My Cat is a wuss

[digitalsyrup]

So I have this cat that is a huge weenie.  Keeday.  

My question is there anyway to get her to exercise more?  I think this calms her down (it does me). 

(More info below)

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• digitalsyrup
• Oct 27, 2012

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• digitalsyrup
• Oct 27, 2012

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• digitalsyrup
• Oct 27, 2012

Little Background:

• got her at 7 weeks from farm.  I get the feeling she was the runt (plus female)

• no abuse at my hands (ok maybe I tossed her off the bed once or twice at 5am when she was little) (and the girl that gave her to me seemed like a sweet person).

• A little over a year old

She is now an indoor cat at my new apartment.  At the old apartment, she had access to the many bushes outside our door. But she rarely went 20 yards away. I think being outside gave her some stimulation and calmed her down a little bit but she still exhibited (and continues to) the following behaviours:

If she manages to lay next to me and I move or even sneeze she jerks her head and there's a 60% chance she'll jump off the bed/couch.

She runs and hides when someone knocks on the door (she might eventually come out).

If someone is making ANY noise outside my apartment door, she stares at it like there's a pitbull behind it, or runs and hides(under my bed usually).

AND HERE'S ONE OF THE WEIRDEST:  If i try to play with her physically (lightly, my cat's a wuss) she'll playfully claw and bite lightly for about 5 seconds then meow and jump up and away.  It's like she wants to play but is scared.

She likes hide and seek ok.  

I have da bird, which she seems to like, but it's hard to get her to go after it much.

And the laser, she will stalk it but again, minimal effort.

She has a big balcony to go out on, which she does.

 

[sk_pacer]

Is this new since you moved? If so, give her time to get over it. Some cats take a long time to get over the move, others don't care much

 

[aeevr]

Skittishness is a common (genetic) trait in cats from feral backgrounds - it helps them survive. Lots of TLC and you will probably find that your cat will relax more and more (over a period of years).

She'll probably never be a super-friendly, in your face type of cat.

You can try to encourage her to be more accepting of strangers/noises/etc. by bringing her a treat and telling her everything is OK when anything that makes her nervous happens.

 

[p3 and the king]

So because she's female, she's more prone to being a wuss?  Completely false.  Often females are the more dominant, or alpha personalities, if you will.  Some cats are just laid back and only like their human.  They are just shy.  It doesn't make them a wuss.  If you're not happy, try to find a pal for her and a more "macho" cat for you.  But don't be surprised if you end up not liking this cat because it's too domineering!  You don't seem to know a lot about cats.  I suggest watching episodes of Jackson Galaxzy's My Cat From Hell on the Animal Planet channel.  He can help you understand cats a lot better.  And he's very macho and a heavy metal, rock and roll dude, so he would live up to your standards and not be considered a wuss.

 

[digitalsyrup]

Often females are the more dominant, or alpha personalities, if you will. 

Hahahahaha, oh man, that's good material.  

 

[pinkman]

EDIT: Saw that this thread is pretty old. Read ahead if you still got issues with your skittish cat, if not, please ignore.

The Da Bird is a great toy, but you should try others too. Some like ones that represent birds, others like ones that represent bugs. I personally like Neko Flies because there are many attachments you can use. The resident cat's favorite is the kiticatterfly attachment. 

I see that she claws and bites you when you play with her. Not a real good idea to wrestle with her if that's what you meant. Maybe try a stuffed animal, or a Kong kicker-a-roo for bunny kicking. 

Some cats are just skittish in general. But playing with her with an interactive toy can boost her confidence. 

For reference my cat is a female, and she's super macho.

 

[digitalsyrup]

I have da bird.  She definitely stares at it.  It's just very hard to get her to interact with toys and lasers and takes a lot of effort.  My last cat was all over those toys.  She just moved from an apartment where she could go outside and hang out in the bushes, or go out the 2nd floor window and walk along the roof of all the apartments.  I think she was much happier there.  I think she just needs a home where she can be an indoor/outdoor cat.  She doesn't go far from the front door, so I'm not worried about her safety.  

 

[catspaw66]

Hahahahaha, oh man, that's good material.  

So, you think this is not true? In cat colonies, the females are the ones that rule the colony. This is true in a lot of species.

 

[digitalsyrup]

Like in a lion pride,  domestic cat colonies are considered matriarchal because there are more females (average 5 females, 2 males), but that doesn't mean they rule the colony, same as in a pride.  Male cats are larger and are more prone to fight, especially if not neutered.  So while the females may run most of the colony, the males are the protectors.  And most reputable sources agree that sexually active males have around 10 times larger territories than female cats.  

But domestic cats living in colonies is a relatively new and therefore, under researched phenomenon. 

And I was mostly responding to that quote as a stereotypical sexist male because I thought that was one of my friends trolling me.  My friend's female cat is bigger and way meaner than her male. I feel sorry for the little dude, but she only kicks his butt if he starts it.

 

[catspaw66]

Originally Posted by digitalsyrup .  
But domestic cats living in colonies is a relatively new and therefore, under researched phenomenon. 

And I was mostly responding to that quote as a stereotypical sexist male because I thought that was one of my friends trolling me.  My friend's female cat is bigger and way meaner than her male. I feel sorry for the little dude, but she only kicks his butt if he starts it.

Right, we need more research into cat colonies and the interaction and hierarchies. It will help us understand multi-cat relationships.