How to tame your cat

Content

Steps
Part 1 of 5: Determining the Cat's Character and Condition
Part 2 of 5: Making Your Cat Get Used to Your Presence
Part 3 of 5: Making contact with your cat
Part 4 of 5: Visiting the Veterinarian
Part 5 of 5: Socializing a stray kitten
Tips
Warnings

Taming a feral cat takes time, knowledge and patience, combined with extreme care.A feral cat is an animal that has moved from domestic life to an independent life in the wild, and at the same time it does not have the necessary socialization for normal communication with people. If a stray cat or kitten seems quite healthy to you and you want to try to tame it, remember that the animal will be afraid of you and may be prone to biting. However, if you are faced with a stray cat or kitten who, despite his fear, finds the strength to refrain from biting, then you can try to tame him and turn him into your pet. Remember that you may not be able to make a completely tame out of a wild cat, but at least you can make a good street pet out of it that your society tolerates. Sometimes it only takes an endless supply of patience to transform a fearful kitten into a stunning pet. In doing so, your primary goal should be to ensure the comfort of the cat in your presence. In addition, it will be very important to show such a cat to a veterinarian to ensure that it is healthy.

Steps

Part 1 of 5: Determining the Cat's Character and Condition

1 Try to get to know the character of the cat better. Observe your cat for a few days. So you can get to know her nature, especially how she behaves when people approach. See if she's scared or even scared of people? Does he show aggression?
- If you think your cat might be dangerous, you shouldn't try to touch it. Instead, if a cat poses a danger to you, contact a trapping service, and then specially trained people will catch the stray animal.
2 Observe your cat's body language to understand her mood. Cats are great at communicating their mood through body language that is understandable enough. It may be helpful for you to familiarize yourself with the meaning of the following body language signals.
- An angry or upset cat will flatten its ears, dilate its pupils, flap its tail, arch its back, and raise its fur on end. Usually it will growl as well. These are clear directions for you to leave her alone.
- If the cat does not run away from you, then in a frightened state it will either lie down on the ground or drop its tail between its legs. You can carefully try to start taming such a cat.
- In contrast to the above situations, a contented and relaxed cat will have ears that are erect and pointed forward, and its tail will be lifted up. The fur of the animal will be smoothed (it will not stand on end), the cat may even stretch, lie down and even roll over onto its back.
3 Externally assess the cat's health. Although you may not be able to get close to the cat, you can visually assess its health from afar. See if she seems skinny or skinny. She may be starving. Pay attention to the fur to see if it looks healthy, or if it is dull, matted, with bald patches or other signs of illness. Look for obvious symptoms of discomfort, such as lameness, cuts, wounds, and other problems.
4 Stay away from your cat if you suspect it has rabies symptoms. Most stray cats and kittens are not vaccinated against rabies, which puts them at some risk of contracting this deadly virus. Although unvaccinated street cats and kittens are not very often infected with rabies, the risk is still present. Rabies symptoms can manifest in many different ways, and it can take months before an animal is actually infected with the virus.
- The classic symptom of rabies in cats and kittens is sickness (apathy, refusal to eat, weakness) and / or behavioral changes (aggression, anxiety, disorientation, paralysis, seizures).
- If you encounter a stray cat with these symptoms, call a trapping service and do not try to approach the animal yourself.

Part 2 of 5: Making Your Cat Get Used to Your Presence

1 Introduce your cat to the sound of your voice. If you find your cat amenable to taming, your next step should be to accustom him to the sound of your voice. Sit close to the cat and talk to her in a calm, affectionate voice.
2 Feed your cat dry or wet food. As you continue to talk to your cat, place some food in the bowl for it. Continue doing this for about three days. Do not try to approach the animal yet.
- After three days, start looking for positive signs in your cat's body language that indicate that she is comfortable in your presence. A happy cat will keep its ears straight, they will be directed forward, the cat's tail will be raised, and the back may be arched. The fur will be smoothed, and the cat itself may even purr.
3 Try to get close to the cat along with food for it. Scoop up a tablespoonful of canned cat food or canned tuna food and hand it to your cat as you approach her at the same time. Repeat her nickname or just say: "Kis-kis-kis." If the cat hisses at you, then she's just scared, and she needs more time to get used to your presence. Spend some more time continuing to remotely feed your cat in your presence.
4 Watch for signs of aggression. If the cat shows aggression towards you, for example, rushes at you or growls, then it takes even more time to get used to your company. You can also think again about whether you should just contact the animal control service.
5 Use synthetic feline pheromones. If you want to help your cat feel more comfortable, you can try using pheromones. Synthetic feline pheromones mimic the odors produced by the resting body of a cat. Pheromones can be purchased in the form of a spray and applied to the area in which the cat lives. However, the cat may be upset or intimidated by the sound of the spray itself.
- There are also wipes impregnated with cat pheromones that can be used to wipe a specific area. If the cat is indoors, you can use a pheromone fumigator.
6 Try petting the cat with a spoon. Use a long wooden kitchen spoon or spatula. Wrap it with a soft cloth. Fleece is perfect for this. Slowly place some food for your cat so that you can reach it without scaring you. While the cat is eating, slowly reach the spoon towards it and stroke it. It may take you a few tries or even days before your cat is comfortable with it.
- If the cat runs away, don't chase after it. Save stroking for later.

Part 3 of 5: Making contact with your cat

1 Wear protective clothing. Until your cat has been checked by a veterinarian, it is best for you to wear protective clothing when dealing with it. Wear thick gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants to minimize the chance of bites and scratches.
2 Pet the cat with your hand. After stroking the cat with a spoon for a while, try slipping your hand under the spoon and stroking the cat with your hand. Only touch the cat's head and shoulders.
- Don't touch the cat's lower body. If you scare her with such actions, then she may begin to actively defend herself. You can only touch your cat's belly when she fully trusts you.
3 Try to pick up the cat. Use a towel or blanket to pick up the cat. Try to do this only after you have successfully ironed the animal several times. Choose a time when your cat is calm and relaxed.
- It can take a long time before you get to this stage. In this case, everything depends on the cat itself.Some cats cannot be truly tamed to the point where they can be handled.
- If the cat starts to resist when you pick it up, let it go. Otherwise, everything can end up with scratches and bites. It can also negate all your efforts to get to this stage.

Part 4 of 5: Visiting the Veterinarian

1 Train your cat to carry. To transport your cat to the veterinarian for examination, you will need to put it in a carrier. You will have to give your cat some time to get used to it first.
- Place an open cat carrier in your home for the cat to explore on its own.
- Try placing a bowl of food in front of the carrier to stimulate the cat's interest in the carrier.
- Then move the bowl to the inside of the carrier so that the cat has to go inside.
2 Show the animal to your veterinarian. If you've finally managed to get your cat to hand, take it to your veterinarian as soon as possible. He will assess her state of health, carry out vaccinations and other required procedures.
- Vaccinate your cat to protect against various diseases such as feline leukemia and others. Ask your veterinarian which vaccinations they recommend.
3 Ask your veterinarian to prescribe an anthelmintic and flea medicine for your cat. Since your new pet has probably spent its entire previous life outside, it needs to be rid of and protected from fleas and worms. The veterinarian will be able to use an anthelmintic and anti-flea remedy, or he will prescribe medications that you can give your pet at home.
4 Neuter or neuter your pet. To prevent unwanted offspring, your pet is best spayed (cat) or neutered (cat). To mark the sterilization of the animal, the veterinarian can cut off one of the pet's ears or attach a tag to it, this is a painless procedure that will be performed while the pet is still under anesthesia. When trimming the ear, only the very tip is cut off. A similar mark on the castration and sterilization of animals is adopted in some countries and in a number of regions of Russia.

Part 5 of 5: Socializing a stray kitten

1 Try to tame your kitten between 4 and 8 weeks of age. A kitten that gradually stops feeding on its mother's milk will be better tamed. At this stage, he becomes more independent from his mother. As soon as he is socialized, he can be taken to him.
2 Provide your kitten with a place where he can always feel safe. When you are not actively socializing the kitten, he should have a small quiet room in which he can retire and relax. This can be a bathroom or a separate bedroom.
- Leave the kitten at night with a night light so that it never gets completely dark in his room.
3 Choose a suitable place to socialize. It's a good idea to expand the contacts of a kitten with people by communicating with him in a busy area. This could be a courtyard area where other people work or play. Or it could be a room in your house.
4 Get down to the same level as the kitten. Do not tower over the kitten, standing next to him in full growth. Sit down with him on the floor or on the ground.
5 Treat your kitten to canned cat food. If the kitten is healthy, then in the process of its socialization, you can use food. So you can seduce the kitten to come closer to you, because he will be hungry and want to treat himself to what you offer him. While the kitten is eating, sit next to him.
- You can even try placing a bowl of food on your lap so that the kitten has to communicate with you very closely.
- When you leave, take your food with you. This will help the kitten associate the food with your presence.
6 Let the kitten lick your fingers. When the kitten gets used to your presence during his feeding, offer him food from your hand. You can offer him either canned cat food or canned baby meats (beef or chicken).
- The kitten may try to swallow the food offered to him, and not lick it, since he is used to this. He may even bite your finger lightly when you feed him.
7 Start petting the kitten. When the kitten is hungry and enthusiastic about food, try to pet it gently. Start by stroking exclusively the head and shoulders.
- If the kitten runs away, go back to the previous step and repeat for a longer period of time.
8 Go to petting without providing a treat. Once the kitten gets used to your presence and touch, you will need to exclude treats from this process. He should begin to enjoy the caresses themselves, even when he is not additionally treated. Try petting the kitten when he is full and full.
9 Slowly introduce the kitten to other people. If you are taming a kitten to take it to yourself, then you should make sure that he learns to communicate with other people besides you.
- Start letting other people interact with the kitten one at a time. They should try to feed him first from the bowl and then from the hands. The kitten will have to get used to their voices, smells and behavior.

Tips

Try not to touch the cat's belly, tail, and paws until she is confident that you will not harm her. These are particularly sensitive areas of the body that can scratch or even bite you if your cat touches you.
Do not hurry. You can significantly slow down the entire taming process if you disturb your cat's comfort zone.

Warnings

If the cat is aggressive, back off a little.
Only people specially trained in handling feral cats can try to take such animals in their hands.
If you are bitten by a cat (stray or domesticated), see your doctor to treat the bite site. Carefully monitor the condition of the resulting scratches so that they do not begin to become inflamed.