How to gain the trust of a cat?

Welcome to MeetClaw, where we bring you five tips to help you gain the trust of a cat. It is not easy to do as cats are understandably fearful of people they don’t yet know, which is due to the potential threat they may pose, so a newly adopted cat will need a helping hand. This is not easy to do, because cats are understandable that they are afraid of people they don’t know.

Give them time

    Whenever a change occurs in the cat’s life, such as a friend’s move, or a new family member, the cat must be given enough time to adapt to the new environment. It is also vital to never make the cat do anything it doesn’t want t do, forcing them to come out of hiding or putting excessive pressure on them. The cat will move forward when they feel safe, so it is recommended you give them time and space; pushing them too hard can put more distance between the two of you. It is different in emergencies like a vet’s visit, but respecting a cat’s boundaries will help you make them trust you.

Make them associate your presence with something positive

        Your cat will be more likely to spend time with you if they associate your presence with something positive. If everytime you enter this space with positivity, such as providing food, petting it respectfully, or playing with toys, your cat will begin to associate these pleasant things with your general presence. On the other hand, if you are aggressive every time you come, or show stressful behavior, they will associate you with negative things. Ensure your cat has a good time with you every day, and you will see that they will start to gain your trust.

Avoid punishment

    Not only will the use of punishment cause your cat to create negative associations with you, but it will also increase their stress and anxiety levels, make them feel insecure or inhibited, and generally, worse in your relationship than the ideal. When educating a cat is to use positive reinforcement for good behavior. When behavioral problems occurs, look for the cause and seek advice from a feline behaviorist if necessary.

Play with them daily

    Playing games should be a daily activity with your cat. It is important to improve your relationship, and it can also stimulate their mind and enrich their daily lives. 

    If you make a cat happy, they are more likely to trust you. You can find cat toys of all different kinds, including fishing rods toys and toy mice. However, we recommend you go a little further and introduce intelligent toys, such as some toys which sharpen their mental and physical reflexes.

Give them plenty of attention

    Cats are not always grateful to those who care and protect them. They can even be unpleasant in some situations. However, if you show them affection, then it will help them to accept us. You can express it through unobtrusive kisses, caresses, and speaking to them softly. 

    Understanding a cat’s feline nature requires you to be patient and constant in your quest or friendship, it is essential if you want to bond with a cat and gain their trust. In short, the most important thing to gain a cat’s trust is to give them enough space, respect their feline nature, strive to understand their language and provide adequate socialization. 

    If we positively relate to them and carry out daily interactions to strengthen our bond, cats will start to earn our trust. In some specific cases, you may find an individual cat doesn’t make much progress; in these cases, the best thing to do is seek help from a specialist, these include vets specialized in feline etiology or a professional cat trainer. In this case, the best way is to seek expert help, including a veterinarian who specializes in cat etiology or a professional cat trainer.

    Is there anything you’d like to add to this list? What advice do you think is most important? If you have anything to share, please leave us a comment below. If you like this blog, please subscribe to our channel for more information.