Posted by ? on March 10, 19100 at 16:22:54:
In Reply to: OK..so what do I do? posted by Rox on March 01, 19100 at 10:12:45:
: Heres our problem, we have to siamese cats that have had basically no human contact,(until we took them in)
: The male is coming around but the female scatches us in fear if we pick her up. So we cannot get close enough to teach her that we wont hurt her. My battle scars never heal and she will never come around unless I can hold her.There is no way we could hold her still to apply these softpaws. I always felt that declawing was not an option but in this case what else do I do?
: any suggestions?
Declawing this cat is not going to do anything to help her learn to trust you, nor will it probably slow down the process either. We have tamed and found homes for a number of unsocialized, feral cats. Some have been like your female and would try and hurt us to get away.
You are correct in thinking that the only way to gain her trust is to handle her frequently. In order to do that, you need to keep her confined. Preferably in a cage or kennel where there is only room for a litterbox and a water bowl and a bed for her. If this is not possible, a small bathroom or other small room where you can get ahold of her and she can't hide from you can work well. Do not leave food in the cage/room with her. This means that you need to sit with her, petting and talking to her, and offer food to her at least 4 times a day. This way she will begin to associate you with food, which is about the only way to force her to learn to approach you. As she eats while you sit with her, pet her as much as you can and move her around - act like you are going to pick her up, by putting one hand under her chest and lifting her front legs off the cage floor. Wear long sleeves and long pants when handling her until she is more trusting. The key is that you have easy and frequent access to her, thus the small confined area and that you control the food situation, this makes you the good guy.
It takes time and patients but it is very rewarding to see a cat learn to trust you. Good luck.