:(

hobbes28 · Jul 17, 2005

Pour some vinegar on the trap. It's probably made from galvanized steel so it won't rust out but if you pour vinegar on it, it neutralizes the chemicals they use for galvanization, thus making the steel very open to rusting. Plus the vinegar will also accellerate the rusting of the cage afterwards. :twisted: (and it's safe for kitties in case he catches one while it's rusting out)

fadingaway1986 · Jul 17, 2005

I like that idea, hobbes. Mum went and talked to some other neighbours today. And they suggested that just maybe it would be a shame if the trap went missing in the middle of the night (from what I have read, it seems these people had to pay a bond to have the cage, and it gets refunded when the cage is returned. hehehe)

I went and looked this morning. i can't see it - but that doesn't mean it hasn't been moved.

Artemis · Jul 18, 2005

Get em....anyway you can, ill be round with glue, shotgun, and ill bow a few hundred cats from the cat lady...plus a tin of tuna...

photogoddess · Jul 18, 2005

Check out your local (larger) pet stores and see if they have one of those machines that will make you a tag on the spot for a few bucks. The Petco, Petsmart and Wal-mart stores here all have them. Also, make sure you get a kitty collar that will break away if your kitty gets seriously stuck on something.

LizM - check with your local vets offices to see if they have a low/no cost feral cat spay/neuter program in your area. We have one out here that I've used when I've been lucky enough to trap feral cats in my neighborhood.

LizM · Jul 18, 2005

photogoddess said:
LizM - check with your local vets offices to see if they have a low/no cost feral cat spay/neuter program in your area. We have one out here that I've used when I've been lucky enough to trap feral cats in my neighborhood.

Thanks, I have checked. The spay/neuter itself isn't the costly part. Its the shots and the boarding (don't have anywhere I can keep them inside a couple of days after the surgery). One of the ladies at work has graciously offered to split the cost with me so hopefully we'll be able to get Momma cat to the vet soon. They will have to use the tank (happy gas cage) to put her under I'm sure - she is a real spitfire!

fadingaway1986 · Jul 18, 2005

Unfortunately today while driving to the shops. I drove slowly past their house so my mum could look, the cage is back.

So whilst out, I paid $15 to have a cute tag made for my cat, it reads "Splodge" with my phone number underneath.

it is now on splodge's flea collar. I have no doubt he will probably lose it within a couple of days as it rattles, and he hates things that rattle.

In the past he has always managed to get his bells off, or lose them. We once put 3 bells on him, because he worked out how to walk without them ringing. Unfortunately, he outsmarted us and sat under our trees, which were kinda more like shrubs (I think they were grevillia's or something. Had lots of flowers, birds loved them) and he would wait until the birds landed on the trees and then pounce on them... We are certain he is part burmese.

Oh well. lets hope the tag keeps him out of trouble!

fadingaway1986 · Jul 19, 2005

Just thought I should let ya's know.

My mum and I have typed up a pamphlet to put in letter boxes. We have printed them out and will deliver them tomorrow. It's just a note to the residents saying what he is doing so they know to check the pound if their pets go missing.

revenge is sweet

fadingaway1986 · Jul 21, 2005

I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE!

Yesterday, my mum and I put out our pamphlets.

Tonight mum rang me at work saying we saved a life!

Someone in our street had lost their cat, and they got our pamphlet, so they rang the pound, and sure enough - they had it!

We are so happy that we at least saved one life

LizM · Jul 21, 2005

So glad they got their cat back. I think the pamphlet was probably the best thing you could do. A neighborhood full of people mad over the cage is much stronger than just one family. Also, if the pound charges anything to get pets back make sure that they send a copy of the bill to the guy with the cage. He'll never pay but it'll make a good point.

fadingaway1986 · Jul 21, 2005

Hehe.

Okay. the people who got their cat back went over and thanked my aunty for the pamphlet (which she didnt like the idea, cause she didnt want the guy to blame her) so she was like noooo, i didn't do it.

But while they were there, one of her other neighbours came to the fence to talk about it. Apparently when the last owners sold their house, they gave the cat to the neighbour (not sure why, may have been old & going to a nursing home or something). So he thinks maybe his cat has been going back to the old house.

So this guy must have set a trap to stop it. Well, obviously it hasn't caught the cat he aimed for. But everyone is furious at him now that they know.

Oh, also note the cat that was almost murdered belonged to a little kid, and the father was very worried about how to tell him, and now he doesn't have to!

woo.

fadingaway1986 · Jul 22, 2005

One more update.

The paper is coming to interview the people who had their cat trapped. Unfortunately I will be at work at the time.

They cat owner approached the guy trapping them when their cat went missing, and they got very defensive and said they had never seen the cat and were going to call the police.

Another of our neighbours has contacted the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals) and they are going to meet with him on monday.

We have also received a letter from the council in the mail today (which everyone in the street apparently got). It was hardly directed to us, more to the person with the trap.

BUT. Apparently the guy with the cat that got trapped said he had actually been in breach of some of the laws with trapping cats. So hopefully we will get something out of this. (He was so overly grateful to us for our pamphlet!)

captain-spanky · Jul 22, 2005

i was sure it's illegal to 'trap' domestic animals... it is in the UK and i suppose you're still part of us over there...

anyway i had an idea to keep cats away from the traps... if you get an empty plastic bottle (like a 2 litre bottle you get pepsi in - but the clear plastic, not green or brown) take the label off and half fill it with water. Then lay it down on it's side near the trap, the cats shouldn't go near it... for some reason the refraction of the light inside the bottle terrifies the cats and they really don't like it. We used to have to keep cats away from our pigeon loft and we tried all sorts of things but the bottle idea seemed to be the only 100% effective way of keeping the cats at a distance..

fadingaway1986 · Jul 22, 2005

Apparently it isn't illegal in Australia. The council sent us a letter today that said it was legal.

I am not sure the bottle idea would work. We have a coke bottle filled with water in my cat's bowl (it's one of those bowls that comes with a bottle and slowly releases water - but the old owners left it here (catching the air conditioner water) and it didn't have a bottle) but our cat happily drinks out of that.

Thanks for the suggestion though. I will let you know what happens with the paper.

captain-spanky · Jul 22, 2005

try laying the bottle on it's side.. our cat wasn't bothered at all when the bottles were upright but the second i turned it over we had giant scratches in the floor and a cat shaped hole in the door

i suppose it might not work for all cats but it certainly worked on all of them in out neighbourhood.