Mad/scared cat

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Sharon - 04 Oct 2006 09:56 GMT

Hi,

I am in desperate need of help, about 4 months ago I was given
approximately one-year female cat. She had been left by her previous
owners and was in need of a home. I had just gotten a little kitten so
I thought they would be good company for each other.

However, she has been badly mistreated, she is scared of every sound,
timid, hides if any kids come over (understandable) and not particularly
fond of adults either. We joking call her crazy, but it is pretty much
the truth.

For all her quirks we love her dearly and I go out of my way not to make
any sudden moves or loud noises. However, for absolutely no reason she
has become terrified of me. I have done nothing; I would never raise my
voice at her, hit her or do anything that would make her scared of me.
It is breaking my heart.. I just don’t know what to do. I came home
tonight hoping things would be back to normal but she is still scared of me.

What can I do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Sharon.

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cybercat - 04 Oct 2006 12:35 GMT

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> What can I do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

What is she actually doing? Just hiding?

If so, do what the lady at my shelter does with new ferals.

Put her in your bathroom, if you have one that is not highly
trafficked, say your own off the master bedroom? The chief
virtues are:

1. She cannot hide
2. She gets to watch you and smell you and see that even in
an enclosed space you will not hurt her.
3. Everyone knows that there is nothing as attractive to a cat
as a human being on the can. :) (Except maybe dinner.)

Also, you are in and out of there a lot.

If not your bathroom, any smallish room you frequent where
she cannot hide will do. Water, food, box, a few toys, and
you on a regular basis, talking to her in soothing tones.

The lady who does this has been doing it for years, and
turning ferals and troubled kits into much more sociable cats.

How long should you do it? Depending on the case, she has
had cats in her bathroom for months. (I gasped, thinking this
was cruel, but she assured me it was not, in the long run. I
personally think several days to a week might convince a
fairly bright cat that you are not going to hurt her.)

Good luck!

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Eva Quesnell - 04 Oct 2006 21:55 GMT

>> Hi,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
>
> Good luck!

Agreed. The best way to treat a scared cat is to put him/her in a small
space. Cats who are afraid like small spaces where they can keep an eye
on everything going on around them. I tamed a feral cat this way. She
was about 4 months old and very wild. She growled ferociously at me. I
trapped her in a safe trap, let her loose in the bathroom with a little
carrier covered with a towel so she could feel like she had a little cave
to hide in. I accidentally found a way to get her to come out and stop
growling at me. I went in there with a bird on a string toy. She came
running out because she thought it was dinner. She came close enough that
I got to touch her. It actually happened very fast. The next time I went
in, I steeled my nerves and reached in and picked her up. That was all
she needed. She pressed herself against me as flat as she could to make
as much physical contact as possible. It still took time for her to get
used to the noises around the house. The first time she heard the TV, she
freaked out. But she came around nicely in a week, and she is a lovely
cat now. She still hides if anybody comes over, but she will come out and
make friends after an hour or so.

Eva

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Sharon - 05 Oct 2006 11:06 GMT

>>> Hi,
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 56 lines]
> E
> va

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Fluffy is a little better today, I just have to be very careful around
her. I wish I could find the creep that has caused her to be such a
timid, scared little thing.

She truly is a beautiful cat, and deserves so much more. Hopefully time
and patience will pay off.

Regards,

Sharon.

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Kathy Morgan - 08 Oct 2006 18:11 GMT

> Fluffy is a little better today, I just have to be very careful around
> her. I wish I could find the creep that has caused her to be such a
> timid, scared little thing.
>
> She truly is a beautiful cat, and deserves so much more. Hopefully time
> and patience will pay off.

I'm sure she will improve over time, but don't be too disappointed if
she never recovers completely. I've got one rescue cat who after years
of patience will not accept being held and who still runs and hides any
time a stranger comes around. She's very affectionate and loves close
contact as long as she is the one to initiate it, but she immediately
starts struggling if you try to pick her up.

Signature

Kathy - If you're reading this in your web browser from Google or
similar forum, NNTP "newsreaders" are a better way to access the
content. <http://www.aptalaska.net/~kmorgan/how-it-works.html>
Links to NNTP newsreaders at <http://www.newsreaders.com/>

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m4816k - 04 Oct 2006 13:29 GMT

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Sharon.

I'm no expert but the situation sounds like a grown-up cat acting like a
kitten, so I would suggest treating her the same way you would a new
kitten - get her everything she needs (food, watter etc.) in a low-traffic
space and leave her alone. Wait 'till she makes the first move - kittens do
it, so I think she'll act the same way. She's in a new space and with new
people, which is a situation that would make even the most normal cat act
weird and scared. Just give her time - when she's ready she'll want to make
friends (kinda like with the ladies...gotta give'm time...:)! Good luck!

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bearclaw@cruller.invalid - 04 Oct 2006 16:46 GMT

In article
<45237754$0$8411$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au>,

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Sharon.

Turn her the object of her fear into a game. Make it fun and full of
affection. Don't give up. She will get the idea, eventually, and become
tired of the fight or flee behavior. As long as you are the source of
food and security, you can show her that she is safe from what she most
fears.

I once had a cat who was terrified of the vacuum cleaner. Every time I
brought it out, he would run and hide. I started warning him, "Here
comes the suck monster! Here it comes! Watch out! Run away!"

Eventually he got the idea that the suck monster wouldn't hurt him and
believe it or not, by the time he died fourteen years later, getting his
fur vacuumed was one of his favorite attention treats.

The biggest issue is that you do not withdraw your affection and
attention. She will come around.

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triggerbuddy - 04 Oct 2006 18:46 GMT

We bought a kitten at a pet store many years ago who was afraid of
everything. We had other cats and he would watch us play with them and
pet them but if we ever tried to approach him, he would run under the
furniture. Even though we loved him and wanted to interact with him,
we decided the best thing to do was to just leave him alone and let him
come to us when he was ready. One day, TWO YEARS LATER, he came and
sniffed my finger. I didn't touch him though. I just let him sniff.
Eventually he began to rub against us and let us pet him and play with
him; but he never got over his inate fear and if we sneezed while he
was getting pet (or any other loud unexpected noise arose), he would
lose it and hide. Just be patient.

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Sharon.

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