How to Make a Stray Cat Your Friend

I like Dee’s point about toys– that the world is just one big cat toy anyway. Monty and I were just outside for a long time together, but it’s getting kind of cold out. So when we came in I brought a little of the outside in to keep him happy indoors so I can get warm. He’s happily and noisily playing with a little twig I brought in for him. I have never seen him stay entertained for so long with any toy I’ve bought for him.

I think I may be able to offer some adjustment to the poster’s suggestions regarding making a stray your friend:
1. Realize that you may never be able to be their friend; but, you can be their caretaker and trusted to whatever extent they are able to trust.
2. Yes, provide food, understanding that wet food freezes in winter. Dry food is always the best option.
3. Yes, provide shelter even if it a cardboard box turned sideways to allow entry. A plastic sorage box is even better.
4. In cold weather, blankets and towels don’t work because they hold in the cold and moisture, making them colder than even the bear ground. Inside the box, place a mylar blanket that reflects the heat back, shredded newspaper, or straw that provides “burrowing”.
5. Yes, avoid loud noises and quick movements that may cause fear.
5. Toys are unnecessary. Cats, by nature, are able to make their own entertainment since the world is one big cat toy anyway.
Hope this helps.

Yes, Dee, I tend to agree with you. I believe that in allowing people of differing opinions to post their stories and be exposed to comments from experienced people is educational to visitors. It shows us the real world. And there are many shades of thought regarding the treatment and care of domestic and feral cat. Comments by people who really care and who understand cats shows up deficiencies in other people’s ideas.

I agree that this forum is a venue that should be used for any and all opinions. Although I can’t really put any stock into what “helpful hints” the poster offers, I defend their right to post. It is evident that this individual may not really have any expertise in the area of stray or feral cat behavior; or, it is possible that he/she are just “mean” themselves and are a covert cat hater. In any case, I believe that my best action in cases like this is to offer no action. I have, neither, the time nor energy to fuel someone elses misguided thoughts or feed their need to gain reactions.

To Anonymous: Thanks for the comment. I am not desperate for hits. Really it is not that big a deal for me.

In fact I don’t read every submission word for word as I don’t have time.

But if someone uses the word “mean” in relation to cats, yes, I agree that it is a poor description and I disagree with that concept but not everyone thinks like us. In any case the word “mean” can mean a cat that is defensively aggressive and therefore difficult. It might not mean “nasty”.

If I just published warm, fuzzy cat loving stuff all the time the site would be boring and one dimensional. In the real world the domestic cat has many real problems so I try and keep things real and let people express their views even if they are very different to mine.

It is good to discuss these things. I don’t like mutual appreciation societies. I prefer a dose of reality as it is the only way to air problems and get a discussion going, which might help the cat.

That is my reason for publishing articles that we might not necessarily agree with. You don’t see the submissions that I reject and delete!

Feral cats won’t play with toys. My first cat ever, when I was about seven years old, had been a stray. We adopted her from the woods near our house (or she adopted us) and she never played. She didn’t seem to know how. Her life had been too hard. No time for play. Except that one time Mom dropped a sausage on the floor and Tiger was all over that, completely catching us all by surprise. She played with it for a long time, batting it all over the house. My sister and I shrieked with delight watching her antics. But that was the one and only time she ever played.

There are no mean cats, but feral cats are wild animals and they can hurt you. Not because they are mean or bad, but because they are frightened. Often with good reason. However, the only way you’d really get injured by a feral cat is by cornering it. The cat would run away from you if at all possible. So a person could be very well meaning, perhaps trying to get an injured cat into the vet, and get hurt. But I don’t see any way in that scenario that a cat could be called mean or bad.

Monty tried to bite and scratch me when I caught him at 8 weeks, but he was too tiny to do anything. He didn’t know then that I was trying to help him. I sometimes am amazed that that tiny wild animal is now my friend. He can be less than friendly to some of my friends who come to visit. But that doesn’t make him a mean kitty or a bad cat. My friends understand that he had a hard time when he was small and didn’t get much contact with people at a critical time, so this makes him more distrustful of people today. Or maybe he’s just spoiled and used to getting his way. Either way, it’s not his fault, and people I know accept him for the cat he is.

There are many mean people in this world, but no mean cats. Feral cats require special handling and understanding, not negative labels.

Firstly “Anonymous” you do Michael a great dis-service, he isn’t desperate for page hits at all, nor does he need to resort to trickery. I believe Michael tries to provide pages where cat lovers can write articles and comments largely without fear of censorship and only reluctantly moderates when really necessary. You say “we” demonstrated some facts last time, but Anonymous surely if you feel you are part of “we” then you could at least name yourself instead of hiding behind no name while insulting Michael.
As for the article, in my opinion stray cats are unlikely to play with toys or toilet paper, but yes food and warmth and consideration is sensible advice. I disagree that some cats are mean, cats respond to how they are treated, treat them mean and what can you expect back? I’m uneasy with this “mean cats” propaganda I must admit.

More trolling from Kutztown, with a sinister not-too subtle message of cat hatred–AGAIN. Again this stuff about “mean” cats. This is a setup to attempt to justify abuse of hapless stray cats.

Why does Michael put up with it. Is he so desperate for page hits? Didn’t we pretty conclusively demonstrate that the last from Kutztown was a fraud and a deceit? Or is this Michael’s trick to get a raft of page hits?

These trolls feed on page hits.

Thanks for sharing and providing useful information. That is nice of you.