Any advise will be helpful

I have a semi-feral (stray) un-neutered male cat who has been coming to my back door since there was snow on the ground (Jan. or Feb.)  I started feeding him.  He wouldn't come close, but wouldn't run away.  In April he started coming into my house.  He is well behaved, friendly with my other four cats, uses the litter box.  He has been making great strides with trust issues.  For the last week or so, he has finally let me touch him, and is now coming to me for petting.

Here's my problem:  He is not declawed, and his claws are long, strong, and sharp as razors.  He has started to roll onto his back wanting me to rub his belly, but I'm scared to death of his claws.  He doesn't mean to, but if he reaches toward me, his claws are out, not retracted.  I wasn't quick enough about ten minutes ago and he hooked my wrist.  It took five minutes and a paper towel to stop the bleeding.  I also tried giving him treats from my hand.  Instead of taking it with his mouth, he reached out his paw to snatch it.  He broke the skin on my index finger in three places.l

Any advise on how I can make him realize he is hurting me?

Hmm, well first off my advice with any cat is to get them neutered. A huge number of behavioral issues can be solved by that, not to mention it's good for the cat and the feral cat population. You can start putting his food in a carrier so he gets used to going in there, and then when it's time to take him to the vet you can close the door behind him. He won't fall for that twice, but this is just while he's still semi-feral and you're not comfortable handling him yet. It'd probably be best to get the neutering done at a low-cost clinic or somewhere that's experienced in neutering ferals, because you're not sure how he'll react in that environment and it could be too much for a vet without that experience or necessary equipment.

For the claw issue: definitely don't get him declawed if that's something that's on your mind. That can cause not only physical problems for cats, but also behavioral problems. Declawed cats are more likely to develop litter box issues and they often start biting people because they feel more defenseless without their claws. Once you get him comfortable enough with being handled and having his claws trimmed, that will help a great deal! I'd ask even ask the vet or clinic to do that while he's under for the neutering surgery. His little weapons will be a lot less lethal when they're flat across rather than a sharp point!

To train him not to use his claws or paws so much when interacting with you, it might take a bit of trial and error. In which case maybe some gloves would be a good precaution and would help you feel less nervous around him while you're figuring out each other's preferences. Another thing you can try is instead of offering him a typical cat treat with your hand, buy a couple of jars of meat-flavored human baby food. Gerber and Beechnut make a kind in the little jars that is just mashed up meat, water and maybe some cornstarch. Then, spread a little on your finger or palm and offer it to him. To eat it, he can't grab it or paw it off, but instead will have to delicately lick it from your hand. Hopefully that can get him used to using a little more finesse and strengthen your bond at the same time.

Some cats will react to a nice, high pitched yelp and take that as a signal to stop whatever they're doing. Other cats don't seem to get the message at all, and fr them a convincing catlike hiss might be clearer. You might also try keeping a nice soft toy on hand that you can redirect him towards if his pawing is a playful behavior to teach him that he should go for a toy, not a person.

It's great that he's rolling on his back in front of you, as that's a sign of trust, but only some cats do that to say, "please rub my belly." For many cats the tummy is an area that they will never be comfortable with people touching, even when they do roll over like that. And often the pressure of a hand in that area triggers an instinct as if they have captured an animal that is trying to push away, so they will grab at the hand and kick it for fun. So I definitely don't recommend going near the tummy any time soon, just in case he's that kind of cat!

Be sure to clean your scratches well and keep an eye on them, just in case! I've been scratched by lots of cats and never had any sort of infection, but you can never be too careful. And thank you for rescuing this guy! It sounds like he needed a family.

Thanks, Molly.  You've offered a lot of good advice.  I've had a number of cats over the years, so I'm very familiar with them, but I've never had a semi-feral stray before.  It's a whole new set of issues.  I know most of my other cats are touchy about having their belly touched, so good point about the rubbing.  I'll see how luring him into a cat carrier might work.  I'd like to get him neutered ASAP, but short of throwing a blanket over him, I didn't know how to go about it.  I'll keep you posted.  

Once he lets you hold him, you can trim his claws. Dull claws don't scratch as well.

He looks just like your cat in the Photo!  All black, no white spots, green/gold eyes.  I trim my other cats nails regularly, but this guy is scary.  He's not aggressive.  He's kind of like Edward Scissorhands.  He hurts you without meaning to.  My other cats keep their claws retracted unless they mean it This guy I think is just used to using them all the time.  I see a long road ahead.  Maybe I should get a padded suit and thick gloves, lol.

Mingo is like that too. He grabbed at my arm this evening, playing, and raked me all the way down my forearm. Had to rush to get something to stop the bleeding before I dripped on the furniture. A few weeks ago I had to pay to replace a library book due to "fingerprint/blood"! The only thing that helps is long sleeves and winter clothing.

When he was a kitten, I did use gloves to play with him.

I took your advice - Literally!  I've been putting on a flannel-lined denim jacket and a pair of insulated winter gloves when I pet him.  Good thing!  He snags me every time.  If I wasn't wearing the gear, I'd be bleeding.

I took your advice - literally!  I have started wearing a flannel-lined denim jacket and a pair of insulated winter gloves when I sit on the floor to pet him.  It's not great for spontaneity, but I'm not bleeding.  Thanks for your help.