How to tame a domestic cat
Before you take any action, it is worth understanding why the cat behaves in a certain way. The reasons may vary. If an animal behaves antisocially, this may just be part of its character, and you will have to come to terms with the fact that your four-legged friend will not ask you to play with it and will not come to rub against your face in search of affection.
When an animal has been stressed and has had a bad experience with people, it will have to work hard to replace the bad experience with a new good one.
If the pet does not go into your arms, but does not refuse contact with you, you can try to tame it and offer new forms of communication that will be pleasant for both you and it.
It is worth noting that if you take on the task of re-educating a kitten, the process will be easier: children are inquisitive and quickly adapt to new conditions (in about 2 weeks). When it comes to an adult cat, you should be prepared for the process to take a month or more: a lot depends on the character of the pet and your patience.
Five ways to connect with your cat
To make the task easier, I offer you five ways to help improve your relationship with your pet.
Create a comfortable space
Create a comfortable relaxation area where you can gain strength and feel safe. This place should be away from drafts and dampness, inaccessible to small children and dogs, and preferably located on a hill, because cats like to assess the situation by having an overview.
The feeding area must also be protected from encroachment by other individuals. Don't skip meal times and talk to your pet while doing so. Let him understand that man is not an enemy because you feed him. You may need to temporarily place the bowls and litter box in the same room to make your pet feel more secure.
The basic need for safety and comfort must be satisfied.
Stay within your pet's field of vision
The cat will understand that it is safe to live next to a person if it sees that you are not encroaching on its territory. To do this, try staying in the same room for 10-15 minutes continuously, minding your own business. And so several times a day.
Talk to the animal from time to time and call it by name. This procedure is especially useful if trust has been lost. This is how we restored our relationship with the cat after her long stay in the hospital, because the once affectionate pet refused to communicate with us. She needed time to get used to the house and us again.
Don't violate personal boundaries
The most important rule: do not try to pet a cat or pick it up if it doesn't want to. The best way to accustom her to hands is to show that these hands feed her and do not bring danger.
Leave your pet alone, offer toys, and leave some food and clean water freely available.
Don't make noise, make sudden movements, or play loud music.
The animal will independently explore the room or even the house when it is ready. Don't stop him from doing this. If you have several four-legged friends in your home, read my article on how to make friends with cats.
Prove that it is safe and interesting to be with you
As your cat becomes more interested in your home, she will become more interested in you and become accustomed to your scent. If you see that the pet is not against contact (does not hide or make threatening sounds), offer contact yourself. For example, sit down next to him and extend your hand to him. The animal may want to sniff you or even rub against you.
If there is no reaction, try placing a treat in your palm and offer it. This is a good way to prove that the owner’s hand brings only positive emotions.
Another option for bonding is to invite your pet to play together. Don't insist on playing if he doesn't want to, and don't get upset if he doesn't make contact. This means he needs more time. Continue to take care of him and regularly offer to get closer.
Offer rapprochement
If an animal sniffs your hand and comes close to you, try petting it lightly. When your pet wants to lie down next to you, hug him or place your palm on him.
Not all cats like to lie under a blanket or on a pillow, but many like comfortable places. To teach the cat to sleep with me, I put a small pillow on the bed, on which she spent the whole night. If the cat wanted, she came to me and lay down next to me. I really appreciated these moments, and little by little we became closer.
Benefit - and that’s all!
Both people and animals need walks in the fresh air. There is no need to think, if cats are purely domestic creatures, then they like to sit within four walls all their lives. This is wrong. They also want fresh air from time to time. Any outing outside will be useful for a cat, as they are very curious animals.
Of course, it will be easiest to accustom small kittens to walks and harnesses - it is easiest for them to adapt to a new environment for them. Adaptation for kittens is a real game! Adult cats and cats, of course, can also be taught to walk, but you should be patient.
How to tame an outdoor cat
Attempts to start a friendship with a street cat may be dictated by the desire to adopt it for a life together, the desire to help it survive or provide medical assistance.
Various animals live on the street: wild, semi-wild and feral. Wild cats most often do not make contact - they are not familiar with humans, so they are dangerous and difficult to tame. Semi-wild animals are familiar with people, and although they are not allowed to be handled, they approach a person and allow themselves to be fed. Feral cats are the most defenseless inhabitants of the streets, because they came to the wild urban jungle from the comfort of their owner’s home. Such cats are tamed very quickly.
I suggest you immediately determine the goal: why do you want to tame a street animal and will this cause him harm? Think about it: is it really safe to have a relationship with this cat? I recommend reading the article How to Catch a Cat, which will help you easily catch the animal and help it. If your goal is to provide medical care, entrust the catch to special services.
I propose to consider several ways to help tame an outdoor cat.
Help me get used to you
An animal should set you apart from the gray mass of people. People can be dangerous - this is true, so it is important that the cat remembers you by the tone and timbre of your voice, as well as by smell. To do this, you need to be close to the cat, preferably at the same level, and talk to it.
Don’t try to get closer on your own, it won’t lead to anything good, at least at first. Give time to get used to the fact that there is a person nearby and this presence does not cause harm.
Offer food
Bring some food with you. If the animal has gone without food for a long time or has been on a poor diet, an abundance of food can worsen its condition, so offer small portions, but often.
If your cat is holed up in a hard-to-reach area, move the food as close to her as possible and move away. Do not stand over the animal while feeding, move away from it, but be in sight.
If you see that your cat is feral or semi-feral, invite her to take a treat from your open palm. Be prepared for the fact that not all pets know how to carefully take food from their hands.
During feeding, do not establish contact: do not pick him up or try to stroke him. Try to avoid sudden movements and noise.
Arrange the place
If possible, set up a place where your pet can feel comfortable. For example, take a spacious box and place rags made from natural materials inside. Place the structure near the cat's location.
When the animal gets used to your presence and expects feeding time, you can attract it to its new home with food or other treats. Place a bowl of food in the box and show the way to it by scattering a trail of treats.
Suggest a contact
Only after the pet feels comfortable, is confident in its safety and the availability of food, will it perhaps want to make contact.
You can help this happen by slowly holding out your open palm to the cat. The animal will sniff it and you can try to touch it.
After some time, try the procedure again, only this time pet your pet several times. When contact is achieved, you can take your pet to live in an apartment or leave it to live in a comfortable house, but be sure to take care of warmth and food!
Provide your pet with comfort
A pet that has lived on the street will have a hard time adapting to an apartment or house, especially if you already have other animals. Be prepared for the fact that now you need to pay more attention to the newcomer, and your task is to make his stay in the new home comfortable and safe.
The animal must have individual dishes, a separate place to rest and its own tray. Foreign smells will only interfere with adaptation. Some recommend pouring soil into the tray for the first time - this will make the cat more accustomed to relieving itself.
Leave your pet alone with the house for at least a few hours: give him the opportunity to sniff things, find a safe place to rest and get used to the environment. Avoid loud noises and isolate your pet from small children and dogs.
Next, try to use the tips that are contained in the first half of the article and are applicable for domestic cats.
Further domestication
First of all, a new pet needs to be trained to use the tray. According to a number of reviews, many adult animals master this science very quickly. They just need to show the litter tray - it's natural for them to do their business where they can dig.
If you have adopted a kitten or an “untrained” adult animal, put it in the tray as soon as it begins to characteristically sniff the floor and paddle. You can additionally spray the cat's litter box with a pheromone spray (available in pet stores) or place a rag there that you used to wipe up urine in the “wrong” place. When the animal goes into the tray, praise and treat it.
Do not scold or punish your pet under any circumstances until it is completely comfortable. “Captivity” is already a great stress for him, and the aggressive attitude of the owners will cause even greater rejection. Play with the animal more often using a candy wrapper or other toys - this will help to establish contact faster.
If your kitten bites, distract him with a toy. You can carefully insert your finger deeper into the mouth to create unpleasant associations with the bite. You can also wean your baby from biting using a ratchet: keep it with you and shake it over the animal at the moment of the bite. If the kitten gets scared, pick him up.
Do not provoke the animal by using your palm in play (for example, by slowly moving it near the kitten and offering to “hunt”). Your hands should be associated with affection and treats, but not with prey.
Please note that a pet who has suffered bullying or beatings in the past may forever remain distrustful and fearful of strangers.
How to protect yourself
Friends, I want to remind you that cats are descendants of wild animals and are guided by instincts. Sometimes even pets we know well behave unpredictably. If you see that the cat is aggressive and is not in the mood to get closer, do not provoke it! Leave the animal in the room and wait out this moment. You might find my article on how to calm a cat useful.
To protect yourself from scratches and wounds, wear thick clothing with long sleeves. If you go to tame a street dweller, it doesn’t hurt to wear gloves and take with you regular cardboard, which you can use to scare away the cat (with noise and sudden movement) if something goes wrong. Stay away from wild animals. If they need help, call animal control or contact volunteers.
After contact with street cats, disinfect your hands.
