Ah -- my cats don't get the luxury of canned cat food -- they get kibble. And I do have to take up all the food at night, especially if I am baiting a 'coon. At the moment I am also discouraging a semi-feral cat who wants to partake of the smorgasbord, but who wants to fight all of my cats for the right to have ALL of the smorgasbordto himself. So I monitor feeding time, then take up the feed bowls twice a day. Royal pain in the butt. And yes -- I have *caught* my cats in the trap -- but only once. Each. And some of them are smart enough to know better to begin with............
And yes -- I have had coons smart enough to reach in from the outside to eat the cat food without actually entering the trap -- so now my trap is backed up to a wall, with a tall garbage can on one side, and a heavy oak board on the other side, held in place with a concrete block. Sigh. I hate racoons.............why don't they just stay out in the hinterworld where they belong?????
Hey -- Elaine's plan sounds like sheer genius!!!