The cats are from lonely nature and if they are not used to human contact they can be very distrustful. You may find yourself in the situation of having to tame a cat if you have recently welcomed a cat that comes from a shelter or if you have found a kitten or a wild adult cat that you want to tame.
It can be a long task and requires a lot of patience. Also, if it is a cat that is not used to human, you have to be very cautious because it could be dangerous.
In this article we will explain how to tame a wild cat step by step with useful and simple tricks:
Before starting, it will be fundamental understand the psychology of a wild cat:
Cats can be fearful for various reasons, even if they are wild or not, and the process of taming can take more or less time according to the cat’s previous experience with humans and according to its particular character.
- The tamed cats that they have lost their home and that they are now street cats could be easier to tame than completely wild cats, but you have to follow the same stages.
- Un completely wild cat He has never had contact with the human and it is important not to give this cat reasons to be afraid: if he has a positive experience with you he could become completely domesticated, but if you scare him or try to capture him you could traumatize him.
- The most difficult to tame are those who have had a previous negative experience with humans, whether they are wild or not. Those experiences can be something terrible like the abuse or they can be something more innocent: for example if some children that you played have run behind the cat chasing it. If a cat was traumatized it could never be caught in the arms or even caressed, but you can have it as a pet because its behavior could improve over the years.
- The puppies and young cats they are the easiest to tame, except in some special cases: for example if a puppy lost its mother it is better to wait until it has a few 6 months to adopt it. Very small kittens require special care and more elaborate socialization.
Once we understand that the process of taming a cat can be more or less complicated we owebserve the character of the cat:
The first days you can simply observe the cat and its body language: the ears back, the pupils dilated, goings and turns of the tail, curved back, bristling hair are signs of anger: the cat feels threatened and will defend itself .
If it is a wild cat it is important Do not take risks to your health: the signs of rabies can be very varied, but if you see a cat that seems aggressive, disoriented and with convulsions or paralysis you should call the 112 and avoid approaching the cat for your own health.
The third step will be let the cat get used to us:
We are going to allow him to get used to our presence: we approach a little and we will sit down and speak to him in a calm voice so that he gets used to our voice, and at the same time we can throw some food. During this stage it is important not to try to touch or catch the cat. After about 3 days, we can try to get a little closer, at the same time we throw food to the cat, if his body language is aggression or fear, we should give him more time and not get close.
The fundamental thing of this step is to gain the confidence of the animal, at its rhythm.
If the cat seems very fearful and distrustful we can use a spray with pheromones that we can spray in the house so that it feels more comfortable or around us if it is a wild cat. But we should avoid using the spray in front of the cat because the spray noise could scare you.
When the cat allows us to get closer without showing signs of fear or aggressiveness, we can get close enough while eating. And we caress the cat with a long spoon or spatula, this allows us to create a contact but at the same time keep a distance so that the cat does not feel threatened. It may take a few tries or a few days for the cat accept these caresses. If the cat runs away, it is important not to run after him, we will try later.
Now it’s time to establish direct contact with the cat:
To caress a rough cat for the first time, it is preferable to wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, to minimize the risk of scratches and bites.
Once we have caressed the cat with a long spoon for a while, we can caress it with the hand over the head, and on the shoulders, but we should avoid caressing the lower area of the head and belly of a cat that is not yet completely tamed.
When we believe that the cat trusts us enough and when the cat seems relaxed and calm, we try to take it inside a towel or a blanket after having caressed it several times. It may take more or less time to get to this stage, according to the cat, and some very rough cats will never let themselves be caught in the arms. If the cat tries to escape when we already have it, we should let it go because it could harm us or it could traumatize it and cancel all the efforts that we have already done with the cat.
Over time your cat will get used to you more and more and will let you pet it or catch it when it trusts you. It is important to understand that if you are dealing with a cat that is very wild and distrustful, it can take a lot of time and a lot of patience.
Now is the time to know some tips to adopt street cats that you offer. Among them you will find veterinary visits and many other questions that some adopters ask themselves How do you look like.
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