How to get a cat to like you

How to get a new cat to like you? How to get a stray cat to like and trust you? How to get a cat to come to you?

I’m going to answer these questions in this post, from experience of feeding feral cats for many years and having four feral cats living in my house.

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How to get a feral cat to come to you

Can you get a cat to like you? Sure. Put cats food in a a bowl and walk away. Do this for a while until the cat seems more at ease with you. Stand a bit closer to it every day, but not if it seems nervous.

It may take a long time for the feral cat to trust you, and it depends on the cat’s personality. It’ll take longer with a very frightened cat.

Sit down so the cat won’t be intimidated, and stay at a distance for long periods of time. This takes time and patience. You can read a book or play with a tablet. Avoid looking at the cat too much. Cats know when someone watches them, and it makes a cat who doesn’t know you nervous.

After a while, when the cat gets used to you, you can start taking to it. Place cats treats at a distance, and when the cat seems comfortable and not so afraid, put the treats closer and closer to you.

You can also put a nice, soft cats toy somewhere where the cat can reach it and then walk away. Put it closer and closer each time, until you can actually hand it to the cat and hold it under the cat’s nose. Let it take the toy from your hand.

Choose the right cat

I have four feral cats living in my house, three of which have been adopted as adult cats. My Amiga won’t get off my lap. She loves being petted but won’t let me rub her stomach. Princessa rubs against me but won’t let me pet her. Hazelnut lets me pet her but almost never sits on my lap, and she’s been with me since age five weeks. Chocolate Paws won’t let me go near him, but he only shows up for mealtimes, and not every day.

Each cat has a different personality. Choose a cat that’s not too skittish. Some feral cats are actually friendly to strangers, although this is rare. I’ve had a feral cat jump on my lap while waiting for the bus, and he let me pet him.

Even if a cat is scared of strangers, she can still be a lap cat. My Amiga is scared of strangers. But a cat who’s very anxious, like my Princessa, may not allow petting. Princessa only allows me to pet her when she rubs against me, and only from the middle back and down, and she hisses sometimes when I do that. She’d claw me to death if I as much as try to touch her head or ears.

How to get a feral cat to trust you

You don’t want to scare the cat away with loud noise or too much moving. Be as quiet and still as possible.

Let the cat come to you. Wait until she seems comfortable with your presence and with being close to you, and then call her over and tap you hip gently. It’s an invitation for the cat to sit on your lap.

Don’t make too much eye contact. It scares cats.

Blink at the cat slowly. It soothes them.

When the cat seems comfortable with you being near, hold your finger to her nose and let her sniff you.

How to get a cat to let you pet it?

Wait until the cat rubs its head against you, or at least until it’s comfortable with you and stand very close to you and doesn’t prepare to run every time you move. The cat will let you know when it’s not scared of you anymore, like when it sniffs your finger.

Move your hand slowly and see how the cat reacts. If it doesn’t run or show fear, pet its head very gently, fingers barely touching, and if the cat doesn’t mind, do it again and again, less lightly each time, until you can pet the cat properly.

How to get a cat to like you fast?

Unfortunately, unless the cat is friendly and trusting, which most feral cats aren’t, it takes time to make a cat like you.

You can get a feral cat to love you. Feral cat can be loving if you take the right steps. Mine are crazy about me, so I know it can be done. Good luck.

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