How to Care for Physically Abused Cats - Getting to Know One Another

1. Avoid attempting to make contact with the cat for the first 2 to 3 days. For the first 2 to 3 days under-play contact with the cat. Make sure she has everything she needs and the tray is clean, refresh her water, and top up food, but leave it at that.
- Let her get used to the new sights, sounds, and smells around her. If she wants to come out of her own accord and investigate fine, but if not, leave her be.
- Always speak in a quiet, gentle voice, even if she lashes out and is violent towards you.

2. Refrain from making eye contact. Never confront the cat by staring at her in her hiding place. Direct eye contact makes a cat feel threatened because in cat language a direct stare is a challenge of authority.
- To them, staring is a signal that the staring-cat wants to be boss, and this is the last thing an abused cat needs in a new home, where you want her to feel confident and safe.

3. Start to build a relationship by sitting in the same room as the cat. After 2 to 3 days have passed, spend some time in the same room as the cat. Take a good book and a bag of cat treats, settle yourself down to read and have some treats in your hand.
- The idea is to let her get used to your company, and to see that you are not doing anything other than sitting quietly.
- Eventually, if she feels bold enough she may take a tentative step out from her hiding place.

4. Toss her a treat. Let the watch you for a few minutes and then gently toss a treat in her direction. If she eats it great, but if she scurries back under cover do not fret, it is to be expected.
- This is where bucket loads of patience comes in because you need to be prepared to sit in this way every day for an hour or more if necessary.
- Even then it can take weeks for some cats to build the confidence to start taking the treats.

5. Draw the cat closer to you with a trail of treats. Once the cat takes a treat at a distance, start leaving the treat a little bit closer each time, setting a trail for her to follow that draws her closer to you.
- Ultimately, the goal is to get her approaching close enough to take a treat from your hand, and eventually allow you to gently pet her.
- In this way get the cat patterned onto treats, which will help her to associate you with pleasant things.

6. Consider lying on the floor to avoid intimidating the cat. A tip for winning the cat's confidence when she ventures out of hiding is to lie on the floor.
- When standing up, a human is an imposing sight to a cat. Lying on the floor you look less intimidating, making it feel safer for the cat to approach.
- Don't forget to keep those treats handy so you can scatter them on the floor as she draws closer.
- Again, as the cat explores never cut off her escape route in case she need to retrace her steps in a hurry.

7. Be patient. Remember that behind the fear and shyness there is a lovely cat needing to relearn confidence and trust. It takes time, but if you are patient and kind these animals can repay that kindness a thousandfold. There is so much pleasure to be had, months down the line, in recognizing the immense turnaround possible in these animals.