JUST MY LUCK

I'M ATTEMPTING TO HUMANELY TRAP A LITTLE CAT IN NEED I PUT THIS BRAND OF CANNED FOOD IN THE TRAP....
....AND CAUGHT A BIG GUY WHO WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT

As much as I probably should ignore the situation, I simply can't. There is a little cat coming daily to eat on my front porch. I'm feeding her/him because I will not allow a cat to starve if I have the means to help it. For the last two months we've had daily visits from the kitty and I've tried to discover whether it's male or female. Yes, I know how to tell the difference, but he/she won't grant me a peek at his/her nether region.

The cat appears to be young and healthy but one never knows for sure. I talked to my vet about the cat because I've noticed he/she has put on a little weight and that's often a red flag when you see a feral cat. The assumption is almost always that SHE is pregnant. But, it could simply be that HE is only gaining weight because he's being fed well twice a day. I've tried to get close to this kitty but it runs into the bushes when I step onto the porch. So....although my cat inn is completely full and overflowing, I decided I had to try to humanely trap this little one and get it to the vet for spaying/neutering before it IS pregnant. The idea of more feral kittens running loose in this neighborhood is not good. They are hit by cars and nabbed by preditors. I can't have that happen again up here so I have to DO something.

For three days I've been setting a humane trap. I check it very often so if the cat should be inside it, the stay will be short. The little stinker has twice avoided being trapped. Both times, he/she sneaked into the trap, retrieved the can of cat food I'd planted there, and exited without being caught. Is that smart or what? I thought his/her luck had run out today when I checked and saw a black tail curled up inside the trap. When I took a closer look, I realized the WRONG cat was in the trap! Just my luck. I suppose the large long-haired male needed to be neutered too, but I'm not sure he's not already neutered. He looks healthy and may belong to someone who lives up here, so I had little choice but to release him. He snarled and growled, stuck his paws throught the wires and actually rolled it over on the porch. To say he was upset would be understating it. I talked to him softly as I opened the end of the cage but he was so angry, he just sat there for a few minutes and fumed. I had to reach in and touch him before he realized the door was open and he was free to go. He left in such a hurry that he didn't even notice I'd dropped a bit of food into the cage for him. I was hoping to smooth his ruffled fur but he was having none of it. Maybe he won't stop by to visit any more. I can only hope. I'll try again for my little Houdini cat and pray it's not pregnant. My vet put me on standby so when I do catch the little rascal, he/she has an automatic appointment to be checked. Wish me better luck!