Taming a wild cat

[Mattemma]

I caught a feral cat when I was a teen.I kept it in a large dog crate for about 6 months. I fed it and talked to it. It just takes time for them to trust you.Eventually I left the crate door open,but the bedroom door closed.When it stopped hiding when I came into the room I knew it was time to let him roam the house. He was my big ol' teddy bear and loved his belly rubbed. I gave him catnip and fresh grass too. I only got bit 2 times and that was during the first week I caught him.

I would recommend a cat enclosure for outdoor time,but if that is not something you want to do you should be able to keep kitty coming back by the enticement of food,water,and a warm bed.Little catnip wouldn't hurt either!

Best wishes! Taming my cat Jojo(aka Josey Wails) and saving him from certain death is a cherished memory for me.

 

[BlackBart]

Its took me two years but my wild cat, Duke, would let me sit next to him and he would smell my finger but if I touched him he hissed and moved away.
Then the break through came when I gave him some Temptation cat treats. Now he will let me touch him a bit and he follows me around. I did notice he has been neutered.
Pretty sure at one point he was a house cat but somebody dumped him off at my place and others in the neighborhood don't like stray cats so they chased him away. He lives in my hay barn and isn't bothering anybody.
I don't want to catch him and cage him. Our relationship is exactly where it is supposed to be. I worry about him and he sleeps all day on top of the hay piles on a soft polar fleece blanket.

 

[4 the Birds]

We have two cats. The Calico loves to sit on my lap and enjoys going outside for just 10 or 15 minutes a day. She comes in when I call her. Our other cat is a Tuxedo male and he is somewhat feral. He can back down any dog and is very wary of any strangers. He loves to spend alot of time outside and it is hard to get him inside when the weather is nice. In the past we used a cat door to let him go outside whenever he wanted but one morning he came in injured. He was most likely attacked by a coyote. He thinks that he can take on anything! He had bite marks and we had to have reconstruced surgery on his front leg ($8000 worth!). He is now healed and runs around like he always has. He is one tough dude! If you have coyotes in your area then watch out!! Cats do just fine inside the house and are very clean. I would recommend that you declaw only the front paws let it live inside with you.

Our cats are attached to me since I do all the feeding. The Tuxedo cat does not like to be picked up and he follows me around. I still let him outside but I am now sure to get him inside before it gets dark. We also have 2 inside and 2 outside dogs and they stay clear of him. Each cat has its own personality and some people don't like the aloofness of cats. I find them facsinating and love cats! Good Luck.