I took in a street cat. She hated being picked up, would fight like crazy. She didn't like being touched, pet, didn't like toys, etc. Didn't cuddle, would go in the bed when nobody's around but leave if somebody came near.

But she liked eating my food and drinking my water.

I would devise ways to hold her against her will without being hurt, and when she did hurt me, I'd whoop her ass. Not so badly, but enough for her to know I can cause pain. A lot of neck pinning to show dominance. At first this caused ears-back, hiding behavior but lo and behold she still became very interested in me when the food bag was touched. I'd talk to her and explain to her why I do what I do and how regrettable it is.

We had this relationship for a while. One day I tried to vacuum her and she freaked out and dug her claws so deeply into me, so I peeled her off my back and threw her across the room into a wall. Then I chased her down, held her by the neck, and whooped on her ass for a while. She didn't come out of her hiding spot for a few hours (except when she heard the feeding bag).

After this final episode, and the determination that there will be no more vacuum cleaners, she has been a very sweet cat. She is social, purring all of the time. She welcomes me at the door. She will come into the bed with me if my wife isn't around and lay next to my head, or at my feet. She will ask me for things like food, or a cushion. She even lets me know when I put something on "HER" favorite chair. If she ever uses claws against me, or shows aggressive behavior, all it takes is a pin-down show of dominance now. She doesn't need to be hit anymore, and I've resorted to using water and loud noises to teach her lessons (like not eating the dog's food).