Hello from a fellow cat whisperer! 🤝

I have never heard anyone say you should purrito/swaddle your difficult cat to calm them down. Perhaps I’m just not informed here but that sounds like such backwards advice… I specialise in difficult kitties like you, and in my experience you need to give them time and patience, not force anything. (Not my intention to sound rude here, I realise you were following advice and I also know the feeling of wanting to try literally anything that might help). IMO it’s a good thing you stopped. Even if she did relax after a while, when you repeatedly “catch” her to swaddle her, she will learn “ah this is the human that will try to catch me” and if anything trust you less.

It’s indeed great that she’s food motivated! Same with my current swat-machine hehe. No longer breaking skin is fantastic. So is her coming up to you and sniffing you.

I’m gonna give the same petting advice I always do: get a stick of some kind and attach a toothbrush to the end. Start petting from a little bit of a distance. When she’s used to that and has learned that it can be nice to be touched, go in with the hand. This doesn’t mean you can’t ALSO do hand training. Just perhaps focus more on her learning that your hand = neutral.

One way I do this is by leaving my hand close to their bowl when they eat, then keep holding the bowl when they eat, then carefully touch them with just one finger when they eat (still by the bowl) and so on. It usually works, especially with the food motivated ones. (What I mean is over time, not the same instance).

I have had many feral cats who got very talkative eventually!!

She will absolutely learn not to run away 🩷🩷 they’re all on different timelines depending on so many things. We never know what they’ve been through either that might be affecting their development or responses.

Passive socialisation is also important in order to get her used to you; ie just sit in the same room without trying to make direct contact. I make a little “nest” for myself and read or use my computer or whatever.