How do I safely catch a stray cat to take it to an animal shelter?

Question

I have a strain cat that comes to my house and miss my trash every now and then I want to give a sedative to catch and take it to pet shelter. How annd what medication should i give it? And exact dose without hurting it.

Penelope Graben, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello! The safest way to take the cat to the pet shelter would be to trap it, if at all possible. Feral cat traps are the safest option because they automatically close after the cat enters. A pet carrier or box with some food that you can securely close after the cat enters will also work. Most people use canned cat food or tuna to lure the cat into the trap. A common oral sedative for cats is a drug called Gabapentin that can be mixed with food, but this is a prescribed substance and not one I believe you can purchase over the counter. I also caution that if the cat is very wild, it will still be able to bite and scratch you while sedated, so you will still need to contain the cat in some type of carrier. Cats can carry the Rabies virus, so I want you to to stay safe! The animal shelter may offer some types of traps or sedation drugs to assist you in bringing the cat in. Try calling them and seeing if they can offer you any supplies to help! I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

How do I safely catch a stray cat to take it to an animal shelter?

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