PURPOSE: To prepare the sulfided catalyst having improved activity in situ by bringing a catalyst into contact with hydrogen gas in combination with sulfiding agent or a hydrocarbon feed containing an added sulfiding agent.

CONSTITUTION: The sulfided catalyst is obtained by bringing a catalyst into contact with hydrogen gas in combination with sulfiding agent or a hydrocarbon feed containing an added sulfiding agent in site, i.e., at the outside of a reactor in which the final hydrogenation of hydrocarbon-containing feed is carried out. Hydrogen sulfide and a compound being decomposed to form hydrogen sulfide are preferably used as the sulfiding agents, and water-soluble sulfur compounds such as diammonium disulfide and ethylene bis(dithiocarbamic acid) are preferably used as the presulfiding agents. The catalyst having improved activity and exhibiting high activity in hydrogenation of hydrocarbon feeds can be obtained according to the process mentioned above.