He is always scared...

Shaunie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2021
Messages
38
Purraise
33
Location
Midlands, Uk
Hey guys! I hope your well, if I am writing this in the wrong place, then please tell me where to put it as I am sorry for making mistakes! My cat, Blue is chilled and jumps all over me when we're at home, when it's me and my boyfriend, he is a bit wary, but then he sits on his lap, so I don't think their is a behaviour issue there, but I want to know, why he might only be not scared around me?

Also, I noticed, he was doing things that caused me to think, he has anxiety, I searched it up and it shows he can maybe have anxiety, but I feel so lost, to where or if I can go to my vets, to ask as, I want my baby boy to be as free of fear or panic, as he deserves to be cared for and loved, as I don't want to not do anything about it,

thanks for reading, Shaunie <3
 

doomsdave

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2016
Messages
7,200
Purraise
9,817
Location
California
Hey guys! I hope your well, if I am writing this in the wrong place, then please tell me where to put it as I am sorry for making mistakes! My cat, Blue is chilled and jumps all over me when we're at home, when it's me and my boyfriend, he is a bit wary, but then he sits on his lap, so I don't think their is a behaviour issue there, but I want to know, why he might only be not scared around me?

Also, I noticed, he was doing things that caused me to think, he has anxiety, I searched it up and it shows he can maybe have anxiety, but I feel so lost, to where or if I can go to my vets, to ask as, I want my baby boy to be as free of fear or panic, as he deserves to be cared for and loved, as I don't want to not do anything about it,

thanks for reading, Shaunie <3
Nice to meet you, and you're not the only one with a "scaredy cat." My biggest cat, Big Boy, pictured below, is also afraid of a lot of things. When he hides, he squeezes himself into the tightest corner he can, and won't even come out if sprayed with water. One evening the police helicopters hovered overhead, and he bawled, including into my armpit when I held him.

I think he might have been traumatized at some point, but I have no way to know for sure.

The best way to keep a cat like that happy is to give him a quiet place as much as possible, which, if you have a kids or others visiting all the time might be tough.
big boy 2.jpg
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

Shaunie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2021
Messages
38
Purraise
33
Location
Midlands, Uk
Nice to meet you, and you're not the only one with a "scaredy cat." My biggest cat, Big Boy, pictured below, is also afraid of a lot of things. When he hides, he squeezes himself into the tightest corner he can, and won't even come out if sprayed with water. One evening the police helicopters hovered overhead, and he bawled, including into my armpit when I held him.

I think he might have been traumatized at some point, but I have no way to know for sure.

The best way to keep a cat like that happy is to give him a quiet place as much as possible, which, if you have a kids or others visiting all the time might be tough.
View attachment 402207
Hello, your cat is so pretty, here's mine! we have a kid, but she's 1 years old, and he loves her! he often runs away or out the cat hole as soon as my dad comes home, he is a rescue cat too so I can hear where your coming from!
26dsdqcpr1sv.jpg
 

doomsdave

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2016
Messages
7,200
Purraise
9,817
Location
California
Shaunie Shaunie looks like your kitty's a Russian blue, or at least a mix with one.

So pretty.

Cats' personalities vary all over. Some are like brassy cocktail waitresses ("whatcha' have, hon'? How about me?") and others are more reserved, but not afraid. ("I vant' to be alone, but I 'von't run avay'.") And, sometimes, the brassy cat of today becomes the scaredy cat of tomorrow. One of my males (I have four cats, 2 male 2 female) wasn't afraid of anything. Now he vanishes when my roommate comes back.

The best approach is, if you can, to get a new cat a room of its own and leave it there, and go in and feed, pet and talk to it. Have family members do it, too. I'd avoid letting it run around loose; sometimes they get spooked, run off and you don't see them again.

I'm sure some of the old timers here have some thoughts, too.

Best of luck!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

Shaunie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2021
Messages
38
Purraise
33
Location
Midlands, Uk
I have an oftentimes skittish scaredy cat too. Feliway has made a world of difference in our home :)
aww
Shaunie Shaunie looks like your kitty's a Russian blue, or at least a mix with one.

So pretty.

Cats' personalities vary all over. Some are like brassy cocktail waitresses ("whatcha' have, hon'? How about me?") and others are more reserved, but not afraid. ("I vant' to be alone, but I 'von't run avay'.") And, sometimes, the brassy cat of today becomes the scaredy cat of tomorrow. One of my males (I have four cats, 2 male 2 female) wasn't afraid of anything. Now he vanishes when my roommate comes back.

The best approach is, if you can, to get a new cat a room of its own and leave it there, and go in and feed, pet and talk to it. Have family members do it, too. I'd avoid letting it run around loose; sometimes they get spooked, run off and you don't see them again.

I'm sure some of the old timers here have some thoughts, too.

Best of luck!
Thank you, ge is a russian blue !
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

Shaunie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2021
Messages
38
Purraise
33
Location
Midlands, Uk
he is now hiding, my dad just came in.. what's wrong with him :(
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

Shaunie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2021
Messages
38
Purraise
33
Location
Midlands, Uk
Does your dad make a noisy entrance? If so, and he doesn't do anything to the cat, he'll get used to it after a while.
My dad is so rough to him, which I keep telling him to stop as blue is only a young cat he's 2
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

Shaunie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2021
Messages
38
Purraise
33
Location
Midlands, Uk
My dad is stroking blue now, but he keeps peeing everywhere, I am scared now. am I doing something wrong?
 

noani

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 3, 2021
Messages
455
Purraise
483
My dad is so rough to him, which I keep telling him to stop as blue is only a young cat he's 2
What do you mean by rough with him? Play wrestling?

Does he have somewhere to retreat to?
Is your cat wetting himself while your dad is stroking him or what do you mean?

How long has he been with you?
 

danteshuman

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
5,030
Purraise
6,077
Location
California
I have a easily scared nervous hyper cat (that I sometimes call super wuss.) Since I raised him since he was 4 weeks old, I know it is just who he is. My guy takes a long time to warm up to people, think months if ever. He took over a year to let my mom pet him (he visits her house every weekend and is 100% comfortable at her house.) I think part of the reason was my mom didn’t warm up to him until then, she had his other 2 siblings to love on & she viewed him as the hyper trouble maker. 🤷🏻‍♀️

So here is what has helped me. I let him get high up (like a cat tree) then pet him, while talking to a person (like my hyper niece) then after enough times that he isn’tmore than nervous, we both would pet him for a minute, then she would walk away. Eventually she could give him a quick chin or ear scratch for a few minutes without me. This worked to for people who walk by his/my apartment patio every day. Since he is out in a harness & super long leash every day, he sees me say hello to the same people every day. He is to nervous to accept treats outside. But I will pet him as I talk to them and over time he has slowly let a few people give him a quick pet. (Covid slowed down his progress.) I have been wanting to let other people pet him, whenever possible but he was having none of that.

Jackie’s calm confident brother helps him. He looks to him as a support animal. Nothing calms a nervous cat like watching their cat buddy be calm and act almost as if they are saying “Dude why are you freaking out?!?”

Building up his confidence with 1 on 1 play & clicker training helped him bond a bit with my niece. My guy has some separation anxiety (espcially after his 2 week failed adoption!) He was scared to not be in the same room as me for 3 months! The first time he felt comfortable being in the bedroom when I was in the living room for a few minutes, I did a happy dance inside! I just ignored it . It took another 3 months for him to hang out in the bedroom without me, for an hour. Now he takes a nap for a couple of hours m, without me in the room, every day. I make a point to not call him or go to him, during his me time.

I don’t know if your cat is is a severe enough case to require mood stabilizers or not. I have heard of people putting their cats on prozac for 6 months then slowly weaning them off it, to see if they can be off it. In those cases though the cat was over severely grooming themselves bald or peeing over everything (& all other behavior modification failed & there were no intruding cats in their yards.) I don’t think your cat needs it; it sounds like you have a shy cat or as I call them skitty-kitty. I’m just telling you; so worst case scenario you know it is an option.
 
Top