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Animals that you find on the street can be quite dangerous and you must always remember that they are probably frightened by you, and if you unintentionally threaten them, they will become violent. Follow these steps and ideally, the animal will learn to trust you, and hopefully become tame enough for you to bring home.



  1. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 1.jpg
    Get the animal's attention: Usually, making a soft clicking noise with your tongue, or by talking to it quietly will be effective. It is imperative that you do not startle the creature.
  2. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 2.jpg
  3. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 3.jpg
    Allow the animal to approach you once you get close enough. Call to it in a soothing voice and try to get the animal to come to you. Put out your hand, gently pat the ground, and you can also toss the animal food, throw the food to the side and not directly at the animal.
  4. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 4.jpg
    Avoid prolonged eye contact. Look to one side of the dog rather than staring it down. Dogs consider this to be a sign of domination. They interpret it as a kind of challenge and it can cause the dog to think you want to fight. (Ever notice that dogs you know will usually not keep your gaze for long? Or cats that glare at each other for as long as possible before a fight. To them it's very rude, so this is why. And why it's best to avoid it!)
  5. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 5.jpg
  6. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 6.jpg
    Observe the animal's body language if it does not approach. It's best to let cats come to you, they are hunters themselves but small enough to know the perils of being the hunted! But for dogs you may slowly - very slowly - start to take a few SMALL steps toward the animal if it seems friendly but just shy.
  7. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 7.jpg
    Stay calm and slowly back away if a dog snarls or bares its teeth... or a cat and it's growling or hissing at you. Do NOT run.
  8. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 8.jpg
    Remain motionless as the animal sniffs at your hand.
  9. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 9.jpg
    Allow the animal to finish it's examination of your hand and then slowly move your hand to a shoulder. Do Not pet it's head as it will scare them or cause them to bite. Remember that many animals have areas that they do not like having touched, so go slowly.
  10. Approach a Stray Cat or Dog Step 10.jpg
    Wait until the animal is comfortable before reaching for the ID tag. Speak softly and move slowly to avoid frightening or startling the animal. If the animal has no ID tag phone the local rescue centre, vet, or somewhere the animal will be able to stay.

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  • Food is a wonderful way of winning an animal's trust. Start by gently tossing a small piece to one side of the animal, and not directly at it.
  • Never corner an animal. It will make it feel trapped and feel as if it has no option but to attack you.
  • Even after the animal has determined that you mean no harm, this does not mean that sudden movement will not scare the animal. Remember to move slowly.
  • A friendly cat will rub your hand after sniffing it for a moment.
  • If it growls at you, don't worry or be afraid; animals can sense fear and know when you're afraid. Then they think they are the boss. Just stay calm and relaxed, it's usually just intimidated by you.
  • If you cannot gain the trust of the animal, but fear for its life or safety, the best thing to do is call your local animal shelter. They may also advise you on how best to handle gaining the trust of the animal.
  • If the animal attacks curl yourself into a ball to show less dominance. Many animals attack mostly because of threats.
  • Make soft high-pitched sounds as an act of friendliness.


  • Make sure that the animal does not bite you or you can get sick. Do not let any children near the animals. Be careful how you try to gain the animals trust because you may be put in harms way.
  • If it's a dog and it snarls and bares its teeth or a cat and it's growling or hissing at you, do not run. Just stay calm and slowly back away. (Restated here, as this is very important!)
  • Be very careful when approaching a strange animal! If it is stray, it may have not had any KIND human contact, for a while, and will not hesitate to attack you if it thinks you are dangerous! Even if it is domestic, it may be lost and desperate.
  • People are often discouraged to approach a strange animal, as there could be a rabies risk. However, it is likely that you will find that rabies is all but non-existent in your region. If you want a new furry friend, don't be afraid to befriend a stray. Just be SURE to take it slow, and when you have decided to keep your new friend, get them seen by a Vet asap. Or you can consider adopting from an animal shelter.
  • Make sure it doesn't have any illness and has been vaccinated properly.

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Article Info

Categories: Animal Rescue

Recent edits by: Krystle, GetMyCat, Neeraja_Das

In other languages:

Español: Cómo acercarse a un perro o gato callejero, Deutsch: Wie man sich einer streunenden Katze oder einem streunenden Hund nähert, Português: Como Se Aproximar de um Cão ou Gato de Rua, Français: Comment amadouer un chat ou un chien errant, Italiano: Come Avvicinarsi a un Animale Randagio, Русский: приручить бездомную кошку или собаку


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