Trap Fix

Lovely Valentino sleeps in the December sun!

I promised the old couple on the edge of Albany I'd fix their broken trap. Need to quite doing all these things for everybody else, I know. Anyhow, got it fixed today.

It had multiple problems. The stop latch that drops down from the top of the trap, to keep the vertical door piece in place when the trap is closed was bent and cats could bust out. But also missing, the plate at the base of the door, that keeps the spring that flips up the vertical piece of the door, when the trap springs, contained.

What to do. I fabricated a plate. That's a fancy word to say I cut a piece of tin to fit and drilled three holes in it and screwed it to slant metal part of the door over one end of the spring that flips up the vertical piece of the door. Without it, the force against the vertical piece when the trap springs is significant and would fling it against the drop down latch, which was also compromised and on! Allowing the cat to escape.The home made metal plate to keep the spring in place, made from roof tin I had from the Habitat Store.

So I took off the top drop down latch too and pounded it out with a hammer against a brick and the floor and used pliers and reshaped it before putting it back on. Re shaped drop down latch.

For good measure I fashioned a door catch wire, to keep the front vertical piece in place when the trap springs. If I had a welder, all these fixes would have been better and much easier. But oh well. My methods are crude but the results are good. It works.The new wire I added to keep the front part of the door in place when the trap springs.


Gretal is doing fine in surgery. Her teeth were pulled. Vet said her gums looked good and we all hope this is what is bothering her and she will be ok. She is a cat who does not tolerate mouth pain well. The vet gave a big break on pulling the canines, in price, so that is helpful.

All I want to do right now is sleep, after the night of howling and yowling!