Best Cat Trap

If you’ve come across some stray cats or a community cat colony, then you might need a good cat trap. Our team of TNR and cat rescue experts have used all types of traps in a variety of real-life settings. In this review, we’ll outline what you need in a humane trap and what the best cat traps might be for your situation. 

TNR, or trap, neuter, return, is the process of caring for feral and stray cats by ensuring they are fixed, vaccinated, and evaluated for friendliness. The process of catching feral cats involves using a humane cat trap. TNR programs are usually run by local volunteers and animal advocates and may be able to let you borrow a cat trap and show you how to set it. Contact your local cat rescue for details.

We reviewed the most popular traps for catching cats and TNR. Here’s a list of the top cat traps: Tru Catch, Tomahawk, Havahart, drop traps, and DIY traps.

Three Types Of Humane Cat Traps

Depending on the situation and your availability of traps, there are three different types of humane traps you can use to catch cats. Spring-loaded traps, gravity traps, or drop traps. In addition, many traps also come in small animal or kitten sizes.

Spring Loaded Traps

Spring-loaded traps are the original type of trap. A wire is stretched across the opening, and when the cat steps on the trigger, the door slams shut.

The downside to these traps is that the spring-loaded door slams fast and loud and can scare the cat and other cats. There is also a risk of injuring smaller cats or kittens as the door slams shut.

Spring-loaded cat traps are a bit easier to set than gravity traps and off a bit more all-around versatility.

Drop Traps

Drop traps work really well for catching many cats at once or sick, injured, or shy cats. Whereas a box trap must be manually triggered as the cat enters, drop traps are manually operated, and you determine when to spring the trap. Drop traps allow trappers to capture multiple cats at once, making them a highly efficient tool for colony trapping.

One downside of the drop trap is that they often require more space to operate, and you must have flat ground otherwise, the cat can escape underneath. You’ll also need to separate the cats with a transfer cage so you can transport them.

Tomahawk Live Traps

Our favorite Tomahawk cat trap is the Tomahawk GT606. It’s a quiet and reliable gravity trap that fits any size cat. Tomahawk traps are also simple to set and have two locking doors for easy access to your cat. The best cat trap is one of the Neighborhood Cats line of Tomahawk traps.

Many experienced trappers will say the Tomahawk trap is the best cat trap, especially for those new to trapping. It’s easy to set and has a large front door opening, making it ideal for catching larger cats. It also has a rear-release door, so you can let the cat out once it’s been spayed or neutered.

Tomahawk works closely with advocates at Neighborhood Cats and is constantly working to perfect the trap. This is also known as the Neighborhood Cats gravity trap and is one of the best humane cat traps.

Tru Catch Cat Traps

The Tru Catch Feral Cat Trap is a favorite among trappers for its durability and ease of use. The trigger plate (or trip plate) is sensitive enough to catch even the smallest kitten yet large enough to hold an adult cat. It also has a built-in safety feature to prevent animals from being caught by the trap door.

Tru Catch traps are gravity lock traps and are relatively quiet. Tru Catch traps also have a sliding rear door.

The Tru Catch Fat Cat 30FCD is one of the largest feral cat traps on the market. The large size and powder coating make it a very versatile and durable trap. The Tru Catch Fat Cat trap is also large enough for a small litter box which makes it convenient for post-op recovery for a trapped cat.

Our favorite Tru Catch cat trap is the 30LTD, which is the most versatile and covers all the bases.

However, some trappers say the large size is too bulky for frequent trapping as it takes up a lot of space and might be harder to place.

Havahart Live Traps

The Havahart (pronounced Have-A-Heart) is a standard animal trap with a spring-loaded door. We recommend the Large 2-Door trap for TNR or cat rescue purposes.

The Havahart traps on Amazon are the cheapest of the three top brands. If you only plan to catch a few cats, this would be your least expensive but effective option.

Drop Traps

Drop traps are often preferred if you are trapping in a wide open space. A drop trap can also be better for catching a cautious feral cat or a hard-to-catch cat than a cage trap. Drop traps generally work great as long as you have the space and level ground.

The Neighborhood Cats Drop Trap is a crowd favorite. A Tomahawk Neighborhood Cats trap is one of the best feral cat traps because they are constantly being field tested and improved.

Drop traps can usually catch more cats at once, which makes them great for mass trapping the entire colony of community cats. Once you catch the cats, you’ll need a transfer cage or carrier to move them.

DIY Cat Traps

The DIY drop trap or box trap is the most common cat trap to make yourself. DIY traps are not the best traps, but they can work in a pinch. It simply involves creating a box or cage that you can trip to have it safely fall over the cats once they start eating the food or bait.

With all animal DIY projects, it’s important to make sure there is nothing that can cause an animal damage, such as loose rope or sharp edges. Scared cats can wind themselves into loose materials.

Trap Dividers

There are a variety of different types of trap dividers on the market, but the two brands that are most recommended are Tomahawk and Tru Catch. Other brand trap dividers and isolators are not strong enough to hold the cat in the trap, which can result in them escaping. The dividers work by separating the trap into two sections, making it easier to clean without having to worry about the cat getting out.

Trap Mats

When trapping feral cats with TNR, it is important to use trap mats to protect the flooring of your vehicle and home. Trap mats help to prevent damage to your property and make the area easier to clean.

You can DIY trap mats from cardboard or Coin Grip PVC flooring. Keep in mind that if you find a feral cat den, some unaltered cats will spray and make a mess. Using good quality mats will help prevent cats from leaving a difficult mess to clean.

Best Cat Traps

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Tomahawk Cat Trap and Divider

Tru Catch Cat Trap and Divider