Any cat including a feral cat can be tamed, but it does take time and you must be patient. My husband and I trapped a stray cat that had been injured and needed veterinarian care. This cat had been living in the woods by my home and we had assumed it was feral. We quickly learned that was not the case because the trapped cat was meowing. Feral cats will hiss, snarl and spit but they do not meow.
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We took this stray cat in and oversaw the socializing/taming of this cat. The cat was terrified of us, had behavior issues such as marking and was suffering from stress.
Socializing a stray cat that has lived outdoors for several years takes time and patience. The cat has to learn to live indoors and to not fear humans. We have to teach the cat manners, to use a litter box, not scratch the furniture, and to also allow humans to pet the cat without the cat scratching or biting.
Before we could socialize this cat we needed to take him to the veterinarian. The cat was tested for FIV and FeLV, given vaccines and was neutered. The veterinarian also stitched up a wound on his paw and give the cat an antibiotic shot.
When we brought the cat back to our home we put him in the cat safe room where he would reside until he was dependent upon me and socialized to live indoors and to be nice to humans.
View this video to learn more about a cat safe room.
We tamed this cat by spending time with the cat daily. We also used the product Feliway classic diffuser that goes in the electrical outlet. This product is very good for calming a cat that is feeling stress. Feliway is a clinically proven formula that comforts cats in your home and decreases urine marking, scratching on furniture and hiding.
Whenever we are socializing a cat we make a point to spend quality time with the cat. I will take my laptop and work in the same room as the cat, or I will read a book. The cat knows you are there, and at first, the cat will hide from you, hiss at you from afar. But soon the cat will start to trust you and each day your bond with the cat will grow stronger.
Feeding the cat at the same time daily is important. Also never leave food bowls for the cat to snack on. You want the cat to look to your for food, to be dependent upon you. We feed all cats a mixture of canned and dry kibble food and provide the cat with fresh water twice daily. The water stays in the room at all times.
Most cats become dependent upon people quickly, it took this stray cat 10 days. One day I walked into the room with the food and the cat came out to greet me. He was sitting where I set the food bowl.
When the cat was sitting waiting for its food my husband tried to pet the cat. The cat was fearful and scratched my husband. Then the cat hid behind the chair.
I do not recommend that humans make the first move when socializing/taming a stray cat. The cat will have to make the first move, normally they will roll around on the ground or floor and show you their stomach. In the cat world, this means “I feel safe with you and I trust you”. Or the cat will rub their body on you, they are putting their scent on you as if to say “you are my person”
“I think it is best to wait for the cat to accept you rather than to corner the cat, make it feel uncomfortable” “The stray cat will let you know when it wants to be petted”.
I suppose the black and white cat that we rescued must have been abandoned longer than we thought because it took a good six months for this cat to let down his guard down.
Now the cat lets me pick him up, pet him and he will sit on my lap. He is very talkative and will come to sit next to me when I am reading a book.
We never force a cat to accept humans but instead wait for the cat to let us know when petting is okay.
Now, this cat is ready to be adopted. His leg is fully healed and he is walking better. My neighbor that helps us with the cats did sponsor this cats vaccines and neuter and told us she loves the cat. So he adopted him and the cat went to his forever home.
Learn more about Feliway Classic here.
