Well no sooner had I hit the send button than OH shouted me into the kitchen that Sooty is on the fence looking down at the trap, he thinks we can do this....
so we did it. Dashed out, re-set the trap, baited it with Hills prescription CD (only the smelliest oiliest biscuits I could lay hands on quickly) and dashed back in to watch from the window.
A minute later he's in the trap, unconcerned by it clanging closed behind him, as he filled his cute little face with biscuits.
I let him finish his biscuits and realise his position before chucking a blanket over the cage and transferring him to the bathroom.
He let me open the trap patiently then bolted out and did the usual circuit of the room defying gravity and sending stuff flying, but within a minute or two he was in his new cat carrier (complete with blanket) and locked safely in, allowing me to sort out a litter tray and fresh food.
He's a stinker - the auspicious Tom Cat smell is already pervading the rest of the house (not as bad as Tufty or the Chubster, though I must admit) but he's a little love. He does big blinks and let me stroke his head, neck and gently scratch his enormous ears.
All the above in less than 30 minutes, so far he's a very, very good kitty.
There's a vet appointment ready for him tomorrow morning. I'm going to ask if I can work from home to keep a lid on all this.
Whoever wanted a quiet life. Starting to feel like a mad cat woman a :shify:gain.
OH has decided he's not a Sooty any more so is searching the internet for black cat names, so far has come up with Dibbly or Darth - guess he's on D then.