You’ve adopted a new cat from a shelter or rescue group. You’ve set up a safe space for your new family member, and you’ve gradually introduced her to your home and/or your other cats. You’re excited about getting to know your new friend. While some cats will bond quickly with their new humans, others may take more time, and sometimes, a lot of patience from the human who just wants to love and be loved.
While it will depend on the cat’s personality and past history as to how quickly she will bond with you, there are a lot of things you can do to make pals with your new cat. Our resident feline behaviorist Mikel Delgado wrote an outstanding article for mental Floss titled 10 science Backed tips for getting a cat to like You , which offers solid tips on how to foster and strengthen the bond between cat and human.
Click here to read 10 science Backed tips for getting a cat to like You
Do you have a question for Mikel?
Leave it in a comment on her most recent column, and she’ll answer
as many of your questions as she can!
Ingrid King
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5 comments on how to get Your cat to like You
Mary-Ellen says:
August 8, 2018 at 8:41 am
First time visitor, I hv a 13 yr old Calico cat loves my spouse but she tolerates me, I can’t get close to her she will hiss me : (
Now we have another problem she’s disliking moist canned cat food, she always loved them, so we are giving her dry food, but she woke us up @ 5:30am & couldn’t find out what was wrong, then we checked each room & found poop in another room. Is it bc she’s not drinking enough water or is something else going on? also after all that she went on the table & was laying there, my spouse told her to get down. Why is she doing these strange behaviors? thanking you in advance.
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Ingrid says:
August 8, 2018 at 8:48 am
I would take your cat to the vet as soon as possible. any time you see a sudden change in behavior, it could be an indication of a medical problem. It’s possible that she’s constipated.
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Mary-Ellen says:
August 8, 2018 at 1:43 pm
I don’t know if the msg went through, so I’m resending- I want to thank Ingrid 4 her advice -+ a quick response.
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Cheri Collins says:
August 2, 2018 at 8:04 pm
And, I think, it’s important to realize cats are not all the same. If you can’t accept them as they are, don’t adopt one you think you can change. (Like people!) I adopted a cat from a shelter who was then 2 years old and had been rescued from a feral colony. After she was spayed, she waited in the shelter for 3 months, and no one wanted to adopt her. She’s beautiful. She’s friendly, but in her own way. She enjoys human company, but with her own rules respected. She doesn’t want to be touched much, she never ever at any time wants to be picked up. (She will never be a lap cat.) and she absolutely must be able to go outdoors. When I understood her, I understood why she hadn’t been adopted before I freed her from the shelter. She’s little and fluffy and I’m sure people tired to pick her up. but I had spent a year making pals with a truly feral cat who then moved in with me, so I understood that our friendship would be on her terms.
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Janine says:
August 2, 2018 at 8:16 am
Great tips. I actually learned a couple things that I do wrong. thank you for sharing it today.
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