I never feed wild animals. Each animal has its own behaviours. You can't expect a fox to act like a dog. You can't expect a quail to act like a chicken. I don't try to pet or touch wild animals. They're not domestic.
With domestic animals, I try to restrain them as little as possible when I handle them. The buttons may get out of my hands because I'm holding them gently enough that if they panic they get out, but that makes them calmer the next time I scoop them up. Same with cats. Cuddle, but the moment they want to leave, let them go.
Yeah that makes sense!! I only did it temporarily for like a week or two a few years ago and honestly I haven’t really seen them since. I mean, I’ve seen a few here and there, but this was a massive group with several toms and tons of hens, etc. and I didn’t try to pet them or anything but just got decently close to them. Which I know the feeding and getting close to them maybe is not good but honestly I wasn’t too worried because they only did it with me and were still plenty scared of other people. But they eventually stopped coming around. I think it was a change of seasons at the time. Anyway, I’ve since learned they can also become aggressive if you feed them so I don’t even feed any of the wild birds anymore.
Although we have actually this year and last year had two hens that hang around occasionally, just one lately, and they dust bath in our yard.
I think they just know this is a safe area and it helps we haven’t had a dog in a couple years too.
But I don’t try to go near them or anything.
And that sounds like a good method.
I somewhat do the same and yeah, I don’t even usually hold the cat anymore. She just sits in the arm of the chair or next to me or sometimes she chooses to jump on my lap, side, stomach, etc. I go by her terms and she comes to me. And when she wants to leave, she does. Sometimes she’s in a super loving mood and holds me hostage
other times, she’s really not and will give me the cold shoulder. Fine by me.
Spirit
Greeter
Friend
it’s a game!
