How to Make a Cat Like You

I've never had cats around me. I've always been a dog guy. A year ago I had to move out and started living with a flatmate. She has a cat. Since I did not know how to interact with cats... I just let him be: no touching him, just respecting his space. He loved it! In a couple weeks he was always around me and checking what was I doing. Sat on my lap while I was working from home and we were best buddies for the time I lived there. Now I am 100% a cat guy :)

A 4 month old feral kitten wandered into our garage one cold winter. We put some tuna out for her and left, since she wouldn't come out from where she was hiding while we were there. My then 17 year old son wanted to keep her. I said no, we have a dog, it's more expense etc. My son took more tuna, spread a blanket on the floor of the garage sat down and waited. 2 hours later we looked out and she was curled up in his lap. My husband looked at me and said, "I think we're keeping the cat". 4 years later she's sleeping on the arm of my chair which is one of her spots. My son's in college now. When he comes home on break she races to him!

What generally works for me is to sit down, act calm, speak softly, and ignore the cat. They eventually come around to see what I'm all about.

21 years ago, i brought home a young tuxedo that was hurt with broken bones on the streets because he was hit by a car. It took me 4 days to catch him. He was operated and neutered, i already had 1 cat (lived 27 years) and i decided to keep him. He was the most stressed and traumatized cat that i ever saw but i always respected him and give him space to heal. It took 2 YEARS for all the traumas to pass and when that happened he became a such a special sweet, funny, intelligent, commutative cat. We had developed such a special bond between me and him that i always call him my soulmate for 20 years ❤. Unfortunately he passed away and i miss him so much. I was so lucky to meet him ❤😻

My kitty loves me. He sleeps with/on me, goes to the restroom with me, eats his food when I eat, watches TV with me, he is like my shadow. He is black, 7 lbs, and was feral. I saved him and now I have a permanent companion; every second of the day, he even talks to me. What a little charmer!

Cats also tend to prefer people who are quiet, calm, and predictable. If you’re loud and animated, cats are less likely to approach you or want to hang around you.

Last year I adopted 2 rescue cats. 1 was terrified of me and now he sleeps with me/on me/or near me depending on his mood. It didn't happen over night. The key thing was being consistent with them, giving them (each) their own dedicated spaces, and respecting their boundaries. Slowly but surely the bond formed and trust started to form. It's not perfect, there are clear still signs of their PTSD from the past. I get it. But we work through that as a family.

Your expertise and wisdom has saved my cat! I was thinking of placing him in a shelter to re home him because of constant aggression and some serious wounds. I've been implementing your techniques have worked, and my precious feline baby and friend is changing his behavior. Because I've changed mine. Thank you so much, Jackson! God bless you.

I generally treat new animals the way I’d like new people to treat me. Don’t look at me. Don’t say hi. Don’t come close. Just ignore me and occasionally throw food in my direction.

There is a cat in the neighbourhood that walked right up to me and my kids in a super calm manner. We let him smell us and he rubbed his head on us and laid down. We gave him pets and he got up and walked into the bushes just as calmly. He was the calmest most relaxed cat I’ve ever seen. Made our day.

I have recently adopted a kiiten, and she's been my saviour. I'm now on atidepressants, but 2023 was a hell of a year, I wanted a cat so bad but couldn't even take care of myself. I was visiting family while adapting to my new medication, and when I came back home, the next day she was here with me, kind of like a fresh start. We've been together 30 days now, and she's my little motivator, without her and the meds I probably wouldn't be doing so well, and juggling life to make it work out. These videos have helped me understand her behaviour better, and, despite still biting too much, she's getting calmer and more used to our life together. I can't wait until years have passed and I can share much more beautiful moments with her.

I've been socializing a mostly feral mama cat for the last year. She put her babies in my car engine thinking it would be a safe spot. All three of her babies were fixed and adopted out. Now I just have mama. With a ton of treats, patience, and *waiting for consent*, I am now able to walk up to her, put my hand out, and have her bump my hand with her head for pets and scritches. We can only do a little at a time before she pulls away, but that is ok. She pulls away, I thank her for being sweet, give her some treats or canned food, and we coexist in our home just fine. She has her stand-up crate that is always her safe spot if she wants to get away from everything, but she spends less and less time in there and more time out with the family. She may never be a super cuddly house cat, but she is no longer terrified of me and appreciates her warm bed and plentiful food. She is actually pretty sweet considering that she was wild before. I learned a lot from Jackson Galaxy and was able to apply that.

My cat is 22 yrs old. He gets angry when I use my phone.😾But he looks when I order his cat treats. 😻

I did not expect to come into a cat video and hear about human consent, but I love it.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE listening to Jackson teach us all about consent. Applies to everyone and everything, not just cats. Thank you Jackson! ♥♥♥

*how to earn a cat's love (results may vary because no human could ever deserve it)

When you sit down near them, ignore them at first. Don't look at them directly, give them an opportunity to look at you without having to make eye contact. Take in a big breath and let it out in an audible sigh, relaxing your body as you do so. Cats understand that kind of body language and they know that it means that you're chill.

Your explanation is the exact reason I don’t trust people who say they hate cats because they’re unapproachable. Those people have a problem with the fact that cats require consent. Big ol red flag to me

I posted my Bombay cat's bail. He was in the rescue agency (Paws and Claws) in Oro Valley for 4 weeks!!! It's a perfect match! When I got him home, he NEVER ran and hid. Slept with me the first night. About 4 hours after bringing him home. He is THE BEST sweetheart EVER!!! His shiny black coat and his bright yellow eyes stole my heart instantly. Perfect match! I hit the jackpot, and he did, too! He'll be 2 years old on August 6. Yeah, this cat pets me, too, mostly by bashing himself against me when I walk through the door after work and sending me off when I leave for work. He loves to show me what he created while I was gone- papers everywhere, his toys all over out of his basket, and LOVE! He ALWAYS must be near me. I am SO SO SO FLATTERED by our only 3 month relationship. He's my STARBOY! Match made in heaven! On my way out to work, I always tell him, "I love you, sweet boy, I will be home later.... and don't you be tearing up the house." He never tears up furniture or anything. He loves me back. He is the friendliest cat and was obviously well-treated before I adopted him! To his last human, I say 'thank you!"

How amazing cats are that teach us humans about consent! That's why I think they are such great animals to help kids learn about this kind of stuff. They learn empathy, respect, consent, boundaries...