toys and catnip have all been successfully used to get cats to enter drop traps.
SPRINGING THE TRAP: Always ensure that the string is running directly to your position without being snagged on anything. Also ensure that there is little slack in the string and that once the trap is set, you never leave the string or take your eyes away from the trapping area. Once you decide to spring the trap, make sure that you pull with as much force as you can. If I am standing, I will actually walk or run away from the trap while I pull to take up the slack even quicker. If I am inside of a vehicle, I make sure that the string is taut and that I am positioned so that I can generate enough power to spring the trap quickly. Cats are incredibly fast and strong and given even a split second of hesitation, they will find a way to slip out!
As soon as you have sprung the trap, be prepared to move in, cover the trap and transfer the cat out of the drop trap. A fearful cat will batter itself against the inside of the drop trap seeking a way to escape if left uncovered. Covering the animal will quickly calm it down and keep it from injuring itself. Transfer cats out of the drop trap as quickly as possible because a) resetting the drop trap will allow you to trap another and b) until the cat is in the transfer trap, it isn't truly "in the bag"!
TRANSFERRING CATS: My transfer door is secured shut by two bungee cords which are attached to the drop trap. I expose the transfer door by moving the drop trap cover out of the way. I butt a trap (with it's guillotine door open) up against the transfer door of the drop trap. I secure the trap using the two bungee cords and then cover the trap but leave the end uncovered so it looks like an escape route.
Open the drop traps guillotine door. If you are lucky the cat will automatically make it's way into the transfer trap. If you are not so lucky, you may be able to spook it by peeking into the drop trap from the opposite sides. In extreme cases I have used long skinny poles or spray bottles with water to gently prod cats into the transfer trap.
MIKE'S DROP TRAP RULES LEARNED THROUGH MISTAKES!
These are rules that I have come up with based on mistakes that I have made that have allowed cats to escape, or become injured unnecessarily. The injuries were scraped noses and faces which occurred when I was using a smaller, more lightweight design. Since the cats could easily lift the trap they would bang themselves up frantically! Just yesterday, I had to add #1 to the list as I had my first cat successfully wiggle out from underneath the drop trap!
1. Ensure that the drop trap sits flat enough to prevent cats from wiggling underneath.
2. Never leave the string once the trap is set.
3. Ensure that the string is running cleanly to your position without much slack.
4. Watch the trap and be prepared to pull the string at any time!
5. Double check that the cat is actually in the trap (wait till its eating!)
6. Pull with all of the speed and violence you can muster!
7. Transfer cats out of drop trap as quickly as possible.
8. Don't open the transfer door too far if it allows the cat a place to exit the drop trap other than into the transfer trap.
3. Ensure that the string is running cleanly to your position without much slack.
4. Watch the trap and be prepared to pull the string at any time!
5. Double check that the cat is actually in the trap (wait till its eating!)
6. Pull with all of the speed and violence you can muster!
7. Transfer cats out of drop trap as quickly as possible.
8. Don't open the transfer door too far if it allows the cat a place to exit the drop trap other than into the transfer trap.
9. Make sure your materials and design are secure and minimize the chances of injury to the cats.
10. Inspect and repair the trap frequently to prevent cats from being able to exploit a flaw or weakness.
Michael White
President
Have Drop Trap, will travel...
Contact Me
02 January 2010
I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday Season and and a great New Year! Santa brought the Community Cat Coalition of Clark County (C5) a great present for Christmas this year, official incorporation in the state of Nevada as a non-profit. Our favorite lawyer has mailed off our 501 c3, so it was submitted before the new year! Bad weather and difficult winter trapping conditions led to a low turnout at the December HCWS feral clinic. 200 were signed into the clinic with 66 sponsored by C5. SNAPS, a group which regularly brings in 40-50 cats, only brought in 9! The light turnout provided the perfect opportunity to try out our new check-in process which made things run quite smoothly. The new process will be used for the January 24 clinic so be prepared. Helping with the check-in this month was an eye-opening experience for me. People please, handle the cats in traps with care! Our next TNR class will be on Jan 9th at the HCWS clinic from 12 - 2 PM with classes following every two weeks. Email tnrclass@gmail.com to register. Attached is a flyer for the class. Help us spread the word by printing and posting these at places where one might find cat fans. Debbie has been busy finding folks to fill key positions. We are still looking to fill the Marketing Coordinator and Website Developer positions. We are always looking for trappers, stagers, transporters and more TNR Coordinators to host trap banks, and coordinate with trappers/caretakers in answering trouble calls and managing their colonies. Contact Debbie at alyse24@aol.com if you are interested in filling any of the above positions! Finally, our January general meeting has been scheduled for the Tuesday, the 19th from 6:30 - 8:00 PM at a new location: 101 Convention Center Dr. Mike White
President, C5
President, C5
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