How to Tame a Feral Cat

Feral cats shouldn't be confused with stray cats. Stray cats have had contact with humans and were most likely lost or abandoned. Stray cats will accept another human. Feral cats are born from the domestic house cat, but have had no human contact. Kittens found within the first six weeks of life will normally accept human contact and can be as tame as a common house cat. Older feral cats may never accept life with humans, but will become tame enough to live in a house.

First you have to catch the feral cat. Feral cats are quite smart so if you fail the first time, you probably won't be able to catch it again without a change in traps. Live traps are best to catch the cat. Place fresh meat or fish inside the trap and drape a sheet or carpet over the trap to disguise it.

Once you catch the cat it's best to take it to a vet right away before letting it enter your home. It may have fleas, parasites, feline leukemia or another disease. If you already have cats living in your house, it's important not to let the cats have contact until the feral cat has seen a vet.

Once the feral cat gets a clean bill of health, you can start to tame it. It's best to give it a safe area such as a garage or basement with a litter box, food, water, and some small toys. If this isn't possible you can put the cat in a large dog cage with enough room for a sleeping area, an eating area, and a litter box. The cat will most likely not accept you at first, but once it realizes that you are feeding it and cleaning it's litter box it will be more likely to come to you.

During the first few days home, don't even attempt to touch the cat. Once it seems to calm down a little bit at the sight of you, you can wrap it in a towel and pick it up. If it accepts this, you can pet it on the back of the head. Don't come towards the cat with your hand from the front; it will see you as a predator and get scared.

Sit down and let the towel open and if the cat stays you can continue to pet its back. If it jumps off of you, let it go for now. Keep contact short and infrequent right now. Once the cat starts to accept you more, you can increase the frequency of contact but don't increase the duration of each visit just yet.

Cats see eye contact as a threat. Don't stare at your cat in the eye for long periods. Look down and away and show submissiveness until the cat is used to human contact.

Once the feral cat will accept you, you can try to introduce other adults to the cat. Keep contact brief and if the cat doesn't accept the new person, wait a few days and try again. Remember to tell them no eye contact and don't approach from the front.

Once the cat is able to handle human contact without biting or scratching, you can bring it into your home. Be sure to watch it around children and other animals. If it gets too scared it can go back in isolation for a while and be reintroduced into the home.

Feral cats may never fully accept humans, but they will appreciate not hunting for their food and having shelter. In time, it may come to be a loving house cat. Sometimes they will attach to only one human and won't let anyone else pet them.