Big Gray was too smart to be caught in the trap. He’d steal the bait by carefully lifting it off the trigger pad with his paws.  I had to think of something else, because he’s too skittish to hang around and make friends with. I borrowed a wooden shingle from Mr. L, placed food on the end and in the middle.  I placed the shingle in the trap with the end over much of the trigger plate.  It didn’t take more than an hour for me to hear the trap trip and discover Big Gray inside. I quickly placed a sheet over the trap (this calms them so they don’t hurt themselves).  I talked to him several times and slipped a bowl of water into the trap (Dr. Val doesn’t do her surgeries until the afternoon, so taking the bowl away in the morning will be fine).

So nobody worry the kitty was without water in the Texas heat, even at night.  I hope we get good news on his health.  If healthy, he will be an outside kitty and may never snuggle with us, but we’re going to try to befriend him so we’ll be able to keep him current on shots.