1. Realize that a cat will try to do everything to get away from you, including twisting, curling, scratching with any leg, and biting. Be extremely careful, and use heavy gloves, as long as you can still hold with them. It is also a good idea to have some help, especially from an experienced cat handler.
2. Take hold of a stray cat cautiously. This is absolutely not advised unless you have previous experience in handling ill-tempered cats. Ideally, you should be able to throw a thick towel, blanket, or pillowcase over the cat and scoop it up. If you have no other choice but to put your hands on the cat to pick it up or put it in a carrier be very cautious, calm, and strategic.
- The cat’s claws are directed towards the front, so try to get behind it. Scruff the cat at the neck with your dominant hand, making sure you get an immediate and firm handful. This can be much more difficult with tomcats or obese cats, as they have less scruff. With your other hand immediately push down on the cats back until you can get a hold of both back legs in your second hand. You may try immediately to go for the back legs, but you may miss.
- Stretch your arms apart as far as you can, lift the cat, and put it rear-end first into a carrier. The carrier should be sitting on its end, so you can drop the cat in and quickly close the door on top of it. Hold the door down with one hand and the carrier braced with your legs, until you can securely latch the door.
3. Create a safe place for the cat to rest and live, while determining where the cat will go. Prepare for your guest. If you plan to keep the cat for at least a few days while you try to find the owner, get a 'safe room' ready. Ideally, the room should be escape-proof, quiet, unused, easily cleaned, and almost completely empty. Bathrooms and fully-enclosed porches work well.
- The only things that should be in the room are a comfortable seat for you (to sit in quietly while the cat becomes used to you), one comfortable, but not too secluded, hiding place for the cat (a cat carrier is ideal, water, and litter. A scratching post, toys, and a window might be nice, but the cat will probably be too stressed to make use of any of these.
- Do not provide any food in the room unless you are in it. Always bring the food in personally, and, if the cat will allow, sit in the room while the cat eats. Food is your best tool to earn trust.
4. Isolate the cat from other animals in the home. Your safe room should have zero access to the other animals in your household, including being able to smell each other under doors, as disease can pass this way. You should use different clothing in the stray cat's area, as you can transfer disease, such as viruses and parasites, on clothing and shoes to your other animals in the household, especially other cats. Always wash your hands and any other exposed skin after leaving the safe room.
5. Be cautious when releasing the cat from the trap or carrier into their safe room. Wear protective clothing on your face and hands, bring the trap into your safe room, and position it away from you so the cat will be released in the direction of its designated hiding place. Most cats will scurry right into the hiding spot, but some will attempt escape. They can be amazingly quick, even jumping right over you to get out the door, so keep it closed. Aggression is less likely, but can be possible. A cat with its ears flat, eyes showing white or with pupils very wide, a crouched/hunched/muscles bunched/ready-to-strike appearance, hissing/growling, and moving towards you slowly with head down are all signs of which you should take heed and get out of the room.
6. Allow the cat to calm down for a few hours. Once they have calmed down a bit, enter the room quietly, bringing food and a camera. Try to get a good look at the cat, and ideally a good photo, so you can immediately begin to search for an owner.
7. Allow the cat to set the pace for all future interactions. Do not force it out of its hiding spot, or touch it if it is frightened. Allow it to eat alone if it will not eat in your presence, but be sure it sees that you provide the food.
- Establishing a regular schedule will allow the cat to anticipate your visits, making your entry much less frightening, and it will begin to associate your visit with the appearance of the food. Sit in your chair and read quietly for a few minutes, at least a few times a day. Try to be as non-threatening as possible: move slowly, stay as 'small' as you can by crouching, do not make eye contact, close your eyes and pretend to sleep, stay quiet or speak very quietly.
8. Try to touch the cat once it is used to you and the new room. This is an expression of trust that often brings about a transformation in a formerly tame stray. This can also be a very risky move however, particularly if the cat you have trapped is a genuine feral. Leather gloves are a good safety precaution, but can also be frightening, especially if they are bulky or are not worn consistently.
- Do not attempt this unless you are very good at reading cat body language, and don't push you luck by ignoring warnings from the cat (notice pupils, ears, tail, head and shoulder position, all from a cat who may still be cowering in the back corner of the hiding spot).
- Start by slowly extending your hand to place a very tasty treat near the cat. Get the treat as close to the cat as you can before it cringes, growls, or otherwise acts threatened. Do not throw the treat or extend your fingers. Repeat, bringing your hand closer as the cat allows. Eventually, you may be able to bring your hand near enough that the cat will smell it. Allow this, then retract your hand.
9. Look for cues that the cat is done being touched. When you do touch the cat, be very careful, watching and listening for any clue that the cat is about to react badly. At this point, most strays will allow you to touch them without being aggressive, and virtually all will give a warning signal. Ideally, you'll get a few different levels of warning, a hiss may progress to a growl (or vice versa), and you may be able to ignore a brief hiss as long as it doesn't escalate to a growl.
- Sometimes, physical contact will immediately clarify your intentions to the cat and it will remember how great being a pet is. Otherwise, at least the cat will become used to being handled, and may come to enjoy being petted once it has experienced several successful sessions.
- Cats that have been abused or who have a painful injury can be unpredictable, especially if you hit a sensitive spot, so go slowly.
-Some cats love to be scratched around the ears and under the chin, but hate being touched at the base of their tail, and vice versa. A safe first place may be at their shoulder blades or whatever they rub on you first.
10. Assess whether you have actually captured a stray. A cat that will let you touch it within 2-3 weeks of several brief daily sessions of interaction in your safe room is likely a stray and can probably be re-tamed. If, however, you have found a true feral and have not become friends within a couple of weeks, do not attempt to tame it. The cat will never be entirely at ease living with humans, and would be far happier living outdoors with appropriate care.
- The cat's medical needs should be addressed before you release it (including vaccinations and especially neutering). You may then want to try to re-home the cat to a farm (with permission!) or a managed feral colony. You may otherwise provide it with ongoing food, water, and shelter yourself. Cats are not well-suited to survive severe winters, and feral cats in cold climates require extra care, including a source of liquid water (a heated water bowl).
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