How to Tame a Stray Cat (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Many neighborhoods are home to real colonies of stray cats that live in the streets and courtyards. Most stray cats are not domesticated; this means that they are wild and have never lived in someone's home. However, it is possible to tame a stray cat or kitten with a little effort and patience.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Capturing the Cat

Step 1. Identify the cat to tame

If you see a friendly looking stray cat in the neighborhood that is not particularly hostile to humans, you may be able to tame it. Taming a stray cat can be a difficult process that can take several months. Chances are that a street cat will never be able to behave like a pet, but many of them can become affectionate pets and get used to life indoors.

In fact, some stray cats are pets that have been lost. Most of the time it is enough to offer food, shelter and attention to train such a cat. Try leaving him something to eat and then pet him when he approaches. If he lets you, there's a good chance it's a lost kitten.
Try to track down the owner before officially adopting him. Look around the city for any posters or flyers that may have been posted to report the loss. Check with local animal shelters and veterinarians and ask if anyone is looking for the cat you found.
It is much easier to tame a street kitten than an adult one. The first has yet to learn to behave inside and outside the home, while the other has already acquired his habits and, therefore, it is more difficult to educate him.
Start socializing with a puppy that is less than eight weeks old. This way, you will help him thrive and behave like an indoor cat should. You should also allow him to stay with his mother until he is four weeks old.
Newborn kittens still have a piece of umbilical cord on their belly. In addition, they may remain with their eyes closed for up to 7-14 days after birth.
If the incisors have grown, it is likely to be around two weeks old. If you notice any teeth behind the canines and incisors, where our molars grow, they are at least four weeks old. If he has all the teeth like an adult, he reckons he could be about four months old.
If a cat seems aggressive or hostile towards you, leave it alone.

Step 2. Capture the cat

You can't take a street cat with your bare hands. Stray cats are wild animals that must be handled with extreme caution. The best way to start taming such a cat is to try to trap it.

He may be hissing, fidgeting, and trying to scratch you, so it is best for him to vent inside the trap.
Use a special cat trap. Do not use those designed for other animals.
You can find some at local associations that deal with stray dogs.
Set the trap in a place where the cat spends a lot of time.
You could lure it inside with a lure, like some tuna or some other type of food.

Step 3. Take him to the vet for a checkup

Place the trap in the car on a blanket or tarp and take him to the vet. Feral cats can transmit a variety of diseases and typically have fleas and other parasites. It is best to cure these problems before taking it home.

Be careful not to touch it yet. You might not like it.
See your doctor right away if you get scratched or bitten.
Injuries caused by a cat can cause serious infections.
Place a tarp over the trap to make it feel more sheltered.

Step 4. Transfer the cat to a well-defined special area

Do not proceed if the vet has not yet given him the necessary care and has not given you the green light to take him home. It is best for the cat to spend the first few days in its new home in a confined area, so that it gets used to the new environment.

Use a pet carrier large enough to hold the litter box, bed, and food and water bowls.
Place the carrier in a room away from other family members and pets.
Leave it alone for at least two days before touching it.
Make sure she has enough food and water for two days.
Empty an entire pack of litter into its container.
Make sure he can't escape, otherwise he risks getting hurt or damaging your home.
It is understandable that in this period he is agitated.

Part 2 of 3: Socializing with the Cat

Step 1. Give him more and more space, gradually

Spend time near the pet carrier and speak in a reassuring voice until it sounds calmer as you approach it. When he gets used to your presence and no longer acts impetuously, allow him to move into more space. Let him out of the carrier and try to get him to move into a suitably organized cat-proof room.

Don't force him out, but let him spontaneously come to you.
Arrange a private hiding place for him to escape to to relieve stress. Make sure it's an accessible place for you too, so you can reach it when needed.
Make sure it doesn't have the ability to escape through entrances such as doors, windows or crevices.
If the environment is smaller, socialization will be better.
Advise your family members to be careful when entering the room to prevent the cat from running away.

Step 2. Enter the room with something good to eat

Try to stay a few hours to help the cat get used to your presence. You can persuade him to approach by leaving a trail of treats on the ground that will take him to where you are. Sit on the floor roughly at his height and be patient until he gets used to your presence.

Repeat this every day, perhaps for weeks, until the cat gets close enough to be touched.
Don't look him in the eye, or he'll interpret this as a threat.
Try lying on the ground to make him feel more comfortable. This way you will look smaller and less threatening.

Step 3. Consider attracting him by using his appetite to your advantage

If your cat still doesn't come close after several days, adjust how and when you feed it. Instead of bringing him the bowl and leaving the room, go in with the food and stay while he eats.

Keep the bowl close to you when you feed it.
When he's done, leave the room taking the bowl with you.
Don't let it starve, but be sure to feed it.
Also make sure he always has enough water.

Step 4. Approach the cat and pick him up

After a few days, most cats will approach you when they need to eat or receive some rewards. Therefore, it's time to take it one step further, making it feel safe when you pet and cuddle it. As he approaches, use a towel to lift him into your arms.

Lift it gently and carefully.
If it runs away or blows, try again the next day.
Never pick up a stray cat with your bare hands.
For safety, it is advisable to wear double jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of gloves.
Don't scare him or force him to interact. You will ruin the relationship of trust you are building.
When you hold the cat in your arms, try to give him some rewards.

Step 5. Caress his head from behind

Once picked up, gently stroke his head from behind. Talk to him in a reassuring voice. Touch your head and back for a few minutes.

If he resists, let him go.
Repeat this every day until he comes to you to get caught.
Never approach the front, otherwise it may scare you.
Always reward him for behaving well by giving him a few treats.

Step 6. Play with him every day

The last part of the domestication process can take up to a month or more. Keep working with him until he no longer shows any signs of fear or problems with being touched and caressed. Eventually he will feel comfortable in these circumstances.

Change your food and water every day.
Pick him up, stroke him and talk to him at least once a day.
He may be hyperactive for some time.
Invite your friends to visit him so that he gets used to the presence of people.
In the end, it will no longer be necessary to give him rewards when you pick him up.

Step 7. Keep it or give it up for adoption

Once the domestication period is over, the cat will be ready to live indoors. You can decide to keep it with you or take it to a cattery for someone else to adopt.

If you decide to keep it, be sure to have it spayed or neutered.
Gradually introduce them to other pets in the house.

Part 3 of 3: Spay the Cat and Set it Free

Step 1. Find out about the sterilization program

This program has been shown to be an effective method of containing the feline population, preventing it from expanding uncontrollably. Leaving cats to fend for themselves can be bad for both them and the neighborhood they live in.

Cats to be neutered do not necessarily have to be domesticated.
They will return to the outdoors, but will be much healthier after being spayed.
Check if there is already a sterilization program in place in your neighborhood.
Talk to the managers of a cattery or veterinarian in your city to learn about the resources available.

Step 2. Set up traps in places where you see stray cats

Use the special traps offered by animal welfare organizations. Place them in the streets, backyards or wherever you see large numbers of cats.

Capture them one at a time and help them go through the sterilization process.
Do not try to catch a cat with traps designed for other types of animals, otherwise it could injure itself.
Do not approach a stray cat and do not touch it with your bare hands.
If you are scratched or bitten, see your doctor immediately.

Step 3. Take the cat you caught to the vet

The vet will look for symptoms of diseases, fleas and other problems, but most importantly he will sterilize him so that he can no longer conceive. Once he is cured, the vet will put him in your care.

If you are participating in a sterilization program, some volunteer associations are likely to offer the operation and other medical care free of charge.
It is often customary to make a small hole in one of the cat's ears while it is under anesthesia. It is used to mark it as already sterilized.

Step 4. Take the cat back to the neighborhood

Bring it back to the same spot where you caught it, setting it free again. If you used to feed him, continue to feed him and allow him to live outdoors.

Don't force him to interact with you

Step 5. Repeat this with other stray cats

Continue the process until the feline colonies have shrunk and all cats have been spayed. Without help it could take several months.

Monitor the number of stray cats in your neighborhood to verify the success of your work.
Try to involve other neighbors in the sterilization program and increase the results.

Advice

Treat stray cats with respect and care.
Never move quickly or change your position when taming a cat, otherwise it may scare you.
Don't talk to him too much, as you might annoy him.
If a cat drops its ears and wags its tail for a long time, leave it alone.

Warnings

If a cat bites you, have a doctor examine the wounds.
A cat can scratch you, even severely injuring you, so be careful.
Never bring a stray cat indoors unless it has been vaccinated.
Know that a stray cat could have rabies or other illnesses, so make sure you take proper precautions.
If a stray cat repeatedly attacks people, you could report the incident to the competent authorities.
If you have other cats in the house, be sure to have them get the boosters for vaccinations.