Untouchable feral cat desperately needs a haircut, but his caretaker’s unusual approach leads to an even bigger win

The useful part

This feral feline wouldn't go anywhere near another trap, so his caretaker had to get creative to help him. Big Fluff wasn't exactly looking to make friends when Reddit user Ok-One-5683 first got him TNR'ed last summer. The extremely feral feline was badly matted, so the shelter shaved him while he was there.

How it works

• Most importantly, he stayed in control of how far they went.
• He made himself at home on the property, hanging out in the cat barn and wood shed with the other community cats.
• That was a pretty big win for a kitty who wanted nothing to do with humans.
• His coat became severely matted again, and this time getting him help wasn't so simple.
• Rather than immediately spending around $1,000 on a drop trap and vet visit, his caretaker decided to try something much slower: earning his trust.

What to take from it

Unfortunately, all that glorious fluff grew back with a problem. Armed with yummy wet food and a whole lot of patience, Ok-One-5683 began cutting away the mats one tiny snip at a time. Instead of running, Big Fluff patiently stayed put, occasionally looking up while the remaining mats were carefully cut away.

Details worth keeping

After being neutered, though, something started to shift. Even better, he stopped immediately darting away whenever food arrived.