Soothing a Stray Cat

Image Credits: Pixabay

Cats like humans feel stressful. They show it by being aggressive. You can calm down a stray cat within a small amount of time. The cat's true personality will come through when the stress and insecurity of the kitty are out of the picture.

Being relaxed is important

Similar to humans, the cat must feel relaxed. The stray kitty may simply need a breather to relax. You can easily create a situation where the cat feels calm. The easiest way is to wait. The cat will calm down once it feels relaxed. Take the animal to a quiet place where the animal could be alone. The spare room in the home quite fits the purpose. It is better if you have an exclusive "cat den". The cat will settle down there and it is a bonus if the cat den is out of sight of most people. A cage or crate would be perfect for the purpose. It is also an excellent idea to keep the crate or cage higher up in the room. This will give the stray a sense of safety.

Do have a routine every day to reassure the cat. Do daily activities like crate cleaning and feeding at the same time. Predictability helps to reassure any cat. The cats mark territory through smell. It is recommended that the crates must be spot cleaned so that the scent of the cat remains inside. There is another good reason for spot clearing: there will be no stress for the cat as the scent is familiar. If you handled other cats elsewhere, do wash its scent off your body before you cuddle the stray. If you take the stray cat to the veterinarian, then allow someone else to manage the kitty before you feed or play with it.

Make the kitty confident

A cat who feels in control of its environment is a confident animal. There are many ways you can make a stray cat confident. Allow the cat to approach you first. In case it looks interested but reluctant to approach, try to give it a small quantity of tuna or canned food. Talk to it while you offer food. All these will attract the cat to you. Remember, cats like choices. Give it a play area and a climbing option to play in. Do not keep the kitty in the secluded area of the house after it calms down. Give the cat a place to get used to where it will meet you and other family members. If it jumps on a table, do not force the animal to get down. It is the cat's natural instinctive way to see and judge the world around them.