How do I get a stray kitten to trust me?

Question

A stray cat had kittens under my grill in May. Then she took them all away. She returned with two kittens and I feed them everyday. Then there was only the mama cat and one kitten. Now the momma cat had disappeared and there is only the one kitten left. I have left my garage door cracked and she/he hids in there and I do feed her, but she/he does not trust anyone. Besides feeding her/him is there a quicker way to get him/her to trust us? We do have three big dogs that love cats but she is afraid of them also. My garage is not attached to our house either and I am afraid that when it startes getting cold, he/she will freeze.

Answer 1

be nice

Answer 2

Hehe, this brings back memories. A few years ago, I got three stray cat living in my garage to trust me. I don't think there really is a quicker way than just feeding them with food because gaining trust is gradual. What I did was I always stayed a few distances away from them and throw a bit of food closer to them. Then I'd always come back and give them more. You know you're making progress when they recognize you as someone who will feed them (like if they come closer to you or look as if they're waiting when they see you). From there, I made them take the food away from my hand instead of placing it on the floor. It took them a while to get it at first, but you need the patience to let them get used to it and see that it really is safe. After that, keep doing that so the stray kitten won't have any problems getting food from your hand, which is a great accomplishment because you've gained their trust. After letting them eat from my hand, I would try petting them meanwhile. At first, they'd be scared a bit and back away, but after I kept trying, they just began to let me. Soon enough, some days I just visit them and they'd come and I'd pet one of them to sleep and such. Another funny thing is that one of them would climb up my leg (I had jeans) to try to reach the food from my hand. OH, and a good thing to add is that make sure you do a certain call or something (like a whistle) to know that if she hears that, then it's you calling her so if she ever goes out or something, you might be able to call her back by whistling (that's what happened to me :P).

As for your dogs, you could try keeping them somewhere else that isn't near her. You can place some clothes or something like that so she can use it to snuggle if she's interested.

I really miss those cats, and I hope you can start a good relationship with your stray. Good luck (;

Answer 3

Give the stray cat lots of care (Blankets/towels,Maybe a dog house,warm milk in the winter,etc.)and he/she will respect that then they will be able to know that you are okay to be with then they will trust you.

Answer 4

idk it probably takes a long time for a stray born kitten to trust you,

just give her something extra like a toy or something i wouldnt know cause i hate cats :x

my aunt started feeding a stray kitten for a similar reason

LOL she tried to bring it in he house and they started to jump around off the walls or and all!!

so if you wanna make her/him into a house cat thats already out of the question