Well done on the rat 

Pyro are you running the ProVictor traps with the big yellow treadle ?

I was/am experiencing baits being eaten off the treadle on my Pro Victors so i have put the peanut butter further out on the treadle to make the trap more sensitive, also Cruz mentioned to Prolan the hinge so it isnt as stiff. I am catching a few more mice now..Its  either I find a baitless trap or Mickey having had a bad day !

Worth a look but i sure as eggs dont like working with the kill bar coming towards me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aql_gFGRGoI

https://deadrat.co.nz/shop-%26-order?olsPage=products%2Fvictor-trap
Great price.

To use peanut butter i would think you need the above Pro Victor traps and as i said stick the bait right out on the edge of the treadle to get ultimate sensitivity.

My guess...I think mice are your problem.

I have always been keen on possum paste for ease of use in large numbers of traps at the Park - but currently trapping around the edge of our subdivision - four boxes down a 200m track - the bloody ants were cleaning me out overnight - so I have reverted to a peanut butter mixture used by a Mate at the Park who mixes it with rolled oats - and he has been catching stoats
So my new mixture is roughly 50% PB, 20% margarine 20% rolled oats and a slosh of vegetable oil to make it flexible - the rolled oats soak up the oil so you need a fair bit - chuck it in the microwave to melt it so you can mix it well
The rolled oats is to ensure the ants cant remove everything - always some rolled oats left on the trap for the next rat that checks it out
If you want to catch rats - be generous with the bait - it costs buggar all compared to all your effort - cover all of the yellow foot plate and a heap in front of the trap to get them interested - and if you catch a rat - put it on top of the box so the next one can check out his old mate - a dead rat is a powerful lure - 
This setup is also catching mice - put the trigger rod right over to the soft setting on the yellow foot plate -



He dragged it off the top and went inside for a feed

Trapping vermin and pests is an ongoing learning course.
Plenty of good tips on here ,if you go back through the thread. Got a rat with the old peanut butter standby 2 nights ago at home, trap in the garden, along with 5 other traps, four  different models. I have had success catching  feral cats in our block, using smoked kahawai, chicken, rabbit and venison, in Timms traps. Cage traps should work ok also, but remember they have to be checked every day.

I have not targetted cats specifically but if there is a chance of domestic cats then cage trap imo is the only option.

Another option for genuine ferals..

https://www.kiwisforkiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LC2770-SA2-Kat-trap-repo...

As shown.
The beauty of a trap like this is it can be elevated up a tree to avoid any sort of by catch such as a pet dog that someone may be out walking.

DOC type traps are not NAWAC approved for cats as front foot captures can occur.

uk_exile wrote on May 24^th, 2019 at 8:21am:



we got a cage trap similar to that for our 4yr old he loves trapping but to young for legholds.  The one we got was about a hundred bux off trademe and the wee fella got 13possums and 4 Wild cats since january o and both the wifes pet cats  .  we just put cat biscuts or jelly meat in it and thats a good enough lure for both possums and cats.

cats are usually a prick to shoot in them cos they go nuts when you go near,  9/10 possums will be asleep and easy to deal with.

https://predatorfreenz.org/makarora-valley-mohua/?utm_source=PFNZ+Trust+Newslett
er&utm_campaign=b68cddbe36-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0
_fee93e1adc-b68cddbe36-523747653&goal=0_fee93e1adc-b68cddbe36-523747653&mc_cid=b
68cddbe36&mc_eid=ac29df3f4f