10 Tips for Trapping Cats

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is one of the most humane and effective ways to improve the lives of neighborhood cats and reduce the number of kittens born outdoors. Whether you’re a first-time trapper or a seasoned cat advocate, these ten tips for trapping cats can help set you, and the cats, up for success.

Tips to Trap Cats:

1. Use Extra Smelly Bait

When it comes to trapping, stink wins! Neighborhood cats are attracted to strong smells.

Skip the dry food and reach for:

• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Tuna
• Rotisserie chicken
• Fried chicken
• Warmed wet food

A little bait juice drizzled into the trap can help entice even the most cautious cats.

2. Make Them Hungry (Safely)

A hungry cat is much more likely to enter a trap. Before you trap a cat, begin reducing the amount of food you provide.

Reduce the amount of food you are feeding the cat by:

• Feed about half the normal amount 72 hours before trapping.
• Reduce food again by half 48 hours before trapping.
• Remove food completely 12–24 hours before trapping.

Remember that water should always remain available for the cats.

3. Cover the Trap

Cats feel safer when they don’t feel exposed. Placing a sheet or towel over the trap helps it blend into the environment and can encourage hesitant cats to enter. Once a cat is trapped, covering the trap immediately can dramatically reduce stress and help keep everyone safe.

Hot Weather Tip:
Never leave a covered trap unattended in the heat. A towel or sheet can turn a trap into a hot box, putting cats at risk of heat exhaustion much faster.

4. Follow the Breadcrumb Trail

Sometimes trapping requires a little creativity. Sprinkle tiny pieces of bait leading into the trap and place the bulk of the food behind the trip plate. This encourages the cat to walk all the way inside and helps ensure a safe, successful trap.

5. Trap Where Cats Already Eat

Cats are creatures of habit. The best place to trap is where they already feel safe and where they regularly receive food. Familiar locations help increase your chances of success.

6. Keep the Trap Low-Key

Not every cat will enter something sitting out in the open.

Try placing traps:

• Along walls
• Near bushes
• Under shrubs
• Beside buildings

The more “incognito” the trap feels, the more likely a cautious cat is to
investigate.

7. Use Flat Ground

Cats like stable footing. Setting traps on uneven surfaces can make them wobble, causing cats to avoid them. Uneven ground can also lead to accidental triggering from wind or slight movement. Whenever possible, choose a level surface.

8. Some cats walk into a trap immediately. Others need time.

If you’re hovering nearby, cats may feel your presence and become suspicious. Sometimes the best thing you can do is step away and let curiosity take over.

Remember that trapping success often comes down to
patience, not luck. 

9. Avoid Trapping Wildlife

To minimize unwanted visitors:

• Trap during the cats’ normal feeding times.
• Avoid leaving traps unattended overnight.
• Monitor traps frequently.

If you accidentally catch wildlife, stand behind the trap and carefully open
the door to allow the animal to leave on its own.

10. Once Trapped, Cover and Move to a Quiet Area

A trapped cat may hiss, growl, or thrash around, and that’s okay! Immediately cover the trap with a sheet or towel and move the cat to a quiet, temperature-controlled area until surgery. Most cats calm down significantly once they feel hidden.

Bonus Tip: Label Your Traps

Place a piece of masking tape under the handle with both your name and the address where the cat was trapped. This will help ensure that every cat is returned to the correct location after the surgery.

Every Cat Counts

TNR isn’t always easy, and trapping can sometimes require multiple attempts. But every cat trapped, vaccinated, altered, and returned means healthier neighborhood cats, fewer kittens born outdoors, and a brighter future for cats and people alike. Need help getting started? Nevada Humane Society currently offers fee-waived trap rentals and fee-waived TNR surgeries for Washoe County and Carson City neighborhood cats. We’re here to help every step of the way.

Happy trapping, and thank you for making a difference for neighborhood cats!