Any experience in taming/building trust in a cat?

Question

Hey, we found this cat wandering around our farm. He wouldnt let us approach him, but would watch us from about 20 feet. We set a live trap and caught him. We think he is a young male, although we have not checked, but he looks like a younger cat and is a orange tabby, so thats what we assume. He was terribly skinny, but we had to leave for our relative's house, so we put him in a downstairs bathroom, gave him lots of food and water, and left. We would have taken him to a shelter, but all of them were closed for the holiday. Anyways, he was alone for 5 days, and now we are back. He put on weight, still had food and water when we got back, and had been using the litterbox we provided. So he is litterbox trained. He tolerates us touching him, but usually will run behind the toilet and hide. He will not take food from our hand, but will look away from us. He doesnt wildly thrash about if we come near, like the really feral ones we have caught before. He isn't totally feral. We think that he was either someones pet for a very short time or a long time ago, or was a barn cat, and, either way, was dumped by our house. (We live by a shelter that is rarely open- people tend to just dump the pets by us, if it is closed.)  We think he lived outside for awhile before we caught him, but we don't know- it has been -11 F type weather for weeks, so he might have just burnt off fat really quick.

Anyways, has anyone had experience with a cat like this, in taming it?  I don't mean it follows us about and jumps on our lap- that takes time, obviously. But is there any way to tame him/get him to trust us to the point that he isnt so scared of humans, and we could atleast pet him without causing him distress?  We think the possiblilty is there, but how would we go about it?  Even if we do not keep him, it could be the difference of sending him to the shelter and him getting put down, or being able to find a home for him as a barn cat, or getting sent to a shelter and being adoptable.

Ken S · Accepted Answer

I hope you keep him, thanks for caring. There are no real tips. it is all basically time and patience. Don't approach him too much right now, let him approach you. it is ok to free feed him eventually but for now i would pick up  food when he is done eating and let him come to you for food. Talk in soothing voices. Your cat interprets your body language and the tone of your voice

TENI · Answer

Hi, I am a cat behavior.  It takes time to tames a feral cat.  Patient and times are taken in the shelter are done. Here are some guides...

1.  Having different people visit are good for the cat. 
2.  Play time is a needed, as not only the cat get exercise, but interaction are good.  Some best toys are small mouse, string for him to chase around with you.  If you use lase, make sure not to shine it on their eyes.
3.  Brush often calm the cat and petting him are good. Just make sure to be careful in case the cat have sensitive spot!  Using gloves in the beginning are safer for you hands and arms.  
4.  Lay down in his level and read to him or just spent time in the room without talking.  
5.  Do not look at the cat eye to eye.  Let him come up to you in the beginning will let the cat sense your physical present.

Please take time and make sure tons of play time and visit.  But make sure there are 15 to 30 mins break!

If you can get this done, then you are saving a live and getting the cat to be adoptable!  Having the cat fix also lower the temperament.

Good Luck!

Sydney K · Answer

I also found i cat outside, brought him in and now he is wonderful.

The key to him being comfortable with you is patience. Try sitting there for a while until he comes out.....this may take a long time. You can also try a toy, playing with animals is a great way to get to know him. You can earn his trust by sitting in the same room as him daily, after a while he amy not notice you and will be more comfortable to come up to you. But be very patient and let him make the first move. If you try o pick him up or pet him, that could be a step back. Do these things daily and let me know how it is going! Good Luck =]

thornezoo · Answer

It sounds like he did belong to someone at some point but has become leary because of being outside and chase by dogs, avoiding cars and mean people.  It takes its toll on the poor kitties!

What you are doing sounds fine.  Don't get discouraged.  Maybe sit in the room and read a book aloud while he's eating.  He'll get used to the sound of your voice and nearness.  Curiosity always gets the better of them anyway!  Sometimes its as simple as coming to an understanding with each other but it may take a long time.

Even my cat that now will tolerate being in my husbands lap for a bit used to be my "bathroom cat". She was very shy and used to seek out the darkness of the powder room.  She came to live with me at around 6 months of living with two boys that used her like a puppy - played way too rough with her and she was very skittish because of it.  After awhile she came around - now she's more talkative than my big mouth male cat!

Patience and love.....you'll make it!

purple.katz_13 · Answer

Sounds to me like your doing exactly what you should be doing.  It also sounds like someone mistreated at some point so he doesn't have the trust other cats would,  my advice is to be patient.  Don't rush him.  Don't try to pick him up either.  Let him come to you.  This may sound crazy, but spend time outside, siting on the ground at his level, bring him a can of real tuna, in water, and just talk to him while he eats.  Always greet him with a smile, and loving tone in you voice.  This is a slow process, you are right about that.  Patience and Tolerance are a virtue, but achieving them is work.  So is every relationships, even with our pets.
Good Luck,  and give it lots of time, this relationship can work for you both.

Elaine M · Answer

If he's jumping into your lap he's not feral.  He needs a bit of time to calm down and readjust.  Try touching him with a long feather or a glove on a wood dowel (sounds odd, but it helps them associate DISTANCE touching without your hand being right there and desensitises them).  

Untill he's able to be picked up without lashing out in panic, he's not going to be very adoptable.  Most ofthese cats just need time to remember how humans can not be a threat.

leopardshaz · Answer

Yes,the cat isn't fully feral (ie born as wild) so will no be hard to re-tame as it is all about rebuilding his trust and getting him to accept you as a non threat.Cats are very independent really so he will come to you when he is good and ready so just give him lots of treats don't attempt to touch him gradually he wil come to you....its the same with big cats!!!!!

race · Answer

indicators a cat trusts you: - Tail is up (no longer on the brink of the floor) while walking - Ears are forward (no longer completely forward, basically so a ways as they are able to bypass) - Whiskers are comfortable and forward, and extra downward - they're going to come suitable as much as you (If scared cat, communicate in mushy tones and positioned your hand out with palms dealing with down, so kitty can come scent your palms. Seeing the palm is an instinctual scuffling with request (until they get to understand you).) - they are able to look you interior the attention (kitties are rather plenty everywhere, although), yet as quickly as they are finding you interior the attention with sluggish blinks, they are doin' rather sturdy on the have faith difficulty. - once you look at your kitty, slowly blink your eyes approximately each and every 5 seconds to benefit have faith. in case you basically stare, it particularly is their instinct to think of "this human thinks it could kick my yet t!" ) and could the two combat or proceed to be afraid. - And, as in settlement with another solutions, in the event that they are butting heads with you and rubbing against you, they are showing their love and have faith for you by using leaving their fragrance.

Trending News

Any experience in taming/building trust in a cat?

8 Answers