Next time you find yourself in this situation, Mark, do this: make eye contact with the the distrustful feline and give her or him a slow blink. Close your eyes, keep them closed for a couple of seconds, then open them. After that whenever you make eye contact with the cat, do the slow blink again. Remember that cats are not only predators in the wild; they are also prey. By closing your eyes you are giving them a signal that you are not stalking them. And if you really don’t like cats just ignore them. They feel safer when you do. And a safe cat is not so likely to pounce😉