My cat Bucket’s sister was run down by a car several months ago. Since then, she has seemed lonely and wanting companionship.
Low and behold, she has made friends with a little white male with an orange forehead whom we’ve affectionately named Boyfriend. He comes in freely when the doors are open and eats out of her food dish. Since we also leave the windows open at night, he tends to come and go as he pleases. We’ve managed to pet him a couple of times, and my roommate even picked him up once, much to his dismay. Week after week, though, he seems to become more accustomed to us getting closer and closer to him without freaking out too badly.
So, cat lovers, what is the best way for us to get him comfortable in a house environment in the shortest period of time. We live in Seattle, so the winters aren’t exactly devastating. Still, I’d like to get him used to us fully and take him to the vet before winter hits full force. Any suggestions?
Just do what you’ve been doing. Without pushing too hard, just interact a little more as often as you can. Be careful that he doesn’t give your cat fleas and be sure your cat has all the proper shots…just in case Boyfriend is contagious…
Agreed. If you want him to come into the house, it’s best to leave it open for him to wander around freely to get used to.
About a year ago I adopted two stray cats. They were the sweetest cats I’ve ever had but definitely outdoor cats. Both were shy (one moreso than the other, it took him a good month just to get used to the inside and even then he only trusted me so don’t feel discouraged if it takes a while) and they would venture inside and go a little further each day. I would just walk around and do my own thing and they eventually figured where I went the most like the kitchen to get their food or upstairs to my bedroom. They began wandering from the backdoor into the kitchen and eventually up the stairs with some coaxing.
Your cat may be easily scared by quick movements and noises, especially in an environment that they’re still getting adjusted to. I’d also recommend closing off doors if possible and letting them get used to one or two rooms at a time. On more than one occasion I would hear a pitiful, distressed meow from one of the cats that accidentally got lost in the game room.
It was my first time with getting outside cats indoors and while it was frustrating at times, it wasn’t too bad overall. Now the cats feel fine going wherever in the house (and they love exploring) but still prefer the most familiar spots when inside.
I’ve read that putting something that has your scent – like a well-worn shirt or a well-used pillowcase – near the stray cat’s food dish teaches the cat to associate your scent with the goodness of food, which will warm him up to you faster.
Why can’t he live outside? Fix a nice warm box for him in case it gets too cold. For coaxing cats I found they love height. If you want him in your house, give him something tall to climb on to and a quick way to get off that high thing and out the door. He’ll get the message soon enough.
Some cats, like what I term “Barn Cats,” can be friendly and playful but they will never really be pet cats, they like their freedom and prefer to live in the barn rather than sleep with you in a bed.
Makes me nervous, living in the city and all. We have a bunch of strays in our neighborhood, and unfortunately more often than not they end up getting ran over. My cat is indoor outdoor, but she’s comfortable enough at home that she doesn’t stray far. She goes across our small, dead end street into the little patch of woods, but she never crosses the major street on the other side of our house (I live on a corner near a park)
I agree you’re doing good things and agree with many of the other posts.
I think it is important to try to imagine what the cat is thinking and avoid alarming him. In particular, try to sense whether he wants to be near you, picked up, cornered, and so forth, and try very hard to avoid giving him more of these than he wants right at that instant. If you can pick him up, fine, but if he starts shifting uncomfortably, immediately put him down gently, and keep speaking softly to him.
It seems to me the people whom our cats dislike do this wrong (in the view of the cat as I understand it), but I don’t know of anything else they do wrong.
I think cats that get experience with a person and realize the person generally doesn’t thwart their will grow to accept those times when the person does actually thwart their will in a major way, like a vet visit. It doesn’t ruin the past history but gets taken into consideration with it.
Your challenge will arise in getting him into a cat carrier and to the vet. You could have a vet make a home visit, but it costs extra. Sometimes what works, instead of a carrier, is wrapping the cat up tightly in a towel or blanket, like a kitty burrito, and having someone drive you while you hold him.
Be sure you have him checked out for FIV and FeLV. Both are contagious, though FeLV much moreso, and could be dangerous to Bucket. Get him vaccinated ASAP, and on flea and tick meds so your house doesn’t get overrun.
Also, good for you for adopting a stray. I’ve got several former strays and they are the best kitties. They really appreciate the good life.