Rescue cat will come sit right next to me, and grab my hand with her claw. How can I touch her?

Majesticfoxx

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We rescued 2 cats a while back, and then we adopted a third cat which had already been socialized in order to teach the 2 we rescued that not all humans are bad.
One of the rescue cats seems to want to interact with us. While I am sitting on the couch, she will often jump up and come lay almost right next to me(It is a very big couch). Or she will come and sit on the back of the couch almost right behind my head. She will sometimes close her eyes and pretend to sleep.

She will take treats from our hands, and if we put our finger out to her, she will sniff it, and sometimes touch it with her nose. Sometimes she will reach her front paw towards me, like she is stretching, and she will just leave it there, like she is reaching for me.

If I move my hand next to hers, she will often put her hand on top of mine, with one claw on my hand or finger, and will just sit there. This is the part that confuses me. It doesn't seem like she is trying to scratch me, and she is not rough about it at all, she just grabs my hand with her claw. She does not move away at all, or growl, or hiss. I am not sure if she thinks that my hand is a toy, or if she just doesn't like what I'm doing.

I am wondering if there is a way that I can start touching her, and petting her, without offending or scaring her. Should I stop trying to interact with her when she comes and sits by me? I have never owned a cat before this, (My wife has, and this was all her idea) and the cat that we adopted absolutely loves being touched, so I am not sure of what to do, and any advice would be much appreciated.
 

Father of furbabies

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I believe the cat is just testing how your react by reaching out.The cat is probably unsure but curious so it is taking a cautious approach of reaching out with a paw without endangering the rest of the body. Try touching the top of the paw lightly with a finger and maybe stroke it. Watch the cat's body language when you do this. Ears going flat, tail twitching or swishing rapidly, or even the irises of the eyes going wide generally indicate the cat is tensing up and might be getting ready for a flight or fight moment. Pull your hand back and let the cat make the next move.

This is a long process for some cats to gain trust in humans so you will have to be very patient and move at the cat's pace, not yours.
 

jefferd18

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When you do reach out to her, make sure your eyes are fixed on the ground, do not look at her. If she backs off, you back off, and try another day.
 

Silver Crazy

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When you are giving the cat the treats try putting the treat in the palm of your hand with hand flat on the ground, but each time as she gets more confidant taking the treat, close you hand up a little more so she has to push her muzzle into your hand to get the treats. Puts the contact in her control with a reward and builds trust really quick..also put the treat on your knee or lap so she has to climb on you to get it..she will get used to touching and hopefully soon stay on your lap waiting for the next treat..has worked for me. Petting will probably take time but all little bit at a time but let all come naturally , nothing forced by you or the cat.
 
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