Timmo gets TNR’ed

I usually get to observe the cats for a while before I TNR them. Usually it takes me a month or more to catch a cat. But this guy came out of the blue and walked straight into a trap intended for somebody else.

In early March I was trying to catch one of my TNR cats to get her to the vet. She was limping, so I wanted to take her to a checkup. So I put up the trap where she usually eats, hoping to get her. I put up a sensor that is connected to an alarm, so that I would know if there was any activity out there. Nothing happened during the night, so I went to bed. Trap and alarm still active.

Trapped

In the middle of the night I wake up because of the alarm. There is no doubt that something has gone into the trap, cause it keeps detecting activity. I put on my clothes and venture out into the night with my trusted head torch.

Sure enough there is a cat sitting in there, but not the one I was going for. I was trying to catch a small black and white cat and this is a huge tabby. I have a lot of tabby's in the area whom I already TNR'ed, so at first I assume it's one of my own. But upon further inspection I don't recognize the cat and I can see that it has no ear tattoos (Denmarks version of ear snips). I'm baffled that I've caught a cat I've never laid eyes on before.

It could be a stray, but he is almost too upset to be tame. He is by far the most angry cat I've trapped, so my suspicion is that he is feral. I decide to let him calm down overnight in the old barn, where unlike outside, it's nice and dry

Neutered

The next morning I take him to the vet. They too quickly conclude that he is not used to be around humans. He is sedated and examinated furter. Of course he has no chip, but he seems to be in very good shape. He is around 3 years old, so it's about time he got neutered! He also gets his ears tattoed and he gets vaccinated

Returned

I name him Timmo, because he reminds me of my big boy Tommy. I pick him up later that day and while he is no longer as feisty as before, he is fully awake. I decide not to cause him any further stress and release him. He hesistates a little when I open the gate to freedom, but then he darts out and is gone like the wind.

Thin air

Timmo has not been around since I returned him back into the wild. He came from out of thin air and it seems he has dissapeared back into it. Since he was in such good shape, he probably has somewhere else where he gets his food supply. But now he won't be making any kittens and has no reason to fight. So hopefully his life is even better now, where ever he has chosen to live. There's room here for him if he ever dares to come back.

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