Hey Kitty lovers!!

Hi all of my 'hood friends that happen to be kitty lovers, too.  I have a question (or two or more).

Since OC is an Outside Cat I feed her on the front porch.  I make sure she has food available all the time as she likes to come up and grab a bite or two often through out the day.  Because of this we have attracted our share of wild critters through the years including birds, neighborhood dogs, and an occasional 'possum.  Recently, though I have caught glimpses of another kitty hanging out on the porch and eating OC's food.  Fine, I don't care, another kitty will help keep the mouse and snake population down.  However, I'd like to make friends with this kitty---even if I don't ever pet it, I'd like it to stop running in fear everytime it hears me near the door.  It is a young-ish kitty I figure she's (?) about six months old or so as her frame is still small and she's seems to be a bit long legged-like a teen kitty gets.  This kitty is colored like a siamese except she has a couple of big splotches of white on her face and front legs...but she's got the soft brown color all over with a dark brown tail; like Siamese do.

Anyway  :)  How do I go about 'taming' her?  I don't want her in the house---I just want her to stop running and being terrified of me/us.  The other day I had the front door curtain open and I saw her on the porch.  She and I just kind of stared at each other for a few minutes.  I was talking all nice and soft and soothing to her through the door, but in a couple of minutes she spooked and jumped off the porch.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Jordan says I should quit feeding her so she'll go away.  I don't want her to go hungry.  But I don't want to feed a kitty I never get to see, either.

Comments

[Katiebell]

I have never had good luck with wild cats, but My Mom has integrated a few into her home.  She fed them and would gradually get closer and closer, and then usually one day a storm comes and the kitty zips into the house.  I think others will have better advice!

[Pixiemom]

Just keep as you are doing.  She'll let you get closer and closer as she realizes that you come with the food.  That's how I got my Samson when Amie was a baby.  I fed an outside cat a little and Samson started coming as well.  I always set the food out at the same time and started sitting out there waiting for a little bit.  The other cat was older and too wary of humans, so she never came close, but Samson came a little closer day by day while I was out there.  After a little bit, he came up to the food while I was there.  Then, he let me pet him.  After a little while, I got him in the house, had him neutered, and made him mine.

[teh deej]

hi this is dg

sorry i dont know how to makee frendz with outside kittehs

but dady sayd teh kitteh mite be ferals and nevr evr be yor frend but teh best thing you culd do is be slow and quiet and nice and teh kitteh mite likee you sumday latr

ok luv you and i hopee you makee frendz with teh new kitteh

dg

[Kzinti]

Yikes! Remind me and Deej not to hang out around your house...<snip><snip> LOL

Familiarity is the key. Put food out there and sit at the end of the porch. Then, after a few days, move closer and closer. Start hand tossing little kitteh treats to the kitteh. Takes a little bit, but they come around some.