Adopt a Pet | Find Your New Best Friend

Keep him calm and give him treats and attention as he adjust to a new environment. Spend a couple of weeks letting him explore the car in short intervals and familiarizing himself with this new territory. Let your cat familiarize himself with the harness before you strap him in. Then, gently guide his body into the harness and secure the buckle. Some cats may resist, so you might need another person to help restrain your cat.

Burrito your kitty before placing her in the carrier. This nifty trick works great when you need to medicate your cat, too. Plenty of YouTube videos can show you how to burrito a cat with perfect aplomb.

Caring for Stray Cats Who Prefer to Stay Outdoors

She doesn’t want to be touched at this point, and will probably view any attempts at petting as a threat. She may have had bad experiences with people before you, from all-out abuse to being shot at or rocks thrown at her while she was just trying to find food. Even if she never had these experiences, a true feral has been taught from birth to distrust you. It’s not easy to overcome everything Mother has taught. If the standard box trap just isn’t doing it, try using a drop trapIt’s a large mesh box that you prop up and trigger manually with a rope or string. Make sure to set the drop trap on flat ground and to have a partner, as the traps’ size makes them awkward to handle alone.

Sometimes for no discernible reason ferals take a few steps back in the trust factor. Whatever happens, never react to her in anger by yelling or hitting her. This will take you right back to the beginning, possibly never to gain any level of trust again. If you feel anger building to the point where you would react in a bad way to her, leave the room. It is advisable, however, that you don’t leave immediately after she has struck out at you, whether by hissing, swatting or biting. You don’t want to give her the idea that if she acts like that she can get rid of you.

The first step is to determine where you will house the cat while you look for its owners or a permanent home. It is important to keep in mind that the adoption process could take weeks or months. In a pinch, a bathroom may work for an adult kitty, but a spare room will work much better for a longer-term stay. If you are unable to personally foster the kitty, try asking friends and family if they would be willing to provide a temporary foster home.

Vet’s offices are generally in areas where there area lot of cars. After he’s used to the engine, practice short drives. As your cat adjust to being in the car, you can practice longer drives. It’s a good idea to do a few test drives to the vet’s office to get your cat used to the route before any appointments.