We recently helped a client trap an indoor cat that had escaped the house and was running free for two weeks. They were unable to grab her by hand as she had crawled into a culvert that ran under a driveway.
We brought two traps over and disguised them with a big, brown, paper lawn bag. We think that did the trick, because, within a few hours, the cat went in and got trapped!
We also used this method to catch a loose cat at the shelter that escaped when the client was bringing her in for TNR. She was wary of the trap, but, within an hour of putting the paper bag on the trap, she fell for it!
If you’ve got an especially wary cat you’re trying to trap– or are on a time crunch– disguise your trap with a brown paper lawn bag. They’ve got ‘em for cheap at Home Depot and Lowe’s!