Tips and Tricks to make a cat your friend

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I noticed a lot of Aspies can handle cats very well, Shoot your tips here!

Most people think that cats can't be trained to come to you when called, but that's not true.

How To Teach Your Cat To Come To You When Called

1. Get your cats some treats it loves. If the cat eats kibble normally, you can just get some canned cat food and it will think that's a great treat. Let it get a bit hungry but don't feed it yet.

2. Start making a certain distinctive sound when you open the treats. Keep making that sound while giving the cat the treats. This will be the same sound that you will use to call your cat. I use the sound "KSSS, KSSS, KSSS!" because it happens to travel very well over long distances. But you can use any distinctive sound of your own invention.

3. After a few days of this, the cat will think that your special sound means you're going to give it treats, so it will get excited and come running. This is what you want. Now you should start hiding in different places before calling the cat. Make it find you to get treats. You should do this every day.

4. Now your cat should come running to you each time you call it, expecting treats. Now begin to only sometimes give it treats, not always. It will still come running each time you call it. You should still reward it some of the time, so it doesn't lose interest. It won't know when it's going to get treats or not, so it will always come to you. But at least pet it and give it attention whenever it comes.

5. Kittens learn this trick in just 3 - 4 days. Older cats who are playful and inquisitive will learn in a few weeks. Older lazy cats who couldn't care less may never really catch on. So you should start as early in the cat's life as possible for the best results.

Happy cat calling!

I have made friends with many, many cats over the years. This is how I do it:

- Try to get them to play with you before you attempt to pet them. This helps build trust between you.. If you are planning an encounter with a cat, make sure you bring a bit of string with you. If it is an impromptu encounter, you can use whatever you have on hand to try to play with the cat. Examples of makeshift cat toys are earbuds, shoelaces or even a twig with the leaves still attached.

- Feeding the cat will also help it learn to trust you. Cats love lunch meat and cheeses, so you can use those if you aren't already stocked up on regular cat foods and treats.

- When attempting to pet a cat, approach it slowly and hold out your hand. Let the cat smell your hand to get in idea of who you are, where you've been and what you've been interacting with. Some cats will want to scrub their faces on your hands in order to "mark" you with their scent. When they do this, it is OK to start petting them. Other cats, however, do not like being approached from the front, so it is better to approach them from behind and try petting them from the back.

- Repeat these steps and soon the cat will start running up to you and talking to you when it sees you, and perhaps even attempt to climb into your lap if you sit down. It may also attempt to follow you home when you turn to leave.

I believe I did this to my cats unintentionally, because I always talk to them. Now they know certain words (namely words for treats and toys that they love) and react appropriately to them.

A good tip from my cat's vet:
When attempting to give tablets, crush them first into a teaspoon of Ardennes Pâté.

It worked a treat I had NO refusals.


Second tip: Don't pet your own cat's enemy from across the road !

Make them hungry. A hungry cat is a friendly cat, provided that the cat knows who feeds it.

I am indeed a Cat Whisperer.

Pretend disinterest in the cat, yet find random excuses to be near it. Cats are naturally curious and will want to smell you. Hold out your hand and let them choose to rub against your hand. Anything that makes that cat feel like it was all his idea, and he is in control, will help.

Keep your eyes hooded and blink slowly. This tells the cat that you are relaxed, and don't perceive it as a threat. They are likely to respond in kind.

Take a shuddering breath in through your nose, and let it out heavily. This tells the cat you are letting go of any tension or possible aggression.

Don't stare at the cat's face or eyes. Use your peripheral vision to look at the cat. Cats find direct stares rude, unless you are very well acquainted, or have a good reason.

Don't be forward. If the cat allows touching, on the face/head and along the spine are appropriate for a casual friend. Belly, feet, tail, and other areas are for close friends. Most cats will forcibly remind you that you're not being "gentlemanly". By drawing blood.

As IdahoRose mentioned, playing with a cat before you try to pet it is a good way to go, but trying to pet a cat immediately after playing with it is a bad idea. They may scratch and bite if they think you are still in play mode.

Cats will pay attention to a higher pitched noise with a questioning inflection at the end. I often use, "Brrrt?" I get better responses with a rolled "r" than without.

I have found that a hissing noise of any kind puts off a cat. This is very useful if you actually want to train a cat.

All in all, those are my suggestions for making friends with a new or strange cat. There have been very few times I have been unable to keep a cat from doing something I did not want it to do, or to get it do do something I want it to do. As long as you are entirely committed and extremely consistent, cats will respond. Most people are just unwilling to be those two things.

(Thread moved from Autism discussion to Random)

Actually, I wish my cat wasn't quite so clingy - I can't even go to the bathroom alone...

I have a bad feeling about this thread.

I'll just leave this here. LINK

^^^^ Like it.

My cats do that too! And I thought I was the only one who could spoil a cat that much.

That is very good and funny.

Give it a (geniune) compliment.

Listen to it talking about it's problems, and maybe offer advice (but listening is the most important thing)

Bake it a cake.