Hissy Cat needs help

Hello all,
I amhoping someone on this forum can help me tame a cat that was given to me. She is just a plain old black alley cat, but so sweet looking. She will not let you get close to her. She starts hissing. She will scratch you badly if you try to pick her up. Any suggestions as to how to get this cat tamed? We do have another black cat in the house who is a little better tamed than her. But they don't want to play together. Curious.

Where did you get her from? Is she feral? I sounds like she is. Of course a new home can disrupt any cat which time will solve. However, you might check into techniques used in working with ferals.

I am not sure if the cat we have is a feral cat. How can I tell if it is? And if it is, am I wasting time in trying to tame it?

Thats a good question. Some ferals will turn but others would rather be left alone. I think they will often run and hide from you, skittish and shy but I'm no expert in this area. They don't meow either, usually try to keep quiet. If she meows then most likely not feral, they learn early to stay quiet to stay alive.

Theres still a good chance she is just totally freaked out with a new home. There are approaches to taming a feral that you can still try with her. Taking a long stick and stroking her with it. I don't know...theres a lot of info, you might try the feral forum for advice, even if shes not feral.

she does not meow. Just hisses when you try to get close to her. She is absolutely quite and stays in her little corner. She seems to try and want to come to me, but just doesn't know how. When I approach her - she runs scared behind the couch. I tried to give her a ball of strings but she doesn't play with it. I will go to the feral forum and see if I can seek out more answers. Thanks for your help.

First, welcome to the forums! YES, there are people here who can help you socialize this very scared little girl. It will take time and patience, but if you have those then you can definitely socialize her. (When it comes to ferals, we prefer the idea of socializing rather than taming. A feral that is "tamed" often loses their amazing personality in the process.)

Here's an article to help you determine if she is feral or a stray: http://straypetadvocacy.org/html/feral_vs__tame.HTM

Many times a stray will ACT feral, but will acclimate to the home environment and trust much quicker.

But first...how long have you had her? How long has she been inside? Do you know any of her history, besides just being an alley cat?

Thanks for your response. We've had her for about 2 1/2 years and about three years old. We live in a co-op and one cat probably inseminated approx. 30 cats which one is this cute lil MiMi. The owner has not made much attention to her so now I am in charge and will make her a beautiful lil cat who will learn how to purr. I will keep all of you tuned in to her progress.

I wouldn't try to pick her up, unless you have to for health or safety reasons. I would try playing with her using a dangly wand type toy, then she may want to interact. I have two kits who were living outside until 13 weeks old, and it was cute to watch them learn how to play. One is still kinda skittish, but she is coming along. I would also try jingly balls- most cats like them. However, they do outgrow toys sometimes.

another site which can help.

http://www.forgottenfelines.com/new/...info/tame.html