Perhaps you have been living with your cat for a long time and you feel that a bond of trust has not been generated between you. Or you have adopted a kitten and you are worried that your relationship will not be as close as you have dreamed. The first thing we should know is that earning feline trust depends on several factors. Knowing them and applying some practices are essential for the relationship between cats and pet parents to be the desired one.
A cat’s tendency to trust humans depends, in part, on what it went through as a kitten. Pleasant experiences with different people during the socialization stage, between the second and seventh week of life, will have a lasting effect on what a cat expects of us, both positively and negatively. Some cats may never be ready to establish a close relationship with a human if they have had bad experiences at this stage.
Still, it’s important to be aware that even socialized cats tend to prefer to be in control of their social interactions. Therefore, the expectations of feline pet parents must be realistic. What’s more, although they have adapted to living with us, in some of their behaviors there is still a trace of their wild origins. You have to know and understand their behavior and what their needs are, which not only go through feeding them well and taking care of their health.
At home, we must create an environment that respects the five pillars of feline well-being. The first is to make the cat feel safe, that is, that he can move calmly in his space and have safe havens. Another is that there is a separation between the spaces for the different activities of the cat (eating, drinking, resting, doing its needs, scratching and playing), and that, in addition, there are several spaces that have the same function and that are distanced from each other. yes (for example, several separate sandboxes). Above all, if there are several cats at home, distributing the spaces is essential to minimize competition and conflicts.
Cats have hunting skills, so we must encourage them through play and activities related to food. It is also important that the cat have pleasant, predictable and regular interactions with people, although the importance of this pillar depends on the characteristics of the cat (for example, the experiences it has had so far with humans). To promote their well-being, we must also respect their sense of smell, which is so delicate.
Satisfying the cat’s needs is the starting point for building a good relationship. If, on the contrary, the cat feels threatened or does not feel safe, for example, being surrounded by unknown odors, in a space that is not familiar to it, even if it is a cat that is sociable with humans, approach and interact with a unknown person will hardly be your priority. In these circumstances, gaining their trust will be even more difficult.
Cats are not easy for most people to read. Some feline gestures are obvious, such as flattening the ears or emitting a snort, but the most subtle ones can go unnoticed by many and reading the nuances of the expressions is important to achieve a good coexistence. By acknowledging their emotions, we will be able to know what to do next. Signs of cats that are relaxed and willing to interact include blinking slowly, purring, rubbing their heads against the person, seeking proximity or physical contact, and relaxing with their bellies up, among others.
On the other hand, if it does not want contact, the cat will let us know by launching a claw, biting us or hissing at us. Also, their refusal to interact can be more subtle, for example, lateralizing their ears, flattening their upper eyelids, showing small twitches on their backs, moving away, shaking their heads, licking their noses, tensing their muscles and wagging their tails, or otherwise. side to side like a whip or just the tip of the tail nervously.
In addition to all these signs, we must understand what our cat is like and what its preferences are when it comes to interacting with people. Some love fingertip scratches, while others prefer pampering sessions or enjoy being petted on the head. We must discover what they like with small tests, paying maximum attention to their reactions and adapting our behavior to their responses. Moreover, it must also be taken into account that these preferences can change over time.
Before touching him, we must know that there are differences in the areas where cats enjoy physical contact. The temporal regions, that is to say the space between the eyes and the base of the ears, generally provoke positive reactions. The cheeks and under the chin are other places cats often enjoy a scratch. On the other hand, the back, flanks, legs and tail cause very varied reactions among cats, while the base of the tail and the belly are usually prohibited areas.
In any case, we must know that cats, even when they are correctly socialized with people, prefer humans who let them rest and who do not chase them if they try to stray. It is advisable to let him the initiative to approach and establish physical contact. Yes, we can approach them but always without invading their space, speaking to them softly and waiting for their reaction. And if the cat approaches and sniffs us, we must resist touching it right away. If he wants us to touch him, he will touch us first, rubbing himself together.
Play can go a long way in building and maintaining a harmonious relationship with your cat, and the same can be said for training. Creating the environment that promotes the ideal behavior of the cat at home and positively reinforcing the behaviors that interest us the most are essential to communicate effectively with him and have a good relationship. Spending time playing with him can strengthen the bond between the two of you. But, again, you will have to observe and test which games you enjoy the most and when you are willing to do so.
Haste is never a good adviser, nor is it to improve the relationship between cats and humans. If yours has just arrived home, you have to let him calmly adapt to the space, the people and the smells. Remember that acting calmly and patiently will be the fastest way to gain their trust.
From the first moment he arrives in his new home, we must be patient with our cat, transmit calm and know his particular preferences and respect them. Surely, little by little, you will learn to build a solid and affectionate relationship with him.
