r/cats • u/poi217 • Jul 17 '26

Advice Could someone please tell me why it's blocking my way?

This is the feral/stray cat I've been feeding for the past 2 months. Keeps getting in the way and won't let me refill its food

Edit: Ty all for the comments and advice. Didn't expect this post to get so much attention. For context, I've never interacted with cats before, only dogs. This cat used to bolt whenever it saw a human, so I thought it was feral. It only recently started approaching me when i went out to refill.

Update video https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1uzf7ro/comment/oy70mbf/?context=3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=2&utm_content=share_button

Update video 2 https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1uzf7ro/comment/oy77tzl/?context=3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=2&utm_content=share_button

Petting https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1uzf7ro/comment/oybucqe/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Final update https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1uzf7ro/comment/oyrxar4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=2&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1uzf7ro/comment/ozwhaoq/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

14.3k Upvotes

90% Upvoted

2.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

9.1k

u/IndependentAardvark6 Jul 17 '26

Are you scared of the cat? She looks like she wants you to pet her.. she is being social… shes not blocking your way, shes following you. She wants the food.. you seem wayyy too nervous though.. more concerned about your behavior than the cats tbh lol

276

u/poi217 Jul 17 '26

https://reddit.com/link/oy70mbf/video/ldpa80xolvdh1/player

So i went back out to pet it, but it bit my finger

520

u/IndependentAardvark6 Jul 17 '26

Yeah I think she just wants the food lol you have food smell on your hands and shes starving so feed her first before trying to pet.. that wasnt an agressive bite, my dads cat will do that sometimes too but just give her food in a bowl outside of her hiding hole so you dont have to bend down and get nipped again

445

u/poi217 Jul 18 '26

https://reddit.com/link/oy77tzl/video/89g3ponwsvdh1/player

confidently went back out again lol

577

u/IvaldiFhole Jul 18 '26

The tail! 😂

This cat loves you. Try moving slower and sitting down for a minute. It will come to you and let you pet it/scratch it. Might even flop on its side, exposing its belly, but don't scratch its belly until you've spent some time with it.

143

u/hashtagstopitfool Jul 18 '26

My cat always tries to be cute and get me to scratch his belly, but it's a trap. He tries to nip. I am pretty sure it's love. Painy love.

21

u/yech Jul 18 '26

I have had cats my whole life and every single one of them loved the belly rubs. My cats now get no choice in the matter- I belly rub and they flop over.

I am a bit of a cat whisperer though and can get them calm and loving on me really quickly.

3

u/gnomequeen2020 Jul 18 '26

All of my non-feral cats are belly rub lovers. When I go out to feed them, it is almost impossible to walk because they all fling themselves on their backs and demand belly rubs.

3

u/-SilverFeather- Jul 18 '26

Aww, see my cat loves belly rubs. If you do it too much, it initiates play mode. Other than that though, he really enjoys it.

He even rolls onto his back, so I can brush his belly, when I brush him. 🥰

2

u/Syralei Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

Also, stop making scared high pitched sounds. Aim for low, calming voice like "heyyy, it's ok". And get down low, crouch, and don't move super fast or in jerky movements(like quickly pulling hand back or standing up quickly). Let the cat come to you, don't put your hand out right away, let it smell you and it may even rub against your legs. Once it does this, then offer your hand, palm down, low to the ground. If the car wants affection, it will rub against your hand. This is when you attempt to pet it.

2

u/Dad_of_Ben Jul 18 '26

Also, while you are sitting calmly with the cat, make eye contact and slow blink. Slow blinking in cats means that there is no danger and that you can relax a bit.

1

u/mousekears Jul 18 '26

OP should sit down on the sidewalk and chat with the kitty. She might end up in OP’s lap…!

1

u/Kyrie_Blue Jul 18 '26

That’s a furry mouse trap if you’re not careful

1

u/Snitsie Jul 18 '26

This is too fucking funny man. That poor cat's trying with all it's might to show her love and she's just misreading every single signal

352

u/acceptablemadness Jul 18 '26

Just a few things to point out for future interactions -

As someone else said, the uplifted little question mark tail is a sign of a happy kitty.

The biting is definitely a love bite or a "hurry up and put the food down, dammit" nip. I have two toms whom I raised from kittens that will try to bite me if I stop petting them (ie, I've fallen asleep). Not every cat does it; my other three have never nibbled me. My only female cat does like to "groom" everyone in the family, though.

The fact that she's rubbing up against the bed is also a sign she's happy. That's a territory thing and if you stood still, she'd probably start rubbing on your legs/feet.

She's also giving you the slow blink/half-open eyes, which is another sign she trusts you and is in a good mood. If you get down on her level and slow blink back, you'll basically be saying "I love you and trust you" in Cat.

82

u/BigWorldTinyDog Jul 18 '26

100%, that’s a happy cat who wants to love on their human… maybe it’s not used to interaction (being outside and all) and just isn’t sure what to do? I agree with other posts that the hand nibbles were not aggressive or protective…

I’m confident if OP spent some time sitting outside with this kitty, that OP would start to understand their communication, OP seems like she’s on the right path, anyway…

8

u/tattoogrl11 Jul 18 '26

It's like the human and the cat are both trying to read each other and they're both confused about what the other is doing, but they clearly want to be friends. It's quite cute actually lmao

104

u/IndependentAardvark6 Jul 18 '26

Yay! Cats are weirdos. She had food but they for some reason think they have nothing. She definitely is grateful for you feeding her. She’s probably just not used to humans being nice to her so her socializing skills with people are just a bit unorthodox. Im so proud of you! :)

8

u/Same-Suggestion-1936 Jul 18 '26

Probably like "this is old food dawg give me fresh food"

Like my cats who would get half a can of wet then dry later and sometimes acted like there was no food if it was dry. Spoiler alert cat, I grew up in a family where if you didn't eat it you went to bed hungry. They don't do it for very long you just gotta wait them out till they understand they can't beg for new food when there's already food

1

u/Straight_Usual2659 Jul 19 '26

Good thinking but OP is the one awkward at socializing then again I stay away from dogs.

2

u/IndependentAardvark6 Jul 19 '26

I think OP just doesnt understand cats and hasnt really interacted with them. The fact that she went out there 3 times and that third time was after the kitty nipped her, I think shes awesome lol

73

u/kitten12551 Jul 18 '26

Well done!!

Some cats are weird when it comes to their food bowls. They eat out of the middle of the bowl and then want more even if there’s food in the rest of it. My cat does that too - this is her ‘empty’ bowl lol.

84

u/Jojo21899 Jul 18 '26

Thats because of their whiskers. Some dont like the sensation of pushing them against the side of the bowl when they eat. Getting a bowl that doesnt have steep sides with a low slope will help with that.

15

u/kitten12551 Jul 18 '26

Ohhh yes I think I’ve heard that before. Thanks!

Mine does it regardless of the bowl, plate, or mat her food is on. She just likes being picky.

8

u/keevanado Jul 18 '26

my cat has no whiskers and still prefers the food out of the middle and believes it’s empty when there’s lots around the sides

3

u/ItMeWhoDis Jul 18 '26

My cat won't eat his dry food unless I tap the food inside the bowl to remind him it's there. At this point I worry I've accidentally reinforced some weird behaviour

2

u/11thRaven Tabbycat Jul 18 '26

Lmao this is such a cat thing. My cat is the same. Even with his wet food, he'll push things to the sides and then get annoyed the bowl isn't refilling.

2

u/gr8bacon Jul 18 '26

we have the same dish 😻

2

u/kitten12551 Jul 18 '26

Do you have the water bowl too? It’s so cute!

3

u/gr8bacon Jul 18 '26

We don't, sadly. And we actually use this one upside-down, like a little platform, to place her food plate on. It's been a minute since I've seen the inside of it lol

2

u/kitten12551 Jul 18 '26

Haha I hear ya. I have a little riser and a mat under my cats bowls..she loves to drop dry food on the floor and eat it later. Cats gotta cat 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is my little goober hehe

2

u/gr8bacon Jul 18 '26

Yep - ours may be small but she makes the BIGGEST messes when she eats! 🤣

2

u/kitten12551 Jul 18 '26

Hahaha great pic

→ More replies (0)

2

u/Waddlekitty Jul 18 '26

Mine does that too. A swirl to the center and she now has a not empty bowl

39

u/Altruistic_Flight105 Jul 18 '26

You did better! You’re learning! You can find YouTube videos that will tell you how to read cat body language and also how to be with them. Keep practicing more confidence and peace. All the rubbing the cat did on the cat house is to show how EXTREMELY excited it is.

But also, imagine being that cat and seeing the food you’re desperate for and then the food keeps teasing you and being taken away by a restaurant server (that you usually like) that’s acting scared of you. Treat it a little more like how you’d like to be treated ♥️

28

u/nWhm99 Jul 18 '26

I'm really invested in this story now.

5

u/darndasher Jul 18 '26

Same! This is so precious and OP is such a sweetheart.

13

u/NineLivesNoAlibi Jul 18 '26

So invested in this. You go poi217!!

8

u/EntertainerSuper8933 Jul 18 '26

I laughed when in update 2 you said, "There's food in there already". See that little bit of bowl showing through at the bottom? Cats can't stand that. If they can see the bottom of the bowl, the bowl is empty. Welcome to being a cat servant.

8

u/MaxandGreenBean Jul 18 '26

I'm sorry, but I can't help but to laugh. This is so cute and that cat obviously adores you. It just makes me giggle when I see people get rid of cats that are like the most friendly cats you can ever come across, lol. It's not your fault. I'm not laughing AT you. It's just cute. I hope you understand what I mean.

4

u/Lissa-Marie Jul 18 '26

Did he have water? I seen lots of food dishes but I didn’t see any water anywhere

31

u/poi217 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

The water dish is the one right in front of the door haha. I read they dont like water being right next to the food

17

u/enveea Jul 18 '26

The little house is neat and the camera is a nice touch! This is totally your cat too, she seems to love you. It’s really sweet.

10

u/PhoebeH98 Jul 18 '26

You are genuinely so sweet for how thoughtful and caring and kind you’ve been to this stray little sweetheart! I hope you guys keep bonding and getting used to each other and becoming friends:) she is definitely very happy to see you!

4

u/Lissa-Marie Jul 18 '26

Oh ok good! 😊

4

u/DoneBeingSilent Jul 18 '26

I just want to say I think you're awesome and I'm very proud of your bravery in confronting situations which you're not necessarily comfortable with. I love this whole comment chain and I'm invested in the story. ♥️

4

u/Dramatic-History-943 Jul 18 '26

I love the “hi again” you gave the little critter. The other video farther up looked like a “give me the fooodz” nibble. My cat used to do that when I was too slow to feel her. That it nuzzled you first his HUGELY good

4

u/DieUwUminati Jul 18 '26

Please just sit down and let the cat approach you. Let her sniff you and get used to you. And, if you feel brave, pet the damn cat!! This poor baby just wants to love you. It's killing me that you're not petting the baby.

5

u/dizzybrunettegirl Jul 18 '26

Better, but I would stop trying to feed the cat in the little house - it's not normal to try and feed a cat in such a confined space, and then shutting the lid on her may add to the cat's stress. Cats like to be able to keep an eye out for any threats (especially cats used to being on the streets) and she can't do that if she's being expected to eat in a closed away space. I would just use the little house as something you leave out that she can use if she wants to, to sleep in. I'd leave it completely up to her as to whether she wants to go in there or not.

Also I'd like to echo other's recommendations that you sit down (once you put the food down). Towering above her isn't going to help anything. Sitting or even lying down is far less threatening and then it's best to let the cat come to you on its own terms.

I saw you say you were worried about fleas - if it's not coming in the house this shouldn't really be an issue - I once had a stray riddled with fleas in a spare room at home (one with a hard floor, not a carpet), and despite lots of cuddles and combing live fleas off her (whilst waiting for the flea treatment to kick in) I did not end up transfering fleas to my own cats or get them around the house. Getting her used to being close to you is needed anyway so that you can then apply a good flea treatment (get one from an actual vet, not a shop, they're much more effective). Once flea treated with proper stuff most, if not all the fleas will be dead in about 24 hours and you can just comb them off her. I would also recommend getting her a wormer as well as she's been on the streets and probably been hunting a fair bit.

5

u/poi217 Jul 18 '26

I appreciate the information. I did some research and purchased an instant flea killer and monthly preventative from flea assassin. Are these not strong enough?

5

u/springtime Jul 18 '26

Hi, I'm not familiar with flea assassin and can't comment on that, but it's generally good to check that it's suited for cats. Flea killers that work for dogs can be toxic to cats (the reason why cats can't wear a flea collar like dogs can). I usually buy the flea treatments for my cats at the vet. They might be able to give you the best advice what might work best in your situation, e.g. I usually use drops that have to be on the neck behind the head. You might have to get closer to Kitty than you're comfortable with it right now. But as others have said already, don't worry about the fleas too much. It is still outside and fleas prefer cats and dogs over humans.

You are doing a great job with befriending it btw! And the video shows, it's a friendly cat.

3

u/pokerplayingdogs Jul 18 '26

my only concern with applying flea treatment while they’re still a stray kitty is that if anyone else is also watching over this kitty and tries the same thing. flea treatment overdose is a real thing and it’s toxic. i would consider looking into that more before treating kitty!

2

u/Popular-Dingo6885 Jul 18 '26

Hey, before doing that I'd see if maybe you can trap the cat and get them to a vet first.

I bet you could talk to a TNR volunteer for help trapping them. One once helped me and she had these meds that were both an instant flea killer and a 30 day flea treatment that she used to treat strays. I can't remember the name though sorry, but I'd go vet first before those flea treatments you got.

1

u/dizzybrunettegirl Jul 18 '26

I don't know either of those but I think you're in the US and I'm in the UK, so there may be different things available. Here in the UK all the non-vet prescribed stuff is pretty rubbish.

1

u/AsparagusOk8818 Jul 18 '26

IMHO, you need to decide if you're going to adopt that cat before giving it medication. As others pointed out, it can be easy to accidentally overdose a cat if someone has the same idea; there's also a variety of drug interactions that can be dangerous.

If you adopt the cat, then it is off the streets and you can get it proper veterinary care and medication and stop it killing the birds and etc etc etc. Not a decision to make lightly because pets are a big responsibility and all that, but something to decide one way or another before giving the cat medication.

and yeah, it'll need a de-wormer too. there is a 0% chance that if it has been hunting as a feral cat it will have somehow avoided getting worms

1

u/Darkldark Jul 18 '26

im pretty sure that little box has a door (If not im just dumb abd disregard this comment).

I agree it might scare the cat because it has no escape But Ive seen plenty of cats that would prefer eating in such a box because they cannot be stalked or attacked exactly because it has only one exit, same mentality like a roofed litter box

1

u/AsparagusOk8818 Jul 18 '26

fleas and ticks are a genuine issue. not something to catastrophize over, but also not something to be dismissive of. fleas and ticks will chomp you as surely as they'll chomp anything, and they are vectors for some diseases you'd really rather not get

handle strays with care

3

u/IvoryThrowAway Jul 18 '26

Watching someone interact with cats who does not know how to interact with cats is actually quite entertaining.

2

u/Wittyngritty Jul 18 '26

You might be a new cat owner. CDS hit again. Congrats

2

u/MinuteResident Jul 18 '26

Don't be afraid to let him brush up against your leg. See how he's rubbing against everything? That's a good sign that he likes you. Stop moving away from him and just stand still

2

u/AcidCatfish___ Jul 18 '26

A good way to interact with cats who are still getting to know you is to squat/sit down on their level and hold your hand out and let them come to you. They get anxious sometimes if you walk towards them standing up...until they get used to you and start rubbing their scent all over you.

2

u/palmchill Jul 18 '26

Last thing, you’ve established a routine where when the cat sees you, it is getting fed. So, feed the cat first then you can hang with the cat (:

You can have a routine of quick greeting, fed, hang/pet

2

u/CatsSleepingOnMyFeet Jul 18 '26

Congrats to this kitty on their new human!! You're doing amazing, you're learning how cats work, kudos to you, cats are weird little creatures. I'm so invested in this now, if you wanna share more updates... 👀

(Also, I'm sorry so many people are being super rude in the comments wtf???)

2

u/maggiefiasco Jul 18 '26

So glad to see this update, this cat could be yours very soon. Obviously there are some more steps to take before bringing strays indoors but WOW this cat is crazy about you. The meowing isn’t even for the food. It’s FOR YOU

you’ve gotten a lot of advice here already but in case it wasn’t mentioned. Cats can make a whole lot of different noises and the meowing sound is what they do to talk to us. You can watch videos of cats watching birds or interacting with their babies or one another and they don’t meow to talk to one another. That baby is MEOWING trying to talk to you. There’s a language barrier but I find that if you respond with any kind of noise or words, you can have a “conversation” back and forth.

Cats as opposed to dogs also don’t understand pointing. If you’re used to canines, a cat cannot understand and follow your finger to its intended. You have to often be very literal in SHOWING them things.

Anyways, pet your future cat for me!

2

u/Suspicious-Guess-535 Jul 18 '26

What that cat is doing is scent marking everything. It wants to bond with you. Because you’re feeding it and it’s extremely comfortable with you now and basically your family. You should try sitting on that ledge and just letting him come to you and he will rub his face and tail all over you because that is how they mark you.

It is important for the cat and believe it or not makes it much better cat if he can do that with you if you have a fear of animals, but you like seeing them fed and safe I get it

But where that cat is when you open the door, you should just go and sit there and the cat is going to spend a couple minutes with you and that’s really all it needs

It will do that in the morning and in the afternoon, and that is pretty much the best thing you can do for the cat.

2

u/bistander Jul 18 '26

It's so cute that you keep trying and set this all up for them.

I am invested in this, watching a saga of a human slowly understanding a cat, it's like a Pixar movie.

2

u/herringsarered Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

Petting:

Gently bend down, stretch out your arm out towards the ground, but not too close to yourself (in case the cat doesn’t want to approach you all the way) nor stretched out all the way out (in the case the cat stays a few centimeters away from your hand and you can’t reach it to pet it).

You want your arm at enough distance from yourself but where you can still maneuver it a bit, a cat kinda moves and walks around your hand when they’re being pet.

Keep the hand position so that the back of your hand is facing outwards from you and your fingers naturally hang down. As if you were holding snacks in it, and hiding them from the cat’s sight.

Don’t go for the head right away like with a dog. Pet her softly with the back of your index finger, back of the fingers or back of the hand (the soft parts!) by petting her side - the shoulder blade and along her her side from front to back. Without necessarily going all the way to the back of the cat.

As she is orbiting your hand use the index finger to pet from the back of her head to the end of her neck, in the groove that goes down the center of her neck.

Alternate those, and if she is immediately comfortable with it, you can also incorporate running your cupped hand over her spine starting from the front, the neck and down the spine. She will arch her back out towards your petting hand and the tail will stay pointed up.

Watch the end of her tail moving slightly every time your hand runs along parts of her fur. It’s mesmerizing.

Cats like pushing into the petting, like running their head into your hand or leaning into you when pet their side.

If she lays down and stretches out exposing the e stomach, take your hand over her towards the neck and then pet from the back of her head down her neck and across her back. Repeat that move.

Showing the stomach means trust, but if you touch it she will get back up and wait for petting of less vulnerable spots.

2

u/Nomad-Duck04 Jul 19 '26

Just fyi shes not defending the box, shes spreading her scent all over it and showing attention seeking signals. Walk past her, heck walk into her, cats are very differnt to dogs, getting in you way is how they say i like you

2

u/theobedientalligator Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26

Lmfaooooo that cat loves you, wants the food, and wants your attention. It’s begging for scratches. Sit on the ground, offer it your hand, scratch between its ears then down its spine. Be careful of the belly trap, like another commenter suggested

Pet the cat. Love the cat. Enjoy the cat. It’s now yours. That bite was a love bite. 2/4 of my cats have done love bites throughout their lives

2

u/Noble_Ox Jul 18 '26

It wants affection, not food. Pet it. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen anyone so afraid for no reason. Sorry, I'm not trying to be mean.

1

u/Careful_Fox_2658 Jul 18 '26

Congratulations! You’ve now been adopted by this kitty ✨🖤 you are its chosen human! 🖤✨

1

u/notabox316 Jul 18 '26

I saw a lot of food, but is there water somewhere?

1

u/theblackcanaryyy Jul 18 '26

This is so adorable!! Now I’ve got cuteness aggression and no kitty to unleash it on!

1

u/prying_mantis Jul 18 '26

Awww, they’re excited to see you! I think the cat eating in your presence is a good sign also.

1

u/janerikgunnar Jul 18 '26

I'll add that "wild" cats may sometimes not be entirely socialized about how much nibbling is socially acceptable, or so I heard.

Also note that the way she rubbed her teath against your finger, they do something very similar (but without the nibble) when they mark you as theirs - they have something there that drops her scent on you.

1

u/palmchill Jul 18 '26

Great you’re taking care of that beautiful cat. The cat loves their stockpile of food, but I could not tell. Is there water?

1

u/palmchill Jul 18 '26

Also, I would recommend against petting the cat with a glove on - that might actually freak the cat out - That cat likes you for sure, so you should be good to pet without the glove if you just approach calmly and let the cat come to you

1

u/gregn8r1 Jul 18 '26

That cat so obviously wants to be your friend. Just pet the cat.

Usually cheeks, top of the head, and stroking along the back is where cats want to be pet. The belly is a danger zone.

1

u/FirefighterSome4083 Jul 18 '26

someone else suggested watching videos of people interacting with cats and I think that's a great idea.

cats have really obvious tells but you're not used to them you wouldn't notice them at all. they're funny and sweet little creatures and it's really lovely putting in the work to build trust with them.

my cat is a rescue and very good motivated and nippy. he never bites down hard, but he does regularly bite gently then release, it used to scare me even though I've had cats my whole life as I never had a love biter cat. cats can be hilariously intense, they'll flop in your path and run in front of you (nearly killing you lmao) and weave around your legs, they'll rub their chins against everything (this is mine... and this is mine...).

keep doing what you're doing. I would sit down personally and see what the cat does. would probably frantically climb all over and around you purring and shaking it's tail 😂

1

u/Legendary_Tortoise Jul 18 '26

You did great! Definitely agree with others about looking up some videos on basic cat body language. It might be good to look at a few about how to treat feral cats too since there's some training that will need to be done for both of you. 

Keep in mind that right now the cat is basically a reflection of you atm, they haven't had contact with another human before and don't fully understand your body language either. So grant em a little forgiveness if their defensive instincts pop up and you get a nip or scratch and try to figure out what you did differently that may have caused it. Don't forget to do the same for the goods too! If they let you pet em in a certain way or position, keep it in mind for next time. It won't take long until you're both in sync

Good luck and enjoy the new family member! When the time comes, a travelling vet may be a good first option for their initial checkup - they'll be able to teach you a few things and give you a tour of the cats body and point out what to keep an eye on

1

u/shameonyounancydrew Jul 18 '26

If you just sat down on the walkway, it would totally rub all up on you. That bugger is desperate for love.

1

u/CashMoneyWinston Jul 18 '26

This is the most “I love you and want pets but also food please” cat I’ve seen in a while 

1

u/dblink Jul 18 '26

Pet the cat!

1

u/jacenat Jul 18 '26

Give it some water (don't think I saw a water bowl) and change it once per day if you can.

When its around:

  • stop carrying your phone when interacting with the cat. Leave it inside or put it in your pocket. It makes you move strange and the cat notices this.
  • kneel down.
  • let it stroll around you.
  • it will bump your its head into you (to mark you).
  • after it is comfortable, try to pet it on the head and neck. Don't try to pet on the back, especially not the lower back, or the belly at first.

1

u/BeckBristow89 Jul 18 '26

I love the development and update videos lol

1

u/mme_truffle Jul 18 '26

She sees you feeding her as love. That's why she's so happy receiving more food from you even though she already has some.

Sometimes cats pick their people and this one has definitely picked you.

1

u/Appropriate_Cod7444 Jul 18 '26

You’re def getting there xx

1

u/Several_Inspection74 Jul 18 '26

I don't think I've ever seen a cat that wants to be pet quite so badly as this one. Let her give you a sniff and I bet her head will be under your fingers in a second.

1

u/ObedientRabbit Jul 18 '26

Need more updates

1

u/AdCapable7558 Jul 18 '26

She wants pets

1

u/No-Crow-775 Jul 18 '26

Awww I’m proud of you! You were so much more confident. Cats will always be dominant like this when they sense a person isn’t reading their signals properly. You’ll be moving around it with great confidence soon and the cat will likely respond by rubbing against your leg or hand. But you have definitely made a wonderful new friend. What a beautiful thing you’ve done!

1

u/hapidad Jul 18 '26

Get used to the nibbles! And psspsspss the cat for us!

1

u/mushroom_witch_ Jul 18 '26

That cat LOVES you 😭

You have a cat now, let her start exploring inside if you're able to

1

u/starspangledcats Jul 18 '26

A lot of people have given great advice so I'll just add one more thing: I didn't see any water, so you may consider providing that as well :) Don't put it in the house in case it spills, just put it outside next to the house. If you aren't sure how to pet it, you can just put your hand out while sitting and it'll likely pet itself against your hand. Slow blinking is a sign of love with cats, so the half lids show that they are comfortable. If you slow blink while looking at it, you'll signal that you like it and aren't a threat. Very friendly kitty!

1

u/ImpressiveLeek6640 Jul 18 '26

You’re a good human. If you want to pet and no one has told you put your hand down below their chin. Always come from below, never above which is generally threatening/scary. After feeding let them come to you.

1

u/Casor Jul 18 '26

damn never saw somebody that stressed by an interaction with a cat.

The cat has already made you his/her new home and you just have to accept :D

1

u/DepartmentHot5641 Jul 18 '26

This is so sweet. I know there’s lots of comments that are a bit harsh. But if you’re not used to cats it’s perfectly understandable why you’re scared! I think it’s so so sweet and amazing that you’re helping this kitty despite you being a little scared of her. It’s beautiful because she is a stray but she trusts you, and she’s a little over excited for the fresh food because for her, food isn’t always guaranteed!
We need more people like you that do this for the stray babies 🩵🩵 thank you.

1

u/SmartRefrigerator751 Jul 18 '26

Confidently is... one way of describing it.

Look, I dont want to come across as rude here, I've lived with cats my whole life, and you clearly haven't. However, I want to say that you need to be more confident here, and less afraid to get scratched. Scratches are part of miscommunication, it is simply a lesson, learn what went wrong, and how to do better.

We do not speak the same language that cats do, and cats do not understand English, despite what some TikTok accounts will try to make you believe. They will learn that certain words or phrases are linked to certain things, you can teach them the word treat, for example. However, this takes time, so for now the only way you can communicate with this cat, is through your actions, and mainly through your hands.

So when she gets in the way like that, try nudging her gently with your hand, or atleast slowly moving your hand towards her (while she sees it), as a way of saying "give me space". Not aggressive, not fast, but controlled, steady, doesn't have to be a push, it is simply you speaking with your actions, and saying "I need you to move". You can also try showing the cat the door, if they're struggling with it (idk what was going on there), and with the tail, I can understand not wanting to grab it, but just gently poke it with the tip of your finger. The cat will recognize the touch and will likely be slightly annoyed for a moment, and will pull it away. If cat does hiss or move their tail, then I would say to be more straightforward and just nudge the tail out of the way.

Communication is key, so you need to learn how to communicate with cats. Speaking is good, but you should speak with a higher pitch to your voice. Low pitch means aggression, high pitch means friendly, and this works with the sounds the cat makes too. A high pitched meow is a sign that a cat is feeling happy and friendly, a low pitched meow can mean annoyed or tired or bored. A growl or hiss means unhappy or potentially aggressive (it is rare that a cat will get truly aggressive with you, unless it feels trapped or cornered. Cats will usually run from humans since we are so much bigger than them, but if you listen to two cats just before they start fighting, then you'll understand what true aggression sounds like in cats). Finally, just like with humans, body language makes up the majority of communication, and even more so in this case.

This stray does a lot of friendly gestures, likely because it wants food, but it also has a few aggressive gestures that seem to likely stem from it being annoyed that you dont understand what it's trying to say to you. It's like if you keep trying to say "you're in the way" and "no, stay back" until eventually you get annoyed/scared enough to gently slap the cat. That would be another miscommunication that lead to aggression, except with you as the aggressor.

1

u/h_saxon Jul 18 '26

Put a little camera in there.

We did that for our outdoor house and got ALL sorts of surprise visitors.

Cats, some neighbors jackass dog, skunks, raccoons.

1

u/Aggravating_Ask5709 Jul 18 '26

cats do bite when excited, but another thing to note is that cats can tell the difference between skin and other materials. My cats will confidently stab/scratch any part of me that's covered in clothes but will gently paw at any exposed skin.

1

u/CaeruleumBleu Jul 18 '26

You shouldn't have the food in the shelter - it increases the risk of a racoon or other creature starting shit while the cat is trying to sleep, besides it being hard for you to feed the kitty sometimes.

The cat will be more likely to sleep soundly in a shelter that has no food. If you have to feed kitty in this shelter, if it is the only rain-proof option for the food, then I would consider a 2nd shelter next door so the kitty can sleep better.

1

u/dingalingdongdong Jul 18 '26

what a cutie! he wants to be your friend so badly<3

1

u/MO_MMJ Jul 18 '26

Holy shit just put the fucking food down already.

1

u/lasagna_daddy Jul 18 '26

this also reminds me a lot of how my cat will “herd” me towards his food bowl in the morning

1

u/Naughty_Monsters Jul 18 '26

Its trying to be friendly, its just too used to being a little feral kitty.
We took in a feral abandoned kitten over a year and a half ago and he still doesnt let me pet him except in very rare circumstances. Frequently wake up and hes curled up beside me on the bed, but if I go reaching for a few strokes the danger mittens will be deployed. He only likes to be petted when sitting on a specific comfort blanket in which case you are free to go to town with the pets without worry. All that being said, he never goes out of his way to bite or swat at me, you can walk right past him, he'll brush up around your legs all without issue, just don't look like your hands are reaching for him or you've got problems. He's an odd little thing.

1

u/Alone_Strawberry_286 Jul 18 '26

Her greed sickens me. She doesn't NOT need three plates of food

3

u/poi217 Jul 18 '26

There's another cat that comes by too (photo attahched). It only visits about once a day though and won't get close to me. The one in the video is basically here 24/7, so I leave enough for both of them