How to Tame a Stray Cat?

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

Lately, there has been a Siamese cat walking around our porch. I just watched also go into the barn, eat some food, drink water, and leave. The horses and goats didnt seem threatened by him/her, and Bentley has a REALLY big issue with cats, so it suprised me he didnt want to lash out at it.

My family and I have noticed that the cat is smaller than a normal house cat, and its really skinny. It looks really young, but its really skittish, possibly a stray. Its a wonder my neighbors free-roaming dogs havent found it yet.

I live in the middle of the woods where deer, racoons and other varmits will eat almost anything i put out, especially horse food and alfalfa.

Our plan is to hopefully attract the cat to our house with food, and everynight put food out. Then, after a while maybe it will wait for the food and we can walk out on the porch and lay it there. When the cat sees US putting out food, maybe it wont be skittish (or as skittish) as it is now of us. Then, MAYBE I can tame it down, though,

I have never had any experience with cats of any kind, as i have never really liked them like i do horses and dogs. But i feel really bad for the cat because its really skinny. So, any expertise is welcome!

I guess my questions are,

Has anybody ever been in the same senario i am? How have you/ do you tame a cat? Is there a way i can put food out for the cat and not have any varmits eat it before the cat does?

Thanks,

Bailey

 

[Bess Kelly]

Patience.

As you say, they are skittish and run off. If you can quietly go out and put food in a spot while it sees you, then, back of/leave to let it eat, you will probably find they associate you and food rather quickly, then they "tolerate" you to be able to eat. Slowly retreat less and let it begin to come to the food with you closer -- soon it will come to you. Oh, I'd suggest you talk softly each time, a consistant call to it to calm and associate you/food/cat, etc.

I have two feral ones who wandered to my farm.......now able to touch and call, they come, etc. One if very lovey now and was quite young when found...(later learned it was a feral that had been caught, neutered, returned to neighbors farm & ran off -- lucky me!) Other is /was older and decided he was staying, no mater what. He is not about being loving but can be caught and cautiously petted. Occassionally he will swat at you if you pet....other, not so.

Good luck. They generally make good mousers as they've "had" to learn to hunt. Oh, I suggest you do not leave food out and only feed them, then remove any not eaten. It helps that they associate you and easy meal. Then other critters eating will be reduced. Soon you'll find them there AM & PM with a meow!

 

[shorthorsemom]

I set up a feeding station. I feed dry food mostly but if I anticipate having to trap and neuter I get them "hooked" on wet food. I set up a trap and tie the door open and let them come and go freely. Then i set the trap to capture. Once neutered and vaccinated I recover the cats..return them outside and continue to feed and provide shelter. I buy used igloo shelters at auction for winter. I manage two feral colonies here. They are well cared for and as a bonus they help me keep the mice away. Eventually my feral cats become friendly if you respect their need for you to move quietly and not invade their space. Don't pick them up..but your soft voice and kindness will be rewarded by leg rubbing and they will enjoy following you around. Some get very friendly..some love you from a distance. Love my strays. They need special love and understanding ..someone broke their trust by dumping them..or the truly wild ones born wild never learned to trust but can be taught. Takes time but worth it. Bless the folks at forgotten cats that have helped us with their trap neuter release program to save so many cats we have dropped every year here on our farm.. best wishes with your new little buddy.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Ps..if the Kitty is small...probably is a baby..should be neutered sometime.. most vets notch the ear of neutered strays before they release them again.. so if your Kitty has normal ears pretty good odds is not neutered.

 

[Ashley]

Shorthorse I have never heard of that. I have fixed about 15 strays not one had this done.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I think if you are bringing in strays of your own colony you can ask for no tipping.. around here all strays captured by the volunteers are ear tipped when neutered. This is the only way folks can tell which cats have been done and allows the trappers to set free cats already neutered and released. Without tipping they waste time knocking out and checking for spay scars. All the rescues around here tip..but not mandatory for folks that bring in their own foundlings. For my own colony I request no tipping on the odd colored ones that I know by name. Problem is that often you have cats so similar in color and size that without tipping..tracking the neutered ones would be next to impossible. We are a farm set in the middle of a bunch of mcmansions and we get a lot of dropped cats. Often we get one dropped that matches the color of a resident cat.. I call them my changelings. I think if you take a cat in yourself they don't tip but if they trap and neuter they tip. Any not tipped I would trap and have them checked. Some ear tips are subtle and is just a small shortening of one ear tip. I have trapped neuterered and released many kitties. The ones that are adoptable I find homes for..the rest I provide food shelter and care for. Never ending battle taking care of the critters dumped here. I feel sorriest for the house cats and kittens that have no outdoor instincts. My mother in law adopted a kitten that somebody tossed out of a car window infront of my house. Sad.

 

[Danielle_E.]

Patience.

As you say, they are skittish and run off. If you can quietly go out and put food in a spot while it sees you, then, back of/leave to let it eat, you will probably find they associate you and food rather quickly, then they "tolerate" you to be able to eat. Slowly retreat less and let it begin to come to the food with you closer -- soon it will come to you. Oh, I'd suggest you talk softly each time, a consistant call to it to calm and associate you/food/cat, etc.

I have two feral ones who wandered to my farm.......now able to touch and call, they come, etc. One if very lovey now and was quite young when found...(later learned it was a feral that had been caught, neutered, returned to neighbors farm & ran off -- lucky me!) Other is /was older and decided he was staying, no mater what. He is not about being loving but can be caught and cautiously petted. Occassionally he will swat at you if you pet....other, not so.

Good luck. They generally make good mousers as they've "had" to learn to hunt. Oh, I suggest you do not leave food out and only feed them, then remove any not eaten. It helps that they associate you and easy meal. Then other critters eating will be reduced. Soon you'll find them there AM & PM with a meow!

The above is exactly what I have done with 5 cats that have shown up here and yes it takes time and patience. Let the cat eventually come to you and don't rush it. The only added thing I did when feeding was I would put the food down and go sit at a distance. The cat may not go to the dish when you are sitting there the first couple of times, but stay a few minutes anyway. As time goes on and the cat does go to eat while you are there start to sit a little closer. As people are saying patience and persistence will work.

 

[chandab]

Around here tipping isn't the best form of marking fixed barn kitties, I have many that have tipped ears due to fights and winter weather. The spay-neuter clinic I took several cats to last year used tatoo ink to mark the incision (the ink used to tatoo cow ears for bangs vaccination), so all those females have a green line on their belly (hard to see before shaving, but easy to see before cutting).

 

[shorthorsemom]

Marking incision for me would never work. I trap..transport and they use anesthesia before handling. Imagine the time wasted in all that on a cat already neutered. They way they tip the ear could never be mistaken for a fight or anything else. They are very easy to identify.

 

[chandab]

Marking incision for me would never work. I trap..transport and they use anesthesia before handling. Imagine the time wasted in all that on a cat already neutered. They way they tip the ear could never be mistaken for a fight or anything else. They are very easy to identify.

How are the ears tipped? I have two barn cats that have lost the top half of their ears; probably more actually, but two stick out in my mind.

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

Never heard of tipping ears? I dont know anything about cats LOL! I just need some cheap cat food, any suggestions?

 

[shorthorsemom]

They used to do them rounded...now they are perfectly straight across. Come to think of it..they might mark the belly inscision too.. but I cant be sure.. most of my strays would never let you look at their belly's..but that might be standard procedure id have to ask the person who helps me transport cats to the clinic if they belly mark. I have worked with more than one organization but all tip the ears. Really doesn't matter if it is a cat you are familiar with though. I have requested a few not be tipped if it is one I would never miss. Some of my tabbys and solid black look so much alike. I thought I had all mine neutered a few weeks ago I saw that I had an intact male left..he is now fixed and vaccinated. I try to keep up so I will never get behind again. It can be frustrating. We get dogs dumped off here too. Sigh.

 

[chandab]

Never heard of tipping ears? I dont know anything about cats LOL! I just need some cheap cat food, any suggestions?

Spay/neuter clinics will snip the tip of the ear to mark the fixed cats (barn cats, feral cats, etc; not pet cats).

Not the cheapest and not the best, but for decent grocery store cat food that they'll eat and get something out of I buy 9-Lives, Alley Cat (this one is usually the cheapest), Purina Cat Chow; for most of the barn cats I buy Tuffy's Dinnertime Cat at the elevator (feed store). We've tried a few others, but either the cats refused to eat it or its just so cheap that there are too many fillers and the food is just total crap.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I buy what's on sale from tractor supply. When I am trying to win trust or encourage one into the trap so I can neuter I splurge on some canned food