Stray cats may have been born in the street or abandoned by their families outside. They all have different characters, but those who have never known life indoors are often characterized by fearful behavior: they run away when approached and attack when cornered.
In time, these cats can be domesticated and kept as pets, but some will continue to display fearful behavior throughout their lives. In general, the younger the fearful cat, the easier it will be to socialize it, although the cat’s background or temperament may also come into play.
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Always be careful when dealing with stray cats. Under stress, they may attack even if your intentions are good. You must therefore either socialize them before attempting to deal with them indoors, or catch them with a trap. Always beware of diseases carried by strays, and be aware that they can potentially be transmitted to your pets.
How to socialize a stray cat
- Be patient, all cats are different! Some cats will take a few days to trust you, while others may take several years.
- Try to attract the cat’s attention by putting down some food and then slowly take a few steps back. Make sure you’re sitting down if you’re going to be around when the cat comes to eat, as you pose a threat to the cat if you’re standing over it. If the cat won’t go near the food in your presence, go inside so as not to disturb it. Over time, the cat will get used to your presence and a routine will be created. The cat’s safety distance will then decrease. Try to sit a little closer to the food each time, and let it come closer, not the other way around. Eventually, the cat will feel comfortable eating while you’re sitting right next to the bowl. Before daring any physical contact with him, let him smell you. You can present him with a finger and let him sniff it, or hand him a cap, glove, sock or any object that contains your scent. You can also use a stick, which most people prefer to use, and rub your hands over it to impregnate it with your scent. After you’ve done this for a few days, try feeding the cat and use the stick to stroke its head at the same time. It usually works after a few days!
- The ideal time to try petting is while the cat is eating. Move gently and gradually. If he stops eating and moves away, forget about petting and try again another day. Creamy’s tubes are also very practical socialization tools.
- Once the cat is comfortable with being petted, he’s ready to be introduced indoors. Tempt him with food and let him come on his own. If you can’t get the cat to come inside with food, and for some reason it’s urgent for the cat to enter your home, you can use a trap to catch it (see below).
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How to capture a stray cat
If it’s urgent that the stray cat be caught (e.g. the cat is ill, neighbors are trying to get rid of stray cats in the neighborhood, etc.), you can use a trap to catch it safely. This is very stressful for the cat, but it may be the best solution to ensure it has a bright future.
- Don’t try to chase, corner or catch a fearful cat with your bare hands. Not only will this result in bites and scratches, it will also seriously compromise any efforts to coax the cat.
- Use a secure trap such as a cage trap. You can buy these online, or contact stray cat organizations in your area to borrow the necessary equipment.
- Place highly aromatic food, such as canned tuna, in the trap.
- Place a towel or blanket over the cage.
- The cat will eventually enter and the cage will close behind him.
- Create a safe space for the cat in your home if you haven’t already contacted a shelter that will take it in. The best thing to do is to install the stray cat in an enclosed room such as an office. The space should be large enough so that the cat doesn’t feel trapped.
- Socialize the cat in much the same way as described above for outdoor strays.
Integrate your cat into your home
- Have the cat sterilized and vaccinated as soon as possible. If you already have cats, you should do this before bringing him home, and should also have him dewormed and tested for feline leukemia.
- Your cat may not use the litter box right away. If he goes somewhere else, don’t be angry, just take the litter box with you. If he needs it, put it in the litter box. Cats especially like nooks and crannies and doorways, and these are good places to put the litter box. You may also need several litter boxes.
- If your cat is still on his guard, you could give him a room all to himself, where he can stay most of the day. Go in and feed him at set times, and stay with him when he eats. Get close to him as you go along, until he lets you pet him.
- Feral cats like to hide, but this often puts them in a situation of being cornered, which increases their defensive reactions. It’s best not to give a cat places to hide, right from the start. The ideal place for domestication should be an open space with several rooms to escape into, so that your cat is never trapped anywhere and has the opportunity to flee if the situation overwhelms him.
- Play is very important for socializing a cat. Hanging toys, laser beams and other interactive toys are the best way for your cat to bond with you. Some cats are quite quick to agree to play, while others take longer, even if they’ve become quite manageable.
- When you think your cat is ready, try holding her in your arms. The best way to hold her is to put one hand on her bottom and under her tail, and the other behind her front legs to lift her up to your chest, as if encouraging a baby’s burp. Go gently. If your cat isn’t ready to be held, it will move away before you can pick it up. Many former feral cats never let themselves be held.
Advice
- Your cat’s heart is in its stomach. Cats make the link between food and affection; in the wild, a cat may bring a killed prey item to share with another cat as a token of affection. Over time, your cat may bring you back this type of “gift! Once a cat understands that you are a source of food and that it can eat in front of you, it will begin to bond with you.
- Don’t tease a cat. Give it attention, but don’t bother it.
- Very fearful cats will often bond with just one or two people and remain fearful of others by running away and hiding.
- Try not to look a cat in the eye until it is perfectly at ease with you. For a cat, the exchange of glances and observation are aggressions and will make him nervous about you and the situation. When you’re sitting next to him, read a book or do something quiet, but don’t look at him. If you do, try to focus your gaze on his hindquarters and avoid meeting his eyes as much as possible. Similarly, closing or blinking your eyes is a sign of trust for a cat and lets it know you’re not aggressing.
- It’s always a good idea to talk to an animal – wild or otherwise – in a slow, calm and soothing tone of voice, just as you would with a baby. This will speed up the taming process.
- Cats always warn you before they attack if you approach slowly. If you move your hand forward to allow the cat to sniff it, and if it spits, step back and withdraw your hand. The cat is not ready to be stroked.
- Speak calmly and never reach for it with spread fingers.
- For kittens or strays, you can first try feeding them from your hand, then, the next day, lead them to your lap to make them eat. Then begin to establish a relationship with a furtive caress or a little scratch behind the ears.
- Don’t try to release a feral cat. It’s not a good idea to release it in a place other than where you found it. Other cats will defend their territory, and if the cat doesn’t know them, it will be chased to a place where it could starve to death. What’s more, it’s illegal.
- Don’t put cats in a basket, because if they’re a bit naughty or teething, they could bite the basket and strangle themselves by swallowing tiny particles of wicker.
- Make an extra effort to tame long-haired cats and kittens. Their coats require human care to maintain. Without regular brushing, the fur can clump, become painful and pull at the skin, leading to infections.
- An especially shy kitten may continue to avoid you. This kitten may influence others to remain wild. The best thing to do when the kitten is old enough is to isolate it for a while so that it has to seek out human company. The most anxious kitten is also the most intelligent and can become the best of cats.
- Cat claws can be very dangerous. Be very careful when dealing with a feral cat. Don’t try to handle a particularly aggressive feral cat unless you’re a feline specialist.
- Wearing gloves can help protect your hands, but it’s not a good idea to use gloves with a cat that doesn’t want to be handled. This will frighten the cat and slow down the domestication process.
- Lie down on the floor and try to relax the cat. You’ll look much less frightening.
- Adult feral cats can be tamed using the same methods as kittens, but the process can take months or even years, especially if the cat has had a bad experience with humans. Some fearful cats will probably never let themselves be held or stroked for more than a few moments.
- When you’re carrying a cat and you’re not sure how it will react, keep it away from your face so it can’t scratch or bite you.
- Always wear thick gloves when dealing with feral cats.