Topic: Trappers Tales (Read 5443 times)

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #22 on:** February 15, 2010, 14:20:20 PM »

I do actually have a Peacock story myself but never tried to rescue one as such.

I used to drive a little country bus past a small caravan holiday camp in Monkton, Thanet. They had a mini zoo and the Peacocks kept escaping their enclosure.

Often in the summer I would drive the bus round the corner and find mummy Peacock and her babies laying in the road sun bathing. I would have to get out the cab and shoo them out the way.

I was always worried they would get squished.

If it happens again I'll know to carry some jam butties with me.

Liz · « **Reply #21 on:** February 15, 2010, 13:56:35 PM »

Peacock rescue here to - OH did try to encourage them to go but I was feeding them - we now have 2 peacocks all summer - heaven knows where they winter but they do give our lot a pile of exercise and stalking practice!

Angiew · « **Reply #20 on:** February 15, 2010, 13:27:19 PM »

what is it about peacocks? we did a peacock rescue as well

Liz · « **Reply #19 on:** February 15, 2010, 08:43:59 AM »

My first ever trapping session as usual in the pouring rain - me all dressed up in my construction day glo gear off I go to this house in the middle of nowhere, lady in houses advises Black Mum and 3 black kittens - this should be ok thinks me and sets trap - just getting comfy in car with book when off trap goes - Mum is in the trap in under 10 mins - so this is going to be easy - took me a further week to catch the 3 kittens!

The Mum Diva is still with us a bit of a Daddies girl - the kittens - the boys Watson and Sherlock tamed dowm easily and are now living in New Zealand with folks who still send us th odd email and her royal pain Moriarty is living with anotherfosterer forever as she is a spiteful little madam now called jadzia she ehlps tame down worse ferals than her - her Mum adores her

dabs · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2010, 18:45:51 PM »

My boss asked me one Monday morning if I was ok with birds and could I rescue one from her back garden. "Of course" says I, thinking of a poorly pigeon or soemthing similar. It was ony when she said that she had called the RSPCA and they had told her to lure the bird with crisps and crackers that the penny dropped and I asked "What kind of bird are we on about". Turns out it was a peacock and she is petrified of anything with feathers.

I explained that my knowledge was rather lacking in the peacock department and that ideally if she did not feed it it would evnetally wander off. Her reasoning was that she felt i was the best person to help as I am such a whizz with cats! did not have the heart to explain the difference between the two species!

Millys Mum · « **Reply #17 on:** February 11, 2010, 19:41:36 PM »

Great thread

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #16 on:** February 11, 2010, 09:36:29 AM »

You have no idea what I would have done to witness that!

Jam butties! I never would have guessed to try that...

Thanks, Teresa, I'm going to be laughing at that mental image all day.

Teresa Pawcats · « **Reply #15 on:** February 11, 2010, 09:09:29 AM »

Julie best bait for Peacocks is Jam Butties

I actually phoned Chester Zoo at time for a quick education on them; Percival as we called him had escaped to a newly landscaped garden and demolished it, there were 2 local manors who both kept peacocks at the time and both denied ownership suprise suprise. C.Zoo were brilliant and warned me to watch out for the nasty spurs on back legs and they told me to take jam butties,cat trap was too small so set up large collapsible pen in ladies garden and sat patiently with jam butties which I shared

and a piece of string trailing from door to my hand, unfortunately string didnt work so eventually I did a famous rugby dive and shut him in. We took Percival in my car at 10 mile hour (as boot wouldnt close because of huge cage) to a local wildlife centre who eventually found him a home down south .

Bazsmum · « **Reply #14 on:** February 11, 2010, 07:20:09 AM »

What a fab story! What a character.... RIP lovely lad.... Loved in the end!

Janeyk · « **Reply #13 on:** February 11, 2010, 07:10:48 AM »

Quote from: Mark on February 10, 2010, 21:59:24 PM

I dug out another photo of Teddie from an old thread - I was lucky enough to meet him a couple of times. He was a stately old boy and held court from Caroline's kitchen table

Teddie looks a lovely old fella

Janeyk · « **Reply #12 on:** February 11, 2010, 07:08:55 AM »

Quote from: Tan on February 10, 2010, 20:59:36 PM

Gonna wake up about 5am and set it then go back to bed after locking my lads in. I have the vets set up for tomorrow and Friday.

I get up early and that's what I did good plan

and good luck!

Mark · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2010, 23:29:03 PM »

+ 4ft from the Aga

No more than he deserved during his last days. I remember hi hanging over Caroline's shoulder. He wasn't fazed by anything. The others cats, the dogs and all the people were no big deal to him

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2010, 22:19:29 PM »

Great pic, Mark, thanks.

That's right... Teddy never did move far from Caroline's kitchen table - she claimed he had worked out if he stayed there he was never more than 6 feet from 95% of the food in the house.

Mark · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2010, 21:59:24 PM »

I dug out another photo of Teddie from an old thread - I was lucky enough to meet him a couple of times. He was a stately old boy and held court from Caroline's kitchen table

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2010, 21:50:39 PM »

Quote

I once had to trap a peacock but thats another tale.

How can you leave a statement like that dangling and not give details, T?!?

Enquiring minds want to know what bait you used.

Mind you, didn't DiddyDawn once tell us about accidentally trapping piglets on a pig farm?

Tan, wish I was nearer then I do it for you.

But think of all the nasty, horrid things that can happen to him without an owner to take care of him. He deserves a chance to make a go of it. The 'shock' of being trapped really is only brief, but at least we've told you to expect it.

As soon as you get the blankie over him he'll give up and settle down for a snooze. Some of them actually get so comfy in the trap after surgery they don't want to come out when it's time to release them. The nurses always lay a padded liner in the trap, plus food and water when they place them back in before come round from sleepy byes and it's like a caravan holiday for a feral - all home comforts they could wish for, moving scenery to keep them amused. I've had to shake them out before now!

Tan · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2010, 20:59:36 PM »

Gonna wake up about 5am and set it then go back to bed after locking my lads in. I have the vets set up for tomorrow and Friday.

Tan · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2010, 20:58:42 PM »

chickens T

I hope there's not one of those in the trap tomorrow.

Janeyk · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2010, 20:50:25 PM »

Great tales

Are you setting it tonight Tan? I did mine on the same morning so they weren't in the trap too long

Tan · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2010, 20:29:21 PM »

brill Love Teddies tale

I wish Asbo was like that would be so nice to just pick him up and place nicely in basket to very nice vet man

As the time comes closer i get more nervious

Bloomin wimp aint't I !!

nicter · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2010, 18:48:18 PM »

Awwww Love Teddys story.

What a character

Teresa Pawcats · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2010, 18:37:43 PM »

Love Teddys tale Julie, reminds me of a large farm trapping I did many years ago, trap baited and set then went and sat in car listening for the bang, kept checking trap to find all food gone, almost came to blows with my colleague who swore I hadnt set the trap properly until we found the culprit

Did you know chickens love sardines in tomatoe sauce at least this one did

and of course chickens lean forward and peck so her feet never went on the trigger plate, anyway chicken was placed in crush cage until cat caught

I once had to trap a peacock but thats another tale.

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2010, 18:24:06 PM »

As Tan begins her bid to trap Asbo to get him in for the snip, I thought I would start a thread that perhaps other trappers could share light hearted and happy trapping tales as a bit of inspiration and encourgement to people thinking of having a go.

I have so many tales but here's one of my favourites.

Meet Teddy.

Teddy was an old boy living in the middle of a group of ferals I was trapping. I thought he looked about 15/16 but estimates went up all the time. Teddy loved his grub... I mean really LURVED it!

He wasn't supposed to come with me as he was clearly neutered already but nonetheless I caught him 5 times in one afternoon.

Each time I released him, he looked up at me with his big eyes, lips smothered in sardine sauce and pleaded for cuddles.

I hugged him as much as I could but everytime I put him down, back in the trap he would go. I tried shutting him in my car once but he found my packed lunch and helped himself.

As time went on, I made more and more visits to site and every time it felt more like a 'Teddy' trapping day rather than a feral trapping. I stopped counting at 20 times.

A few months into the campaign, Teddy's health deteriorated and I set about finding his owner. I went knocking on doors but although he was a familiar visitor, no one actually confessed to owning him.

On my last visit, Teddy was now obviously suffering so I decided to take him to the vets. I opened my door and calling out "come on, then!" and Teddy jumped in, sat in the passenger seat and it looked for a moment like he was going to buckle up his seat belt.

The vet confirmed Teddy was a sick puss and was not in any fit state to go back to live amid the ferals. His teeth were so bad they were in danger of killing him within days so all of them were removed... he recovered fairly well from that, although still had liver failure, and went to live out his final days with our Welfare Officer where he spent a very happy and very comfortable 9 months before going to the bridge.

In the end, the vet said he felt Teddy could have been over 20 years old.

Caroline, our Welfare lady says her lasting memory of Teddy will the day she found him inside her shut fridge, sitting on the shelf and gumming the life out of a cooked beef joint. He was so engrossed he never noticed Caroline open the door.

Author Topic: Trappers Tales (Read 5443 times)