I’m not normally a fan of taming a wild cat…one showed up at my place and my daughter found out about it. She started feeding it. It is a true wild cat….can they be tamed? If you’ve been successful , please PM about it.

it takes awhile to tame a feral cat. you start putting food out for one you will get more.

I've trapped feral cats, that seemed terrified of me and other people, before being trapped, in box traps and then left them alone in a dark place, giving them food and water, as needed, in the trap for a few days. When you give them food and water talk to them softly. They will start "talking"" back and purring. When you finally let them out, in my experience, they will be very affectionate and clingy. Something breaks down in them mentally, during isolated confinement. They seem to feel you are their rescuer and protector afterwards.

Something similar happens to birds of prey, when you man them. You keep them awake all night and keep putting them back on your glove, when they bait off, offering them tidbits of food, as you whistle.

I found this out accidentally the first time with a cat, who came to be named Salterello. He was a beautiful long haired cat that my mother and myself had tried to approach for weeks. He would run full tilt away, if he saw us. I caught him at my mom's and transported him home in my trunk. I left him in my trunk overnight and he was a totally changed cat, when I opened the trunk. I've tamed cats this way many times since.

Keith

My son brought a feral kitten home from the feedstore he worked at (they lived in the barn and were very much feral) and we managed to get it "tamed" but as far as "taming" a grown one, I would pass.

A few years ago we had a calico cat show up here. When I would go out the back door, and she was in the yard, she'd run underneath the shed to hide. I later found a litter of three kittens in the stinky shed. So, we started leaving food for her. She got more tolerant of us as time went on. Two of the kittens died, so we moved her and the kitten in a back bedroom. She was skittish as all get out, but as time went on, she grew more and more tame. Now she wants to spend more time in the house than outside. We'll let her out, and within a few minutes, she's back at the door and wanting in. She's very gentle now and actually crawls up on my chest when I'm in my recliner. She'll lay there and sleep for long periods of time.

The orange fluffy kitten that survived is a totally inside cat, and is the Hemmingway cat that I have mentioned in the past. His front feet look odd with the extra toe. He looks like he has thumbs.

I got a friend to trap two male barn cats for me. I acclimated them in my barn for three weeks. Got them neutered during the barn stint. Let them out and one left soon after. One continued to come eat at night. I would see it once every few months. It quit eating my food so it I quit feeding it. I get it on trail cam pics often and it is fat and healthy. I tried to tame it, talked real nice to it but that cat would bolt off if it seen me at 100 yards.

Food is the key to win over a wild cat then build trust from there. I’d say some are just crazy wild and will always be nasty evil.

pen them up in a carrier for a couple days alone, just show up to feed them, they tame down quick.

Not much you cannot tame down if you start when its younger. A wild badger has a bad attitude but hand raise a pup and they are very mellow.

We had a feral show up and my wife started feeding it. It tamed enough he would rub up against you and bring you “gifts” but that was close to the extent of it. He did come inside and look things over when the wife held the door open but it took a long time for that to happen and he didn’t like the ways things were inside and decided it was just a nice place to visit, but didn’t want to live there.

The first one I caught in a cage trap I “thought” I could just pick it up and take home. Luckily for me I had some good thick leather gloves that it almost shred!!

I’ve said it a thousand times. I can drop a dog and cat in the middle of 50,000 acres and that dog will die unless it finds a pack to join. That cat will gain weight, grow extra fur, and I swear its claws will get longer. Cats just have the natural ability to thrive. A poor dog will suffer an agonizing death mostly from starvation.

So true.

But the dog has not left my side except to go out this morning. She seems to know I'm not feeling well. This shoulder and back pain has me down and out today. Any movement of my left arm cause pain and irritation. It lightens up if it's raised like your going to wave at some one but only goes pain free when on that position and relaxed so laying on my back. Cats care less. But my dogs know I would come find them no matter what it takes on that big chunk of ground. I there is just something special about dogs and our connection with them.

Tamed quite a few myself over the years. They get really calm after just one round of catch pole training.

Feral's are at the top of the list for ground nesting raiders from managers and landowners. I turn down any place that says they want coons and possums gone to increase their quail and turkey numbers, but leave cats (feral or bobcat) alone.

I’ve tamed them if I could get them locked in a shed then feed them but ignore otherwise, also had one around for 5 years wild as all get out then one day went outside and he started rubbing on my leg he turned out to be one good outside cat

Close confinement, plus feeding, is the best quick way to tame a feral cat.

Keith

Some of my barn cats are tame only for me but will not let anyone else near them. Of course that is because I'm the one that feeds them every day. A few others never do tame down.

The wife has a pile of cats most are tame some like said never relax so when they start fighting those are the first ones to disappear for some reason to keep the peace.

Law dog the claws on that thing are scary to start with. Tame a badger = amazing!!!!......jk

Tanning them makes them manageable.

That guy raises them and sells them he runs an exotic animal ranch near me. You never know what he might come up with on any day.

Thanks for all the replies. Even if this cat becomes tame enough to tolerate being around people, there is no chance I’d bring it into the house.

Cats are great at gradually and sometimes not so gradually, working their way into houses, especially if there are women or children in the house for them to work on.

Keith

Had one show up about 3 years ago. Dog would chase it all the time. Afraid of all people. Lived under our deck for 6 months. Skinny bag of bones. Never wanted another one but ended up with him. Took probably a month to get him to let me hand him food. Now he's part of the house and the dog tolerates him
Lol

Even tame house cats are sometimes crazy. You can be gently petting them and they are purring. Then without anything changing they lay their ears back, bite you, dig their claws into your lap, and take off. Feral cats may not be the best pet for kids.