Any trapper will tell you that cats are very intuitive, so at times, trapping can be quite challenging. That is the case for a colony of cats in Olney, MD, where our volunteers have already TNR’d two female cats and continue to work to trap others, despite the difficulties that these cats have presented.
Our trappers set up a trail camera to learn the number and movements of the cats. The referral for two cats turned out to be a colony of six cats. Moreover, the cats used the storm sewers to travel underground, and were able to access three different subdivisions. Neighbors were a big help in allowing a camera and a drop trap to be set up on their property. Yummy food (sardines, tuna, salmon, and canned chicken) was set out on several consecutive nights so that the cats would be unable to resist showing up.
Neighbors had identified a “big black cat” that our volunteers had never spotted, but he was imaged by the trail camera, which verified that he was neither ear-tipped nor neutered.
A one-year-old female cat named “Licorice” was also detected by the camera. It was nice to see her because our team had TNRed her just last month. The image clearly showed her ear tip as well as the distinguishing white spot on the chest.
A female black-and-white “tuxedo” cat had only been sighted once by our volunteers, approximately two months ago. The camera showed that she was frequently present, despite being seldom seen by humans. She visited in the late evenings and throughout the night. She is spayed, vaccinated, and ear tipped now!
