Skittish cat

nicolina

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I have a cat that I have had for almost a year now. (10 months)

When I first got her she was very shy. She didn't want to be pet, she walked away from me, she growled when you tried to lift her and so on.

I found out after having her for about a week that she was pregnant, so she came to me about three weeks into the pregnancy. 

I took it very slow with her because I didn't want to stress her, especially in her condition, and slowly she started trusting me more.

She even let me be there and help her deliver the babies! Which was good, because the didn't know what to do at first. (she was only 11 months when the babies came.) 

Fast forward a few months, after the kittens moved out, and she went from being a mom to a young playful cat. She has made amazing progress. She lets me pet her, she even head butts my hand when it's near. She lets me walk close by and at night she sleeps in my bed. But she is still very skittish. If you make any sudden moves near or toward her she gets really stressed. She can go from being really calm to really stressed and I don't think that's healthy. She also has a problem with food. She scarfed it so quickly that her stomach got really bad and she had to eat special stomach food for a while. Now she has a tunnel feeder and that slows her down a lot and her stomach is fine, but she still stress eats if she finds food that is not in her feeder.

I just wanted to now if this behaviour could be something from her past home? I can't call her previous owner because she refuses to pick up her phone ever since she found out she sold me a pregnant cat... So I can't get any medical or behavioural history from her. 

Is there anything I can do to make her feel less stressed?
 

stephenq

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This is likely just a part of who she is. Some cats are skittish.  Provide a calming environment for her. Consider getting Feliway plug ins or spray and use as directed to calm her, its an artificial pheromone.  www.feliway.com
 

lamiatron

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I have a skittish little girl too. She's only 6 months old now, i've had her since she was 2 months old. She is still very scared and skittish at times, and will hide, but she has made a lot of progress in the last 4 months.

some advice:

1) ignore kitty. let her come to you. i found that i was always looking for Jet, trying to see if she was okay, trying to see if it was okay to pet her, but that just stressed her out and made her want to hide even more. so just let kitty be and show her love when she comes to you on her own terms. when you're walking around, or entering a room where kitty is, make sure she knows you're coming. say something..like "i'm going to come to the kitchen now" and then come. I used to scare the hell out of Jet when i entered a room, because i entered and i spooked her, but she's thinking i blind-sighted her and might attack her..if she can hear you approaching she wont be so scared, and she wont feel frantic.

2) i have tried some cat calming treats or composure treats, please look into them. They help A LOT. They are non-sedative, and they help your cat feel less stressed and more secure about her surroundings. i give it to my girl Jet once a day, and it has improved her nervousness A LOT

3) when i bring her food, i always sit down next to her and pet her, and praise her. she takes it in without running. and i really feel it has helped her to trust me. so that's some thing else you can try...

some kitties are just the skittish type as @StephenQ  said. So she may never be 100 percent outgoing like you want her to be, but you can definitely try a few things to help make her feel a bit more safe..and stress free..so that the stress eating is no longer an issue
 
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nicolina

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@StephenQ  & @Lamiatron Thank you!

I know that there is a chance that she might never be completely at ease with humans (she's fine with cats), and I'm fine with that. I have two other cats that are extremely outgoing so I don't mind. I just want her to feel more relaxed. She's still an amazing cat and I love her!

I've seen the feliway at the vet. They have it in every examination room there. Would you need to buy one for every room? I've seen pheromone collars too. Are those any good?

I try to make her feel calm when it's time to eat. She has a room all to her self so she doesn't get stressed by the other cats. She loves when you sit and talk to her and pet her when she's eating so maybe I should that more often. I'm just so used to leaving the cats alone when they eat. My mom always told me to never bother them when they are eating.

Oh, and those calming treats. What kind do you give your cat? I think I'm gonna buy some for her. She loooves treats!
 

lamiatron

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Composure Treats:


Calming Treats


i've tried them both, and i feel like they both work well...you just have to see which one your kitty likes.

you can also try calming sprays, which you spray on cats toys and bedding, from the brands "Nature's Miracle" or "Whisker City". These i had some bad luck with because whatever i spray, my Jet avoided like the plague -___- but once i spritzed it on her brush and brushed her, it did have a pleasant, calming, and relaxing effect on her. You can also find the sprays on amazon, or buy it cheaper at pet smart. :)
 
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nicolina

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Composure Treats:


Calming Treats


i've tried them both, and i feel like they both work well...you just have to see which one your kitty likes.

you can also try calming sprays, which you spray on cats toys and bedding, from the brands "Nature's Miracle" or "Whisker City". These i had some bad luck with because whatever i spray, my Jet avoided like the plague -___- but once i spritzed it on her brush and brushed her, it did have a pleasant, calming, and relaxing effect on her. You can also find the sprays on amazon, or buy it cheaper at pet smart. :)
Thank you! I'll be sure to order some treats for her. I thought about buying a spray, I just didn't know were you should spray it, but maybe I'll pick one of them too. :)

I don't have a pet smart were I live, but I know some pet sites I can buy them from. 
 
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