# Help! My cats are afraid of me! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 29, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cats-are-afraid-of-me/951598 "2021-09-29T19:33:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cats-are-afraid-of-me/951598/21 "2021-09-30T19:28:20Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Also their mother didn’t seem to be around anymore, it was always just the two of them, so they may have had a recently developed maternal hole in their lives at the time. Brought them inside after about 4-5 months and they are my excellent little buddies now. Young cats just run off by their mother are anxious to make friends. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cats-are-afraid-of-me/951598/22 "2021-10-15T05:31:39Z")
First off: find a starved, ugly and hissy 'possum digging in your trash . Tame him slowly with use of Cheerios on the deck. (Thereby making yourself a minor genius to your children, grandchildren and strangers alike) Dart him with a rabies shot. Make sure he’s well established and soon a cat will be sharing his bucket house under the deck. All will be right in your world. 😊 I kid, like everyone else said food is key. Sit a bit away and watch them eat. Talk sweet and even pur a little. Sit a little closer everyday. It may be past time you can ever completely tame them. But, I’ll bet you can make it better. Oh, and do the blinking eye trick if they look at your face. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cats-are-afraid-of-me/951598/23 "2021-10-15T06:53:04Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Taming ferals can at least sometimes be done; but it’s a very long process requiring lots of patience, quite possibly over years. Agreed. I’ve done it, but it took about two years. The cat requires a lot of privacy, so if you have other cats, as we did, the feral cat has to have a place that is its own, brand-new toys that are its own (any cat toys you already have will smell of other cats); and of course, its own food, water, and litter. In our case, our feral was in the basement, but it was a finished basement, so it was comfortable–there were couches and chairs and a carpet to nap on. I’d often go down there, turn on the TV, typically to an all-news station so he could get used to hearing human voices speaking, and I’d talk to him as well, just as if he was fully socialized to humans: “How you doing today, buddy? Have a good nap? Having fun with your toys, pal?” And so on. Point is, he was in comfortable and safe surroundings, and he was getting used to hearing human voices. Like I said, it took about two years before he warmed up to us, and to our other cats. But when he did, it was magical. He integrated into our feline family just fine, and formed a special friendship with one of our others. He enjoyed jumping up on my lap for a nap, and would purr raggedly, like he wasn’t used to purring, but it was a purr nonetheless. So it can be done, but it takes time and patience; and a willingness to put in the time and patience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cats-are-afraid-of-me/951598.md?page=1)