How to Attract a Stray Cat: The Ultimate Guide

Americans adore felines. We have about 85 million pet cats, but we also have the same number of stray cats roaming our streets, dying of hunger.

Reports say between 60 and 100 million stray cats live in the US. Therefore, if you’re a cat lover but don’t own one yet, please consider adopting instead of buying.

If you already have a stray cat in mind but don’t know how to approach stray cats, don’t worry. Today’s article can help you safely approach and care for stray cats.

Gaining the trust of a homeless kitten isn’t a walk in the park. However, it’s a rewarding process. So, let’s learn how you can earn the trust of stray kittens.

How Do You Approach a Stray Cat: Step-by-Step Guide

Approaching a stray cat isn’t a breeze, especially if it’s a mature cat living on the streets for years. However, it’s not impossible to lure stray cats.

Here’s a complete guide for attracting stray cats and gaining their trust for adoption or spaying/neutering purposes.

1. Watch for Signs of Aggression

Cats can become defensive when scared, so you should always wear long sleeves and gloves when approaching a stray kitten.

You can never know if the cat’s stray or feral just by appearance, so wearing protective gloves can help prevent scratches and bites during a rescue mission.

Moreover, before approaching the cat, watch for signs of aggression, like hissing, back arching, raised hackles, tail fluffing, dilated pupils, flat ears, low posture, etc.

If the cat’s terrified by your presence, I suggest you back off until they look calmer.

2. Determine if the Cat’s Stray or Feral

Stray and feral cats aren’t the same. I wrote a comprehensive guide on the difference between stray and feral cat.

Feral cats don’t make good pets, as they’re born in the wild or outdoors, so they lack socialization.

On the other hand, stray kittens were once pets. However, they were lost or abandoned by their owners.

The behavior of feral cats resembles that of squirrels and raccoons, while stray cats act friendly around people and hang out in residential areas.

However, stray cats living outdoors for too long can develop feral tendencies.

3. Observe the Cat’s Body Language

A stray cat’s body language and appearance can help you determine if the cat was born in the wild or was abandoned by their owner or lost.

If the cat looks dirty and malnourished, they’re likely a stray because they have a harder time adjusting outdoors than feral cats born in the wild.

Some stray cats run away when people enter their spaces out of fear.

However, if a cat approaches you first, they’re probably a stray because feral cats rarely approach people.

Caging the animal can help you determine if they’re abandoned or feral. Most stray cats will play, rub, chirp, and raise their tail inside the cage.

Feral cats can also act playful outside, especially if you provide food regularly. However, wild cats don’t have a positive attitude when caged. On the contrary, they’re aggressive, terrified, ready for a fight, etc.

4. Feral Cats Don’t Make Good Pets

You can’t tell if a cat’s feral or stray until you cage the animal.

As I already mentioned, feral cats don’t make good pets because they lack social skills, unlike abandoned or homeless kittens.

In fact, you can’t domesticate a feral cat past the age of seven months.

The ASPCA suggests TNP programs as a humane way to help reduce the feral cat population. These programs humanely trap cats, check their health, provide the necessary vaccines, and neuter or spay them before they can return to their feral cat colonies.

The trap, neuter, and release programs work better than finding homes for feral cats, as these animals don’t like living indoors.

Therefore, if you suspect a feral cat in your area, you can contact the ASPCA, Humane Society, or local Animal Control for information and set up a TNR program.

Extra tip: Unless you have specific training and experience handling wild animals, don’t deal with feral cats yourself. These cats can carry diseases, including rabies, and become aggressive when they feel endangered, so ask animal control experts for help.

5. Let the Stray Kitten Approach You First

The best way to gain a stray kitty’s trust is by allowing the animal to make the first step. This process can take a few days or weeks, so stay patient.

Avoid approaching and petting the stray kitten. Instead, give the animal a chance to get closer and rub against your leg when they feel comfortable in your presence.

Speak to the stray kitten in a soothing voice. At the same time, extend your hand slowly, but don’t try to pet the cat. Let the cat approach and sniff your hand and rub it with their head.

When this happens, you’ve likely earned the cat’s trust.

However, remember that these kittens lose faith in people easily because of their hectic life. So, don’t be devastated if your stray cat isn’t friendly every day.

Over time, you will completely earn your stray cat’s trust and love.

Extra tip: You can make your stray cat welcome into your home by leaving the front or back door open, so they can enter if they feel comfortable.

6. Earn the Cat’s Trust Through Food and Comfort

The way to a stray cat’s heart is through their stomach.

Stray cats hunt smaller animals and bugs and search for leftovers in people’s trash, so they’re always in the mood for a good meal.

Feeding a stray cat helps the cat become more comfortable in your presence. Here’s a quick feeding guide for stray cats and other helpful tips.

Provide a Strong Smelling Cat Food

Cats have a strong sense of smell. In fact, their sense of smell is 14 times stronger than ours. So, your stray cat will quickly smell the food you leave in your area.

Canned food, such as tuna or salmon, works best because it smells more intensely than dry cat food. Avoid giving cats human food because our food can upset their stomach.

Leave the Food in the Same Spot Everyday

You should place the cat food where you’ve previously seen the cat. Also, leave the cat in the same spot every day because cats don’t like changes.

Over time, your cat will learn to visit this place when hungry. You can stay outside a few days into the process and wait for the kitten to come to the feeding spot.

As I already mentioned, stray cats need time to feel comfortable around people, so give the kitten some time and don’t force interaction when they appear for feeding.

Stay Patient!

Strat cats have usually suffered abuse at the hands of their previous owners. Therefore, give your stray kitten time to get comfortable in your presence during feeding time.

Otherwise, the animal might be scared of returning for more food.

Don’t Forget Water

Cats also need fresh water daily, so the perfect outdoor living area for a stray cat is one with fresh water.

Remember that if most cats can satisfy all their needs in one space, they won’t feel the urge to look for food and water elsewhere or visit your neighbor’s porch.

So, place a water bowl next to the food bowl and change the water daily. If it’s cold, use a well-insulated water bowl to prevent it from freezing.

Alternatively, consider purchasing a cat fountain because cats prefer running water over standing water in a bowl.

Running water feels natural to cats, which is why most pets drink water from the faucet. The best part? Cat fountains also keep the water from freezing in winter.

Build a Cat Shelter

Buying or building a shelter can make a stray cat feel comfortable and welcome on your property. You should make more shelters if you plan to adopt a few stray kittens.

If you live somewhere very hot or cold, you should use materials that protect the shelter from the elements, such as straw.

Avoid materials with moisture that will freeze in low temperatures, such as hay.

Extra tip: Mix cedar shavings with straw for the perfect bedding.

7. Choose a Humane Cat Trap

If you’ve already earned your stray cat’s trust, you probably won’t have a problem taking the kitten to the vet for a checkup.

However, some abandoned cats have trust issues and won’t enter your home even after all the steps above. In this case, you can use a humane trap.

You can get a humane cat trap from humane societies. Ask the workers how to use the trap properly. Call your local animal shelter for assistance if you need help setting up the trap.

If there aren’t animal shelters in your region, don’t worry. You can also buy humane cat traps online.

8. Don’t Force the Cat Into the Trap

Once you get the humane cat trap, don’t just force the cat inside it. Instead, leave some food inside and wait for the kitten to get inside without pressure.

Some cats won’t walk into a trap even if there’s food inside, so you must give your stray kitten time to get used to the large crate trap. You can make the trap more appealing by covering the bottom with a soft blanket.

Additionally, you leave the cat’s food closer and closer to the humane cat trap every day and let the kitten enter it whenever they feel ready.

Keep the door open, so your stray cat knows they can always get out if they don’t like it inside. Your goal should be getting the kitten comfortable inside the crate so they feel threatened when you close the door.

So, gradually moving the cat’s food farther into the crate is your best shot at making this experience less traumatic for your cat.

Once your new furry friend feels comfortable staying inside the crate or even takes naps inside the trap, you can shut the door and take the cat to the vet.

9. Schedule a Vet Appointment

Adopting a homeless or abandoned cat can help reduce the stray population in the US. However, before you bring your new kitten into your home, you should ensure your new friend isn’t sick or carrying a disease that could harm your other pets.

Moreover, you should keep the stray cat isolated from your other pets and family before the vet checkup.

For instance, you can keep the kitten in a heated room in a cage or crate. Usually, stray kittens have ticks or fleas, and you don’t want these things inside your home.

Ask the vet to check the cat for a microchip (a chip underneath the animal’s shoulder for identification purposes).

If there’s no microchip, the cat doesn’t have a previous owner, so you can go ahead and make the adoption.

After scanning your cat for a microchip, your vet will perform a basic physical exam and administer the necessary vaccines.

Lastly, ask your vet for extra tests for common conditions in stray cats, like heartworm, fleas, feline leukemia, and feline immunodeficiency disorder.

10. Create a Cat Room for Your New Furry Friend

Adopting a stray kitten isn’t the same as adopting a sheltered feline. So, your stray kitty will likely feel scared by the new environment and territory.

You can help ease your cat’s anxiety by creating a cat room where they can stay, sleep, and hide until they feel comfortable exploring the rest of your home.

The room should have food, water, interactive toys, bedding, and a litter box. Also, pick a room in a quiet part of the property, and don’t let other pets enter this room.

Consider adding a chair, couch, or other furniture with a blanket hanging over it, so your new kitten has somewhere to hide when they feel scared or anxious.

Lastly, it would help if you spent time with your cat in their new room daily. Playtime can help you bond with your pet more quickly, so play with your cat regularly.

11. Give the Cat Time to Adjust to Your Home

If you adopt a kitten with trust issues you haven’t won over completely, give the cat time to adjust to your presence and home.

Never force anything on your cat, and let the animal take the first step. In short, respect the cat’s limits. The following tips can help you gain your cat’s trust more quickly.

Avoid Eye Contact

Cats always stare at their people, but I advise against engaging in a staring contest with a cat, especially a stray one.

Remember that staring signifies aggression, so close your eyes for a few seconds, then look away to show your cat you don’t have bad intentions.

Let the Feline Approach You

If your cat looks terrified by your touch, you probably have a traumatized kitten on your hands.

However, don’t worry. Your cat will become more comfortable around you over time. It’s important to let your cat take the first step when it comes to physical contact.

Most kittens indicate trust and friendliness by rubbing up against people’s legs. So, wait for this gesture before petting your new friend. Make sure you know the best places to scratch a cat.

Learn Your Cat’s Body Language

Some stray kittens hide under things in their new home. So, if your kitty hides under the chair or couch for days, don’t worry. Your new kitty is probably intimidated by your home and will come out when they feel ready.

Moreover, when you touch your new stray kitten, avoid petting vulnerable areas of their body. For instance, cats don’t like their bellies being touched, so avoid this area.

12. Slowly Introduce the Cat to Your Household

After a while, your new kitten will start feeling more comfortable in your home and move more freely. So, let your cat explore your whole house and spread pheromones.

You can still closely observe your cat’s behavior but don’t interrupt their exploration.

If you have other pets in the home, let your new kitten and your other cats or dogs smell and hear each other before physically interacting.

For instance, you can feed your existing cats or dogs near the door of your feline’s room and encourage friendly playing and pawing under the door.

Extra tip: Replace the door of your cat’s room with a temporary screen door. That way, your animals can get to know each other better without physical interaction.

Lastly, supervise your kitty’s first interactions with your other pets and watch for signs of anxiety or aggression. Ask your vet or a cat behaviorist for advice if your new kitten has difficulty bonding with other animals in the home.

Final Tips

If you’re interested in adopting a stray cat, there’s a list of things you should consider.

For instance, you must check the local laws for adopting a stray animal because homing a stray kitten doesn’t automatically make you their lawful cat parent.

People who want to adopt a stray should wait before the animal lawfully becomes theirs. How long you will have to wait depends on your state or city.

Also, during this period, you should take proper steps to prove you’re trying to locate the pet’s original owner and become the pet’s new owner.

The steps include checking the pet’s microchip, posting online about the animal you found, and posting flyers around your area to see if someone lost their pet.

If you can’t find the previous owner, you can take steps to show you’re ready to care for the pet, such as microchipping, ID tags, vaccines, flea treatments, etc.

The steps above can help you attract stray cats and take proper care of these kittens.

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*image by SAdesign/depositphotos