Cat Trappers?!

[rachiechu888]

So my cat, Mittens, went missing yesterday. My family and I were SO worried about her, and didn't know what to do! So just recently this morning, my family, except for me, went for a walk to try to find her. When my mom got home (I had the cat in my room at this point because she came home. YAY!), I told her Mittens was back, and I asked her what happened. She said that Mittens was caught in a cat trap! I mean how absurd? A cat trap! So anyway, my mom rang the door bell to the person's house, but no one was there. Then she opened the gate to their backyard (Yes, yes she did), and saw Mittens in the cat trap, who was meowing loudly. My mom took Mittens out of the trap, and left the door closed, so no more would be caught. It doesn't sound so bad does it? But how about under these circumstances?:
Where I live, it was in the 20's last night, the poor cat was stuck in there for TWO DAYS, and she didn't have ANY food or water, except maybe for the condensation of the bars. There were also dogs. I'm not sure how many, but when my poor little cat came home, she reeked of a disgusting stench, and dogs. And on top of that... It's actually legal to do that! My mom even called Animal Control to make sure. She also found out that they give out FREE cages/traps, but I'm assuming they were intended for rats/mice/raccoons/other pests, not cats, as they said the traps were given out for unwanted animals.
And here is something VERY retarded... The people who trapped my cat have their own cat who is an outdoor cat, like mine, and runs around the neighborhood. I don't know what to do about it! Any suggestions? I'm afraid it'll happen to my other cat.

[evergreen]

How do you know the trap was intended to catch cats and not something else? We set one in our barn to catch a raccoon once and wound up with the neighbors cat in the morning. also how do you know for sure she was in there for so long? Just wondering. If you had proof that they knowingly kept her in there for two days with no food or water than it is for sure against the law. It's illegal to deprive an animal like that. I would call animal control once more and maybe explain it all to them.

[Bad Habit]

I have no problem with cat trapping. It is done in spay/neuter-release programs to help keep down the feral cat population. Stop acting so indignant that your cat went into a trap intended for w/e animal, and stop letting her outside. I suppose it would have been better had they taken your cat to the shelter, and you had to pay the 50$ release fee, wouldn't it?

[rachiechu888]

@Bad Habit - Actually cat/animal trappers trap animals (this MIGHT be a reason) and give them to shelters, but the shelter gives them money for it, and when you come to pick up your cat, like you said, you have to pay a release fee. Also, I know it wasn't for another animal because my mom said it had cat food in/around it. Also, please don't call me indignant, because I am not. One more thing, I can understand the tag/neuter/release program; that's what happened to my cat when he was a stray (they do it to ONLY strays, and also, my cat is already spayed).

@Evergreen - Like I said before, the trap had cat food in/around it. I'm not actually sure she was in there for two days, but I know she was in last night because one, we found her in the morning, and two, the cats always come back home in the evening, but Mittens didn't. Anyway, the point is, they can't just trap our cats. My cat even has a collar to prove that she's not a stray, so they could at least put up lost cat signs, or release her, so she could come home.

[evergreen]

Raccoons will eat cat food too, that's what we use to catch them too. It works well. If your cat is on their property you can't stop them from trapping it. I don't like strange cats on my property ether( I do love cats but I strongly believe that you should keep them at home) I feed the birds and I don't like when some random cat shows up and turns my yard into a buffet

[Bad Habit]

Uhm, racoons are attracted to cat food, so are skunks, weasels and other small carnivores. Maybe they were trying to catch their cat, to take it to the vet or something? Maybe something had been fighting with their cat and they wanted to trap it. Regardless, your cat was roaming at large and went into an animal trap on someone's private property. Then your mom trespassed to get the cat back. And how do you know your cat wasn't caught after the home owners went to work, and they hadn't been home to check the trap yet? Hopefully they weren't trying to catch their cat for w/e reason, maybe it is severely injured and needs the vet, or needs medication, because your mother has now made it quite clear that someone trespassed and made it impossible for the trap to work. If I were your neighbours and were trying to catch a nuisance animal, I'd start putting out crush traps after that little trick your mom pulled.

Since you obviously don't know what indignant means, here's a definition.

in·dig·nant
   [in-dig-nuhnt] Show IPA
adjective
feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base:

Thus. You are indignant, and you shouldn't be. Your neighbour was in the right and, in my area anyway, you/your family broke at least 2 laws.

[rachiechu888]

Uhm, racoons are attracted to cat food, so are skunks, weasels and other small carnivores. Maybe they were trying to catch their cat, to take it to the vet or something? Maybe something had been fighting with their cat and they wanted to trap it. Regardless, your cat was roaming at large and went into an animal trap on someone's private property. Then your mom trespassed to get the cat back. And how do you know your cat wasn't caught after the home owners went to work, and they hadn't been home to check the trap yet? Hopefully they weren't trying to catch their cat for w/e reason, maybe it is severely injured and needs the vet, or needs medication, because your mother has now made it quite clear that someone trespassed and made it impossible for the trap to work. If I were your neighbours and were trying to catch a nuisance animal, I'd start putting out crush traps after that little trick your mom pulled.

Since you obviously don't know what indignant means, here's a definition.

in·dig·nant
   [in-dig-nuhnt] Show IPA
adjective
feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base:

Thus. You are indignant, and you shouldn't be. Your neighbour was in the right and, in my area anyway, you/your family broke at least 2 laws.

Okay, I know what indignant means, and I'm not that. I am angry that someone captured my cat, not offensive or insulting. Though who wouldn't be displeased if they found a cat in the cat trap? You may be right about something else fighting their cat, because there is this black and white cat who fights our cat, but I think she is a stray. You are right; it was wrong that my mom trespassed, but what else could she do? You maybe are right about her not being caught for very long, but my mom also saw the people's cat, and she never said it was hurt. Also, my mom didn't want our other cat to get caught. Yes, I'll talk to my mom about the trespassing, though I'm assuming that was her first thought, and she went with it. Sometimes, our instincts get the best of us. What is a crush trap? Are those the traps hunters use for bears, foxes, wolves ( ) and such? If so, I wouldn't suggest using those, because they might hurt another cat. Which law would my family have broken except for the trespassing one? I also had nothing to do with this, my mom did most of it; I'm just concerned about my and other people's cats.

Raccoons will eat cat food too, that's what we use to catch them too. It works well. If your cat is on their property you can't stop them from trapping it. I don't like strange cats on my property ether( I do love cats but I strongly believe that you should keep them at home) I feed the birds and I don't like when some random cat shows up and turns my yard into a buffet

I know what you mean about stranger cats. It bothers me, too, so I can understand that point of view.

There is one more thing I forgot to mention. When my mom's boyfriend goes outside, sometimes a person will come by and say something like, "Have you seen such-and-such cat?" I think they may be trapping cats for money, but you never know...

[evergreen]

If cats are going missing in the area it's more likely that you have an owl, a fisher or even a large fox hanging around. That might even be what the people were trying to catch in the trap.

[rachiechu888]

There aren't foxes where I live, and there aren't enough trees to be owls.

[evergreen]

There aren't foxes where I live, and there aren't enough trees to be owls.

Could still be a fisher