Scared cat doesn't know what to do

[rad65]

My younger cat Tails, who is about 2 years old, has been scared of strangers since he was about 6 months old. We had a friend stay with my roommate and I for a few months, and he would constantly harass Tails because he was used to dealing with farm dogs that would wrestle and play rough all the time. Since then, Tails will run and hide whenever a stranger comes over or even when the intercom buzzes. I understand that some cats are more timid than others, so I am fine with this and let him hide.

He has recently started becoming so scared that he will crouch in his hiding spot for about 5 minutes (we keep a fold-out couch mattress propped against a wall in a back room that he always hides behind), then he'll come sprinting to me wherever I am and jump in my arms to try and hide. He almost immediately starts struggling to get away because this does nothing to help his fear, and then he'll start running from one hiding spot to another, getting more and more stressed out. He's even taken to growling and shaking/shivering as he does this now.

Outside of these incidences, I have only ever heard him growl when we had my roommate's girlfriend's cat staying at our place for a while. He has more than enough hiding spots, and he is usually fine once he is hiding, but these freak outs are starting to worry me a bit since he gets so frantic and stressed out. Is there anything I can try, or do I have to resign myself to watching my terrified cat as he tries to find a spot in the house where he won't be scared?

 

[angels mommy]

That's really to bad that your roommates friend scared him that way. Were you not there to intervene?  I don't have any experience with this, but I'm sure others will be along soon with great advice. 

I do have a couple of ideas. First of all, I would get a calming collar, or plug in Feline away to help calm his nerves.  Another idea may be to try & re-associate him with the intercom buzz, & someone coming over. Maybe talk sweetly to him to try & calm him down when this occurs, along with a treat from you as someone is coming in. ?? just an idea?? 

Maybe you could have your roommate go out, ring the intercom to come in, then when she comes in, she can have a treat in hand to give him.

 worth a try.

I think I saw something similar on Jackson Galaxy's show. I don't remember if the cat was doing what your was, or if it was something different.

He had them put treats inside, near the door, then there was a cat tree close by that the cat sat on, so as the person visiting came in the door, they gave the cat a treat. (I knew I got that idea from somewhere).