Ways to get my cat accustomed to other people

Popnfrsh24

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Hey there,

So I have an orange tabby cat, and it's almost coming up on 1 year of having my little guy! He's been such a cool cat to have around, but I did have a little fiasco with him about 6 months ago.

I was trying to make him into an outdoor cat, so I thought I would take him to my parents and try to get him accustomed to the outside there. BIG MISTAKE. He jumped thru the screened in porch and he ran into a culvert at the end of my driveway. After 2 DAYS OF searching for him I finally found him underneath our neighbors porch. You can see the whole fiasco here:

Cat went into culvert and can't get him out

Well anyways, what I have noticed is that before this happened, when anybody came over to my apartment, he was still pretty chill. He would just hang out and not care who was around. He would be able to play with other people and not get super spooked at anyone.

After this whole culvert fiasco, when anybody comes over, he instantly scampers away and hides away in a dark corner until the "threat" is gone. My question is, was he so traumatized by the whole culvert fiasco that he just doesn't trust anyone except for me now? Or was it the whole stretch of Covid where he saw nobody else but me, so now I'm the only one he trusts and he doesn't trust anyone else. I can't quite figure it out.

Anyways, its a bummer that nobody else can interact with him. I have my pops come cat sit for me when I have to travel away for work on vacation, and he just hides the whole time he is over. I have tried different techniques...where I come into my apartment, grab him and squeeze him, then have somebody else come in. But the result is always: he starts meowing, the fear comes in his eyes, and I let him go and he hides away.

Does anybody know a good way to get my cat more "socialized"? Or is he just set in his ways now?

Thanks,

Pop
 

Azazel

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I would keep him as an indoor cat and give him time to adjust and get used to people. If he wants to hide when others are over then I would just let him hide. You can’t really force cats to do anything, they usually just end up resenting you for it. It may take a long time for him to warm up again, or he may just be a reserved cat that doesn’t like lots of strange people around. That’s a normal survival instinct for cats. They aren’t social animals like we are (or like dogs), so it’s completely natural for him to be cautious of new people. Some cats like greeting new people, but not all do. I would just let him be. If your pops is over often enough on his own he will eventually warm up to him, but it needs to be on his own time.

You definitely don’t want to be holding him captive in your arms while a new person comes in. It will make him feel trapped. He should always have an escape route to feel comfortable.
 
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GreyLady

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I have 3 cats. 2 really like meeting new people but one will not be seen if they are in the house. The only thing that gets her used to new people is if that person continually comes over and she gets used to hearing their voice all the time. Then she will eventually come out on her own. Other than me and my fiancee Bonnie only comes out for our freind Shane and my fiancee's brother.

Its also totally possible your kitty is still wigged out by being left outside alone in a strange territory and it will take a bit of time to get him to adjust again
 
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