I'm trying to get friendly with a homeless cat

This is what I would do, and believe me, I've had experience with a lot of homeless cats. Try to chat with him while the screen door is open. No quick moves to spook him. Hold out your hand to him - he might come to you, especially if you have some food or a treat for him. Slowly and gently try to touch him. Once you have his trust, he may let you pick him up. If all else fails, grab him and toss him into the house. At least you'll have him confined.

My father had a stray mama cat with a kitten living in his garage. The mama came into the house easily, but the kitten was another matter. Dad would see it move out of the corner of his eye, but when he looked it was gone. he finally caught it in a dip net and brought it into the house. Even the wildest will eventually calm down. Wear heavy gloves while capturing him if you think he might fight you.

This woman is attempting to give away a feral cat she let into her house two years ago but she says

[quote] I should add I can’t catch her :( she won’t let us pick her up.... please help!

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[quote] About 2 years ago I adopted a feral cat. She is still very skittish and only lets a certain person in our house touch her but again we have to be carful because she will scratch. She can be super kind but would rather be alone. The issue is that we no longer can keep her because my grandmother that we are now caring for is allergic. What can I do?! Would someone be willing to give her a home? Also I should add I can’t catch her :( she won’t let us pick her up.... please help!

That cat isn't leaving, they might want to rehome the grandmother instead.

How wonderful of you! I bottle fed several newborn kittens last year during Covid and it was so rewarding. Sounds like you are a very kind person! I've found that feeding strays outside has been fine as long as I make sure there is no food left out overnight. Best of luck!

Feed the cat outside as much as he can eat in one sitting, and only during the day (most vermin are nocturnal). Don't leave food sitting out but leave him a bowl of clean water all the time.

I have a semi-feral I rescued from outdoors years ago. She's happy, but if I get within a foot of her she takes off.

A way to bond with a stray is not just to leave food out, but only allow the food out when you’re sitting somewhat close by. Get it to associate your physical presence with food and care.

Just take the food back inside with you if the stray won’t come over and eat. By close by I mean maybe 8 feet away (?) Then you put the dish closer and closer to you, bit by bit, over time.

To repeat the advice above: be slow, steady, patient, and calm in your movements and voice. This builds trust. (If you've seen an impatient, loud sort try this, and then look at the look at the cat's face, you know it will never work. And it doesn't.)

I've seen cats wild as fuck succumb in a few days. A day latter they are thrilled to see you.

Put food in a bowl at a safe distance to give the cat an exit space. Move the bowl closer each day. He will know that you are the food are working in tandem; there's no need to make a show of filling the bowl.

Patience and calm ensures the thing.

My stray enthusiast friend also said to give the animal a name, and start using it in greeting, etc. I don’t know what it does, all told, but it does add another layer to the bonding.

I took care of a feral cat who lived in my backyard for like 10 yrs, she had a notched ear so she was documented as feral. She became more tame over time, & I’d even let her in the house. It took like 6 months before she let me pet her, & was always slightly spazzy.

Please read up on feral/community cats, not DL, before doing anything. It's absolutely untrue that every cat will take to living indoors eventually, let alone within a few days. You could end up making that cat miserable.

P.S. you sound very kind, and I know your heart's in the right place, but you can't turn every feral into a contented indoor cat.

R9 is wise and correct. The cat is feral because "they" wants to be.

Buy it a drink if you want to score some pussy.

[quote]I took care of a feral cat who lived in my backyard for like 10 yrs, she had a notched ear so she was documented as feral.

Not to nitpick, but eartipping is done after any catch-and-release cat is spayed or neutered. They could be ferals or they could be friendly community cats.

OP, give the kitty some Temptations treats.

Bless you , OP. You are my favorite kind of people. ♥️

[quote]A way to bond with a stray is not just to leave food out, but only allow the food out when you’re sitting somewhat close by. Get it to associate your physical presence with food and care.

This is good advice. When you see him, get the food and a book or an iPad. Put the food down, sit a few feet away, and do your own thing and ignore him while he decides what to do and finally eats.

He sounds beautiful.

He might not be feral at all, he might be a pet that either got lost or some rotten person dumped. If he’s not actually feral, he’ll be way easier to socialize.

We had one little guy who moved into the shed that was attached to the house so we started putting food out the window. He was starving, I never saw an animal gulp food like that so I went to the vet and got some worm medicine. That settled him right down and it reached the point where I could pet him a bit while he was eating. I made arrangements with the vet to get him neutered when I was able to catch him, but he must have got wind of it because he disappeared. He was a cute little guy, we would have gladly taken him in.

Why do we cater to cats so much? How did they get us to kiss their ass?

You kiss their cute widdle faces, not their ass. That’s for trade.

I have two that started visiting me during the pandemic and now hang around outside my house. Both have the cut ears so I know they are fixed. I put some food out (on separate plates since cats can fight over food) and I leave clean water out every day for them. One hisses at me every time I get too close. The other runs when I go outside but I've managed to touch her and she will take food from my hand. The one that hisses intrigues me and I her, so I talk to her often and one day, left my door open while she sat just outside it. I talked to her for a bit and explained that I used to have two cats who lived with me and they both died and that she's welcome to come live with me if she wants. I kid you not, I stopped talking to her for about 10 mins but left the door open and the next thing I know, she was in my house, exploring. She stayed inside for a bit (it was cold outside and I had my heater going). Then she slowly walked back outside. She did that one other time but the second time it seemed she was more panicky and so she ran out very quickly. She hasn't done it since but it was still amazing to see.

"Why do we cater to cats so much? How did they get us to kiss their ass?"

They carry a microbe which infects the human brain, and which then makes us compliant.

Feral cats will kill you in your sleep.

R19, Lovely story. Thank you.

OP-

If I was the cat, I'd be thinking " Fuck your kissy face and open up a goddam can of tuna. "

You haven't fed this cat in a YEAR? Am I missing something? What does this cat live on?

It never occurred to you to put some kibble on a paper plate, like r19? A bowl of water? The kitty door was thoughtful. Did you make it a bed? Why do I hate you so much right now? Maybe I'm still upset about the Dubai Port a Potty. Please tell me that IN A YEAR (winter?) you have done more for this cat than open a shed door.

There’s a delightful story of a cat who only knows how to say “Fuck Off!” To talk with humans

It’s a tumbler thread. One moment.

There seem to be a number of Tiktokers who have documented their journey of converting a feral cat to pet you might want to look in to.

[quote]I've tried to get a pic but he's camera shy. I think he's hiding out from the law, or his terrible family.

You've never heard of the Kitty Witness Protection Program?

OP see if you can find a rescue group who will trap him for you. Friendly cats don’t fare well outside. Life is misery for cats outside in general. Thank you for caring about him!

[quote]Slowly and gently try to touch him. Once you have his trust, he may let you pick him up.

Why are these the goals?

Would you do this with a person? Why/why not?

I find it hard to believe that cat woke up this morning and said, "Boy, I hope some Datalounger picks me up and touches me today."

On the other hand, maybe they did.

Sing Memory

R27, OP probably wouldn’t shovel a person’s shit out of a little sand box either. It’s a fucking cat! Different rules.

I applaud the OP!

I went to an independently owned pet shop today to talk to the owner about the type of food I should get for the cat, not knowing what his digestion issues may be if he's not used to store bought food.

The owner was downright hostile towards me. She asked, "If you found a child wandering around your house would you lure them inside?" I replied, "No, I'd call child services on the parents." To which she replied that wasn't the point. I asked what her point was and she told me to stop trying to tame a wild creature and let the cat be. I called her a moron and left the store.

I'm still not sure what food to buy for the cat.

OP, literally any cat food will do. I prefer Purina One as it's good quality but you can get fucking Meow Mix and the cat will eat it. No need for wet food. But a water bowl with clean water every day is a necessity.

OP, look for a food that has chicken for the first ingredient, not by-products. Again, thank you for caring.

Trashy cats love Fancy Feast, OP. You don’t have to go broke and they clean their plates every time.

He may be a feral cat, which I once tended. They don't like milk and things that most house cats do. We got a little dog house and put it outside under cover for him. He did use it occassionally, but these boys and girls are tough and fend for themselves.

OP-Sorry about the pet store. Cat people can be so extra.

You should go to a dependent store instead of an independent store and tell them you want to make a deal on a food called Carol Ferril. It comes in 3 different kinds 1, 2, and 3. Number 1 is for male cats, number 2 for females and 3 is always a surprise. All 3 are anti-skunk and anti-raccoon and are easy to digest.

Good Luck. That cat is lucky to have such a caring friend.

OP = Feed the damn cat. Geez. With a friend like you the cat is going to starve to death.

r32, I wish you had gotten into a catfight with that catty bitch.

Do NOT give cats milk. Give them water. Milk gives them dirahhea.

R38 firstly, fuck you.

Secondly, the cat is a full size lad and is clearly adept at finding food.

I just want to supplement his meals in case he can't get enough of what he usually eats.

And because I want him to like me. I'm desperate for his validation.

Fancy Feast is kitty crack cocaine, R41. One small handful on a plate and it will be gone. It stinks to high heaven.

[quote] Why do we cater to cats so much? How did they get us to kiss their ass?

The fluffy.

First, you need to find out this cat's pronouns.

To whomever said that about “catering” to cats (I already have you blocked but R43 quoted you) the vast majority of cats (and dogs) in this world lead miserable lives. They are the victims of abusive people (are you one?), other animals, cars, lack of food, disease that goes untreated.

Some of us want to prevent or alleviate suffering where we can.

I love cats and dogs. I am glad to help them and proud of those I have rescued in the past. If you don’t like animals, you can give to the countless human charities....and fuck off this thread. Some of us aren’t bitter, angry motherfuckers and we get joy out of saving animals. Why does the question even need to be asked?

I must disagree with R1 as it will terrify the kitty if you trap/confine him/her and likely destroy any chance of them trusting you.

I must disagree, R46. It depends entirely on the personality of the cat, and also the situation. Sometimes one has to do the only thing that will work. My father, who was the ultimate cat man, once had to toss an extremely uncivilized feral cat into the trunk of his car, drive her home and extricate her from the trunk. he found her on a building site which he was inspecting, and she was in danger of being injured/killed by machinery. You do what you have to do. Within a week, she had adapted to life within a house.

Miss Lucy is right!

R47 I agree in extreme situations to save the kitty's life

Is this cat getting enough vitamins? Given how catch-as-catch-can its meals must be, it is possible it has a very imbalanced diet. Have you thought about kitty supplements?

[Quote]If all else fails, grab him and toss him into the house. At least you'll have him confined.

What the fuckety FUCK?

I agree with the other poster, never give cats milk or cream, it then diarrhea. I used to buy my cat a cat-safe milk substitute that was brown & icky but she really loved it.

"Buy it a drink if you want to score some pussy."

That always worked on me.

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I have had many former ferals and yes, they became very cuddly!

OP, how's it been going?

Don’t introduce a feral cat into your home if you have other pets, they have worms, etc and may not have been vaccinated. Keep them separate in a spare room with separate water and food and a quick trip to the vet if you’re going to keep it.