How To Help My Shy/scared Cat

Hi everyone, I am new here and wondering if anyone can give some advice for how to help my shy baby girl warm up to new people. I don't know much about her history except that she came from a very bad situation where she was neglected and possibly abused. The vet thinks she may have had some horrible trauma to her face because her teeth are chipped and the fur under her chin is patchy.

But, she is the sweetest angel with me. She is always following me around and giving me lots of affection. The problem is that she's really afraid of anyone new. Whenever I have people over she runs and hides under the bed and won't come out for hours until they are gone.

Does anyone have any advice for how I can help ease her anxiety with new people? She seems to actually really want to be around people and to receive affection, but I think she has some trust issues based on her past.

Im not sure how long you have had her? Some cats are just shy, and some are down right afraid of people. I let my cats control how much they interact with company.

I have 4 and two come out and visit with most people, some they will not, i think its a voice thing. they dont like loud or high pitched voices. 1 will run through the room when people are over... lol just to see whats up i guess, but not stop. my little white girl, avatar, most people do not believe she exists. Other than my son she is so afraid of everyone. And he has had to make a concentrated effort to get her somewhat comfortable with him.

i dont feel we can force a cat to be friendly. we can do things to make them more confident in their own home, but when strangers come over its a different ball game. I always have "off limits to guests" rooms that my cats can retreat to if they are frightened or stressed. The doors stay cracked enough that the cats can come and go as they please, so if they want to investigate the company they can. If they want to stay hidden they can do that as well. Give her time, she may start interacting more as she feels safer with you, and her past becomes more distant.

Hello and welcome to TCS. Even cats that never had an abusive past can be shy around strangers, so it's possible that her instinct to hide is just part of her personality.

I'll post a few TCS articles, however, that may have some helpful suggestions for you.
How To Get A Cat To Come Out Of Hiding?
16 Top Cat Experts Share Tips For Dealing With Timid Cats
10 Must-know Tips For Happy Living With A Shy Cat

Please consider introducing yourself, and your furbaby in our New Cats on the Block forum.
We love pictures, BTW.
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post

Thank you for the replies. I don’t want to force her to come out if she’s not okay with it but I also worry about her being stressed out when other people are around. I was hoping I could somehow alleviate her stress.

Here's some more TCS articles. These ones on stressed cats. Maybe they'll give you some ideas.

Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
You, Your Cat And Stress
Potential Stressors In Cats - The Ultimate Checklist
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats