There is a stray cat that has been living around my backyard for a very long time now. The first few times i saw it, we fed it cat food and tried to pet it, but it would always run away. Now its been a very long time since and its really skinny. I want to try to help it, but it always runs away when I approach it as slowly and gently. What can I do?
2006-07-31 19:22:17 · 13 answers · asked by mrxxbrian 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
You have a feral cat there, It won't let you pet it. If you are worried about it, just leave some cat food out at night and it will eat it. Feral cats are almost impossible to tame, most of them have been born in the wild because of stupid people who dump their pregnant cats. Makes me so mad I could just spit, I have a bunch out feral cats at my school where I teach, I have a trailer classroom and they live under it. I feed them daily, but I know I will never truly get to touch them.
2006-07-31 19:32:24 · answer #1 · answered by b_friskey 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First off, if the cat is dangerously thin; you should see if there is an animal rescue shelter in your area who would catch the cat and get it back to a healthy state. That being said, cats that run have usually been mistreated. I've had good luck with putting tuna and skim milk in bowls just off my deck and sitting on the bottom step. When the cat comes up to eat, do NOT make any attempts to move toward it or pet it. You'll have to do this several times and hopefully the cat will see you as non-threatening and become more trusting. It's worked for me every time.
2006-07-31 19:37:37 · answer #2 · answered by browneyedgirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's really strange...everytime I fed a stray cat they never went away. Would always cry and want to come inside. I could never get rid of them after that. But let's see here. Maybe if you leave food and water outside every day it will just come and eat. Eventually I am sure it will grow to understand that you are only trying to help. Maybe it has been abused. Try getting some long string and see if it will play with you. No matter how hard cats try...they will eventually come around to playing with it. Oh, and I am not sure what kind of food you feed it, but cats seem to like the canned stuff way better.
2006-07-31 19:29:59 · answer #3 · answered by HeavenLee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what I do to attract a stray cat.. Put food and water where the cat can get to it .Make sure the food and water are fresh, at all times..Don't expect the cat to come to you,any time soon.don't try to pet ,or catch it to hold. you have to earn the cat's trust.walk around outside where the cat is ,but; not close to the cat ,but from a distance, don't look the cat in the eye, it will scare it away.. one way you might can catch it is to use a pet carrier. Put it outside with food in it, about the time you usually see the cat. if you see it go into the carrier, close the door and you've got your cat.lol... The cat probably has fleas and worms, the reason it is so thin...Good luck!
2006-07-31 20:07:05 · answer #4 · answered by flwrchld68 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Every day put food and water out for the cat to eat. If you keep doing this on a regular basis it will warm up to you. And you could always just sit outside and wait for it to come up to the food bowl then snatch it, but you got to be prepared for it to claw you and bite. Stray cats like them have probably been abused at one point in its life, so he might think your going to kick him or something. I always just tried to feed it the can cat food and usually after a couple of weeks they're mine.
2006-07-31 19:49:49 · answer #5 · answered by Brandy S 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
put a big bowl of milk out and wait until it has drank a bit of it then slowly, taking 1 step at a time, go closer to it. then pet it gently. if it runs away, back up a few steps and wait for it to come back and do the came thing. try that for awhile and she will be tame in no time...cats cant resist milk!! remeber to be patient and dont make any sudden movements
2006-07-31 20:15:24 · answer #6 · answered by RebelChild69 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Poor kitty! The cat you are feeding is definitely feral, and very wary of humans (probably with good reason). I would also say if you want to help and/or keep the kitty to get a cat trap (you may be able to get one from a cat rescue or the humane society) and bait it with food. Then you can have it neutered or spayed so it doesn't contribute further to the overpopulation if you want to keep it outside.
Thank goodness for people like you! Both my cats are feral rescues. :) Good luck!
2006-07-31 19:42:09 · answer #7 · answered by Lostmydammind 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well keep on feeding it, but you have to leave it alone until the cat gets used to you. I do this with all the stray cats in my neighborhood.
2006-07-31 19:29:12 · answer #8 · answered by Manmar 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is probably a feral cat. set up a trap. take it to the humane society. It might seem harsh but it is much preferred over slow starvation.
2006-07-31 19:29:36 · answer #9 · answered by theinfalliblenena 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
keep leaving food out for it, hopefully you can gain it's trust. if after a week or so you still can't catch her you might want to call animal control to get her
2006-08-01 00:03:42 · answer #10 · answered by macleod709 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋