Calming A Skittish Cat?

[keilanicolee]

I've had my cat, Boopy, for about 4 years now. She's always been quite skittish and shy, but after my boyfriend moved in (hes been living here for 4 months now and beforehand hes been around Boopy for about a year) she seems to have gotten even more skittish. For example, anysudden movements or loud sounds make her either hide or bolt out of the room. She cringes at any sudden sound. It has me slightly worried since she doesn't seem to be getting used to my boyfriend living here. If anybody has any suggestions as to how to make her more comfortable I would appreciate it- any products or training methods, cat toys, anything at all. I have a lot of cat toys for her, 2 beds, 2 scratch posts and a small cat den for her to hide/sleep in. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know!! (Were also thinking of adopting a little kitten to maybe help her calm down a bit, but not any time soon...)

 

[catlover73]

Welcome to TCS!! What techniques did you use to get Boopy to feel more comfortable around you when you first adopted her? Who is currenly feeding Boopy? What do you know about Boopy's background before you adopted her? I am asking these questions to have a better understanding of how you were able to bond with Boopy. I asking about her background to see if there is any abuse you know about. I am asking this because I adopted a cat years ago that was abused and abandoned. She was very scared of men but it was fixable. I am asking about feeding to see if it would be a helpful way to build trust with Boopy.

One thing I would suggest is that your boyfriend give Boopy space. If she has specific hiding spots try having him sit on the floor in the same room. You want him to ignore Boopy completely and not look at her. He can sit in the room and read a book. You want to get Boopy used to him in small steps. Once she is comfortable with him reading in the room you can try having him read to her or talk to her about his day in a soft voice. Once she is more comfortable around his voice you can try having him sit on the floor and throw treats to her but still ignore her. Boopy needs to be able to decide who she wants to interact with and when in order to build trust.

You could also try having your boyfriend feed Boopy but you would need to make sure she continues to eat if you go that route. You could have him feed her and walk out of the room so she can eat without being scared. The key is patience and small steps here.

 

[catlover73]

Here are some articles that may help give you some direction too.
16 Top Cat Experts Share Tips For Dealing With Timid Cats
14 Cat Experts Reveal: How To Get A Cat To Like Me
How To Get A Cat To Come Out Of Hiding?

 

[keilanicolee]

Welcome to TCS!! What techniques did you use to get Boopy to feel more comfortable around you when you first adopted her? Who is currenly feeding Boopy? What do you know about Boopy's background before you adopted her? I am asking these questions to have a better understanding of how you were able to bond with Boopy. I asking about her background to see if there is any abuse you know about. I am asking this because I adopted a cat years ago that was abused and abandoned. She was very scared of men but it was fixable. I am asking about feeding to see if it would be a helpful way to build trust with Boopy.

One thing I would suggest is that your boyfriend give Boopy space. If she has specific hiding spots try having him sit on the floor in the same room. You want him to ignore Boopy completely and not look at her. He can sit in the room and read a book. You want to get Boopy used to him in small steps. Once she is comfortable with him reading in the room you can try having him read to her or talk to her about his day in a soft voice. Once she is more comfortable around his voice you can try having him sit on the floor and throw treats to her but still ignore her. Boopy needs to be able to decide who she wants to interact with and when in order to build trust.

You could also try having your boyfriend feed Boopy but you would need to make sure she continues to eat if you go that route. You could have him feed her and walk out of the room so she can eat without being scared. The key is patience and small steps here.

Hello! Thanks for the response. I got Boopy from a rescue organization in Orange County, CA. She was pretty shy as a kitten, but it seems she learned her skittish behavior later in life. I feel partially guilty for it; I got her when I was a senior in high school and since I've owned her I've moved 4 times. One of the times i even moved out of state and had to take her on a plane. That's probably very traumatic for an already shy kitty so she has been pretty quiet and skittish for a majority of her life. I've been in this apartment for about a year now, and to be honest I thought the skittish-ness was just part of her personality. Now that my bf has moved in, I'm realizing her anxiety is at an all time high and I'm trying to think of any ways to make her more comfortable with the both of us. Im the one who feeds her and gives her water, clips her nails and takes care of her in general. She has her moments of acting comfortable and sweet to my boyfriend (sometimes she sleeps in his lap!) but for some reason when I come into the room, she goes back to fight or flight mode. Of course the both of us love her and are very invested in making her as comfortable as possible. She is a big part of our small family. If there are any exercises or training methods you are aware of I could try out, I would appreciate the new knowledge. Thanks so much!

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Here's one more TCS article that might have some helpful suggestions for you.

10 Must-know Tips For Happy Living With A Shy Cat