This stray mother came in our backyard and had 6 kittens. Now I am feeding it and taking care of them. How cam I make it so they can trust me enough to get close to them. they have eaten like 4 or 5 feet away from me but I want to make it so they can trust me. any advise?
2007-08-19 15:36:07 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
slowly start putting the food closer and closer to your home. If they continue to come, they trust you. If not, just continue to feed them until they do. It may take time.
2007-08-19 15:44:15 · answer #1 · answered by on_a_need2know_basis 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Food, treats, a regular pattern of behavior.
Kittens pick up on a food call right away, so every time you go out with some extras and call, put the food down and back away and wait. They'll associate you with food and good stuff especially if you're doing this every time you see them out the window (at least the batch we were feeding did!)
I would go out 4 or 5 times a day, and call, put the food down and they knew to come running. Over time we were able to pet 2 of the 5 without problems. The others were warier but they were pretty relaxes within a few feet of us.
2007-08-19 16:54:38 · answer #2 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Keep feeding them so they come back. After you lay out the food, just sit there next to the food. They will be very hungry and sooner or later will just say "Screw it I'm hungry I don't care about that guy sitting there anymore!" Then they will eat and realize that you are not much of a threat and they will begin to trust you more.
Or you can use ham. Hold it to them loosely with your fingers so they don't eat it directly from your hand, like from your palm or something.
You can also try leaving your door open and putting the food in your doorway, so you can bring them in as they are eating...or most likely they will just make themselves welcomed to coming inside. Just let them see you almost everyday so they can get used to you and soon want to "meet" you in a way.
2007-08-19 15:45:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
When this wild cat flies on you like a spider monkey and bites a hole in your head, you might reconsider how good of an idea this was. Call animal control and have them trap the strays or get a dog. I trust that would solve your cat issue. It is pretty nice of you to setup a little cat welfare system.
P
2007-08-19 15:46:57 · answer #4 · answered by PK 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Mom may never fully trust you. She's making sure her baby's get fed but will not allow them any closer then she gets.
Sounds like she may be a farrow cat. If you try to get them into your house mom wouldn't know what to do and may get very scared.
They aren't used to living in a house.
Best to feed them them from a distance. Mom obviously prefers it that way. She knows what she's doing.
Enjoy your time with mom and her family while they are there.
She may soon decide to move on.
2007-08-19 16:05:06 · answer #5 · answered by Eagles Fly 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
My parents had this same problem a couple months ago. A stray and her 4 kittens were living under their back deck. We fed them and eventually we would be outside by the food dishes (remaining virtually motionless) and the cats would slowly come to eat....Eventually they would rub up against us and slowly we would move our hands to try to pat them while eating....Now they trust us and we are able to pat them....I took one of them home and he is such a great kitten...
2007-08-19 15:48:37 · answer #6 · answered by Diggs 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋