Terrifed...petrified kitty during construction work

[amandag1]

Hi everyone!

We are finishing/remodeling our basement- a project which is anticipated to take about 2 months.....and the construction noise is TERRIFYING my cat. Now, normally, I wouldn't be as concerned, because I know cats can hide and try to cope.....but my cat Louie has HCM and is on alot of medication to try to manage that. He is a fragile boy and already shy and scared in nature.
Everytime he hears the banging from the basement, he squishes himself under the couch in the office room where most of his toys, bed and food/water is. He won't come out until its over.
I'm worried about his breathing/respiratory rate because when he is stressed/scared he really breathes quickly (heart pounding more isn't good for him)....

What can I do?!

 

[Caspers Human]

Can you set up a hideout for him in a part of the house farthest away from the source of the noise? An upstairs bedroom, for instance?

Build him a clubhouse to hide in. Maybe a cardboard box with some blankets inside.
Under the bed might be an option, as well.

Take him up to his hideout room before the noise starts. Close the door if you can. Let him find his mew hideout. Hopefully, he’ll learn that this is a safe spot to go when the noise starts.

Set him up so he is comfy and, with luck, this will be his new go-to spot when things get noisy.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I think that Caspers Human 's advice is excellent. Also, if you have a source of music that you can put in the room, choose something soothing and play that for him, loud enough to be heard easily, but not blasting. Harp music often soothes cats.

 

[rubysmama]

How far into the project are you? If near the beginning, maybe he'll be less stressed once he becomes more familiar with the routine.
Also, maybe you could board him on days that will be extra noisy.

 

[Caspers Human]

Do you think your cat would wear a Thundershirt?

ThunderShirt for Cats - Calming Wrap

ThunderShirt for Cats is vet recommended, drug-free, and perfect for reducing anxiety during vet visits, nail trimming, travel, or other general anxiety issues.

www.thundershirt.com

I've seen them work wonders for dogs. Now, they've started making them for cats, too.

I can also tell you, from experience, that the human's reaction to noise or stressful situations has an effect on pets too.

My mother has a dog. (Brittany Spaniel) We always have a family picnic on the Fourth of July. Of course, there are lots of fireworks. My mother would run around, all worried about the dog being afraid of the fireworks. I kept trying to tell her that Brittanys are hunting dogs that aren't afraid of gunfire. That's why they have floppy ears: to help shield them from the noise.
But, still, mom ran around, all upset, because the fireworks were upsetting the dog.

I kept trying to tell her that they dog was upset because MOM was upset but she wouldn't listen.
Finally, I just took the dog in the house and put him in the back bedroom, farthest away from the noise, and closed the door. He was just fine, in there, for the rest of the night.

The next day, I was outside, in the yard, cleaning up after the picnic. The dog was outside, too.
I found an unexploded firecracker and shot it off. The dog looked over in my direction but, once he figured out what was going on, he went about his business again. It didn't bother him at all.

So... It wasn't the fireworks that were upsetting the dog. It was my mother.
The dog saw my mother running around, all upset, and thought that he should be upset, too.

Your cat probably does get frightened from the construction noise but I bet he also takes some cues from his humans.

If the humans act with composure the cat will see that and won't be so upset.

I think that, if you give him a good place to hide out that's farthest away from the noise then make sure that you reassure the cat and don't let your emotional state transfer to the cat, things will work out, okay.

I don't know if your cat will wear a Thundershirt but it's also something to think about.

 

[di and bob]

All cats stress out during remodeling, giving him a place to hide furthest from the noise would definitely help. iI gave my cat with HCM a small dose of calming treats to help him with vet visits, company, etc. The vet commented on how much calmer he was. But be sure to clarify what you give him with your vet, they may interact with his meds. I got mine on Amazon and they were herbal. You might ask the vet what he would recommend, he might have something.
Just being nearby, playing music to mask the sound, and offering him reassurance would help. It won't be forever, and the loud sound stage will be over soon.