How to get feral cats to trust us

[sfreeman8]

We have a female cat, very tiny, but an adult. It took us 2 years to get her to trust us but she won't come in the house and every quick movement or someone coming to the house, she runs and hides. We didn't know where she was living but noticed she was pregnant. We saw her go across the street and up the bank every day. She had her kittens but couldn't follow her to where she was hiding them. We were worried that she would have a problem since I don't think she weighed more than 10 lb. and was only about 8" high.

Well, she must trust us enough now because she brought her babies to us during the night and they are living under a tarp that covers a steel pile. There are 4 of them and they are already almost as big as momma.  She is now training them in the art of eating real food.

They are just as skittish and hide under the tarp if they notice us standing there. I love the one, who is a really pretty smoky gray color. The other 3 are tiger stripped with white boots and chest. I'd really like to catch them all, get momma fixed, de-worm and de-flea the babes, and find them good homes.

I wish I could get down on the ground and just sit there but I can't or else I won't be able to get back up. i know we are giants to them and that's probably what scares them the most. We are starting to put dry food out for them. Momma is finicky and won't eat the dry food. She only eats human food and canned tuna or chicken cat food.  We don't want the kittens eating canned food in case we can't find homes for them.

Any ideas? Do we stay patient and hope?

[6265AT99]

Well, first of all God Bless you for caring.  Maybe you could do some research or contact a local Pet Smart cause I know they have people who take feral cats in, get them fixed and then put them up for adoption when they are old enough.  My son adopted his "little" girl from them so I know first hand they take good care of the animals.  Good luck hope they all get great loving homes.

[lguzman1]

I don't have a cat, but thank you for the information. I did have a dog that was so needy and I didn't know how to go about it.

[countrygirl12]

I would go outside and sit quietly maybe read a book.  Put a bowl of milk (you can use goat milk as well) or mashed up moist food something that will entice them to come to you.  Move the bowls closer to you each time you do this and ignore them when they come to the bowl.  So they start to trust you.  Sitting on the ground will make you lower and seem like less of a threat.

I snagged 3 kittens (we assume the mom died.  we left milk and moist food out and she didn't touch it for 2 days so I assume she was no longer in the picture).  I played a video on youtube of a momma cat meowing for her babies.  One by one they came out from under what they were hiding under and I snagged them and stuffed them in a crate.  They trusted me pretty quick when I brought the bottle with formula out. lol.  And my 4 year old boy cat loved them to death.  So yes I have all 4 of them, in the house, now. lol

[alaskakaren]

Food is all I  an really think. Put the bowl closer and closer to you and then no food til they kindof beg for it...

[taj75657]

Where I live cats seem to congregate. They are feral but just going about your business and letting them be usually gets them to feel more safe in your presence. Many of which become pregnant far too soon and drag their babies to my door step. I let them be until I notice they are net getting any attention or milk from the mom. That's when I take them in nurse them back to good health and raise them myself. The outdoor feral cats have since left, but all my cats came to me in this way. It takes a lot of time, energy and effort to nurse kittens round the clock hoping all the while that they make it. We've had a few that just couldn't. My 4 are thriving. I wouldn't give them up for anything. So if you are wanting the responsibility of the cat's life let it come to you, don't try to go after it. If you do somewhat domesticate them make sure you can care for them. Otherwise they are better off feral, surviving by their own instinct rather than depending on the human intervention or lack of.

[michele2042]

I believe what others have said with food being the best option.   Perhaps you can place a chair near where they are hiding and sit in it for awhile with the food close by, the next day move the food a bit closer to you and so on.   I don't really have any other answers but would like to thank you for being such a caring animal person.   So many folks would ignore the situation and here you are trying to get them to come to you so you can care for their needs.

Maybe a small humane cat trap?   Have you called anyone about the situation?

[cathy37]

I agree with the other posts about sitting quietly and putting out something for them to eat and move it closer to you each day so they will trust you.

[sherryinutah]

I spent time feeding stray cats and my experience led me to believe that....

If you're kind, patient and caring enough to support their survival they will eventually trust you enough to be close to you.

The feral cat I was feeding eventually felt comfortable enough to climb into my lap and shove her little face into my neck.  Also, cats need to do things when they're ready and they insist on having things on their own terms. 

 

[countrygirl12]

I spent time feeding stray cats and my experience led me to believe that....

If you're kind, patient and caring enough to support their survival they will eventually trust you enough to be close to you.

The feral cat I was feeding eventually felt comfortable enough to climb into my lap and shove her little face into my neck.  Also, cats need to do things when they're ready and they insist on having things on their own terms. 

 

Not necessarily.  My aunt feeds stray cats.  She called the animal shelter and they came and trapped them and fixed them (no kittens this way) and brought them back and she said she would feed them.  And she does.  They lay on the porch, in beds she has, have plenty to eat.  But you are insane if you get to thinking you can actually pet on of them.  She lives out in the county and there are woods and stuff around her so they have it pretty good.

[JediJohnnie]

There are traps you can use to capture them. I don't know how you would go about finding these traps, but that's what my family used. Otherwise, baiting them in with food is pretty much your only other option.  All cats are different. Some are naturally affectionate. Others will come around in time. Some are always going to be wary, and thus be careful around them!

[carolhall1031]

Just have to be quiet and no fast moves.  Whatever has scared them in the beginning usually stays with them their whole life.  I "adopted" cat that was two years old.  Her previous owners were abusive and that dear little cat was scared the whole rest of her life.

[sfreeman8]

Yesterday, momma cat walked about a foot in the house. Of course, "daddy" was there. He feeds all of them. I stayed outside where they are hiding and one kitten was brave enough to walk between my legs and starting playing with my pants leg, but when I reached to pet it, it ran away.

Today, momma cat is mad at me because I touched her baby yesterday. So I have named her Miss Snooty. I had to go to her and start petting her slowly but she wouldn't look at me, so I know she's mad. There is a beautiful dark, smokey gray kitten that seems very curious about me, but won't come near yet. He/she does watch me.

I never had so much trouble with feral cats. I had tamed plenty of them in earlier years. I wish I could sit on the ground. I can get down, but I can't get back up with my leg.  In fact, I'd scare them away just trying to get down because it would have to be a "plop boom" style.

Live traps are available from the SPCA but they're horrible people in my area. They would catch and euthanize them rather than allow the babies to be adopted. They also lie a lot. I won't go into all of it, but I've had a few run-ins with them over the years as had other people we know, for no good reason. They've stolen pets from fenced in yards if they happen to go by your house and don't see you with them. Doesn't matter if they are house pets and you just put them out to do their business.  A lot more.

I guess all we can do is keep trying. I want them in some sort of shelter by winter. We used to have a nice dog box for our last outside dog but hubby just broke it apart this past winter because nothing was using it. As he says, we'll just have to hope that they either trust us by then and keep doing what we're doing and we'll be the proud owner of 5 cats, or they'll leave and hope they don't get killed on the road.

[colbtrist]

I would say feed them at the same time everyday and talk softly and be patient.

[sak4kat]

Where we last lived the neighbor fed feral cat's.  We had cats all over the place.  Never paid attention to them and I suppose that's how we ended up with them living under our tub.  Somehow Mamma figured out a route under the building and she brought her babies one by one to our apartment.  All of hours of the night we heard meowing.  Drove us crazy.  My husband started boarding up and blocking any entrance he could find... within a week or so she had relocated the babies to another apartment... under a little girls bedroom.  I don't think any of those kittens survived.  We lived along a highway... cayote's and racoons were normal to see in our backyard.