Tips on getting a stray cat to like you?

hypnofrogstevie · Dec 6, 2008

Well thanks to Deb I went out and got a stray cat. She is a cute fluffy cat but very skitzy. Any tips on training a cat to like you?

silkiechicken · Dec 6, 2008

Food and the connection you're the food dispenser!

Bleenstar · Dec 6, 2008

Hey I thought you wernt going to come back! I'm glad your back . Stray cat is pretty easy to tame, at first just feed it, give it water etc. Then if you can try to pet it. What I do is try to let it understand I'm not going to hurt it. Sometimes I just grab the cat and scratch behind the tail lol and under the chin. Good luck!

lockedhearts · Dec 6, 2008

I have 3 strays that come to my house and drool over my chickens, I don't care to make friends with them, however I will try to save their lives as it is not there fault that a former neightbor left them to fend for themselves.
I do agree food and maybe toys will make a big difference. In my case food and humane traps will make a big difference. If my Jack Russells catch these cats, it won't be pretty, for the cats.

Good Luck with the cat Stevie!

hypnofrogstevie · Dec 6, 2008

Thanks. She looks like the one that passed away on me 3 months ago. She is pretty well fed now. I gotta figure out where to keep her. She in my room but I have baby chicks in a tank. she can easily kill them when I am sleeping

The Chicken Lady · Dec 6, 2008

I would be very quiet around it, not lunge for it, etc. Stray cats aren't necessarily accustomed to living around humans and may actually be fearful of them.

I suggest providing the cat with food and speaking to it in a calm, normal voice to get it used to you. Let it approach you on its own terms, rather than you chasing it around the house.

Good luck with your new pet!

hypnofrogstevie · Dec 6, 2008

Thanks for all the replies . She is in my closet hiding. I will leave her alone and hope she will come to me soon

Shared Acres · Dec 6, 2008

I used to rescue a lot of cats. Whenever I had a particularly unfriendly or wild one I would give them a bath. (If you can clip their nails foirst tihs is helpful!)

This would seem to neutralize them and make them see me as the one in charge and the one ultimately rescuing them from the water! LOL. At least that's what I'm guessing.

I would have to give cats baths all the time and I noticed on some it seemed to make them nicer afterwards.

Plus you have them bundled up in a towel afterwards, they smell good and you're loving on them, etc.