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I'm Cute but don't touch

post #1 of 6
12/20/10 at 5:08pm
Thread Starter 
We are caring for a very talkative feral cat. He is accepting of food and will roll on his back but won't let us touch him. We can get within 2 feet or so but then he moves away. He will come into the house very briefly but yowl to get out after a minute or so. How should I interpret the rolling over behavior? He seems conflicted.
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post #2 of 6
12/20/10 at 5:28pm
Rolling on his back isn't only a sign of "come pet me" it is usually more general, like "I trust you now." The belly is vulnerable, and showing it is a sign of trust, though heis still not ready for you to pet him yet.
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post #3 of 6
12/21/10 at 8:39am
It can also be a sign of submissiveness. I feed a feral colony of around eight cats, two or three of whom roll onto their side, belly exposed: they know the hand(s) that feed them.
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post #4 of 6
12/21/10 at 8:45am
He wants attention. Talk to him in cutesy voices when he does that, maybe even toss some treats to him. Remember, attention and touching are two different things, one does not require the other.
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post #5 of 6
12/21/10 at 4:32pm
Use wand toys to play with him, too. Let him set the pace on coming closer to you and interacting.
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post #6 of 6
12/21/10 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 
My thanks to all who responded to "I'm Cute but don't touch". We will continue to be patient. I periodically provide powdered wormer I get from the vet and mix it with his dry food. Any ideas on tapeworm control? The usual drug is bitter and not easily disguised.
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