Why do my cats startle so easy?

[luvmy2cats]

Sissy and Hooite will be two years old in March and my husband and I have had them since they were 7-8 weeks old. I know for a fact that they weren't abused as kittens in their previous home. They startle and scatter at sudden loud noises in the house, for example if they are playing and knock the kitchen broom over they freak out and take off with their tails poofed. Sometimes they startle at loud noises outside or if someone comes to the door. The only thing I can think of is that they are very close to me and I suffer from anxiety so maybe they picked up on that nervousness and it became a personality trait. 

 

[nbrazil]

I dunno. Just a guy here, but I would guess that being creatures that like consistency/routine AND being on auto high guard (a natural state for a critter that is and looks for prey) - that startling would be the natural consequence.

I've observed this behavior in my rescue girl - essentially a street rat kitten that got brave and came up to someone, but still a street rat. So although she is totally confident and trusting around me, she still startles very, very easily.

Loud noises she has gotten used to, but sudden, sharp sounds will send her scurrying. The Ragdoll has better "breeding" and doesn't startle as easily, but he is nonetheless a cat, so he still can.

I just think it is the nature of the beast. They get better with time, but that's what they do.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My RB kitty Glory was extremely skittish.  My mother nick-named her "Beans" because she said she reminded her of a jumping bean.  She would jump straight up in the air if you startled her at all.  She came to us from a family member's litter so we knew her whole history.  It's just how she was.  She did outgrow it some as she got older; but she always preferred a quiet place and only the companionship of my mother or I or the other cats.  She only lived till age 9; so I don't know if she would have become even less skittish as time went on.

 

[mservant]

One of my tabby girls hated any loud noises and would hide from almost everything and anybody that was loud as well as jumping and running from sudden and loud noise.  She even hated the sound of plastic bags.  Her sister wasn't phased by anything. 

  My current boy, Mouse, isn't afraid of people or loud noises, even hoovers, thunder or fireworks but he'll do verticle leaps and bolt out of a room at nothing.  My best theory on my previous skitter was that she had sensitive hearing, just like some people are sensitive to nosie maybe some cats are?

 

[luvmy2cats]

I find it ironic that Hootie is the more ornery, rambunctious of the two and she tries to act tough but she startles more easily than Sissy does. I've also noticed that Sissy doesn't startle and run off usually unless Hootie does. 

 

[bigperm20]

I find it ironic that Hootie is the more ornery, rambunctious of the two and she tries to act tough but she startles more easily than Sissy does. I've also noticed that Sissy doesn't startle and run off usually unless Hootie does. 

Yes, it seems to me that cats are highly influential to each other when it comes to some behaviors. When Beans was a kitten she was fearless. She wasn't scared of anyone or anything. However after growing up with my paranoid kitty Oksana, she's skittish as heck.

I started noticing it initially when there was a visitor at my house. Oksana always ran and hid, but Beans slowly started emulating what Oksana did. She had no reason, or bad experience to cause the behavior. She just figured if Oksana does it, it must be a good idea.

 

[stewball]

I had that with my first 2 cats softy and gentle

Softy-and-Gentle-02.jpg

• stewball
• Jan 24, 2014

TThey hid when people came. Softy was sent to rainbow bridge age 2-1/2 gentle age roughly 16. Softy brought gentle up more or less.
Lotto was a very friendly kitty but when he got older would leave the room when visitors came. They'd come out when everybody went and I called 'it's okay. You can come out now'.

lotto 06.JPG

• stewball
• Jan 24, 2014

Blighty my black and white street cat is very very skittish. Jumps at the slightest noise.
http://www.thecatsite.com/content/type/61/id/199281/width/500/height/700[/IM

Whisky is quite relaxed but scatters with blighty when they knock something over
[GALLERY="media, 199282"][/GALLERY]

Cats are probably inclined to skittishness because they're on high alert most of the time.

 

[andrya]

Yes, it seems to me that cats are highly influential to each other when it comes to some behaviors. When Beans was a kitten she was fearless. She wasn't scared of anyone or anything. However after growing up with my paranoid kitty Oksana, she's skittish as heck.

I started noticing it initially when there was a visitor at my house. Oksana always ran and hid, but Beans slowly started emulating what Oksana did. She had no reason, or bad experience to cause the behavior. She just figured if Oksana does it, it must be a good idea.

Agreeing with this ^

My 2 older very highly-strung cats can be quite skittish. The middle one started running from the doorbell after seeing the older one do it, and repeated the behaviour.

The youngest one is a solid tank when it comes to behaviour. He's either oblivious or too lazy to be rattled.

 

[betsygee]

 
The youngest one is a solid tank when it comes to behaviour. He's either oblivious or too lazy to be rattled.

LOL  One of mine isn't skittish because it would mean she'd have to get up and run if something happened, and that's too much work!

I have a skittish kitty, too.  He can get startled at the slightest thing.  He's better than  he was when we first got him, but I think he'll always have that trait.

 

[mservant]

I used to have one skittish girl and one nosey as anything with no fears other than of vets.....  the nosey one was the boss of the two.  Interesting once my skittish girl was on her own and not on alert for being attacked by her sister she chilled out and didn't hide away nearly so often and even sidled up to some of my visitors for petting!  I think the top cat / control and confidence are probably related, esp in terms of whether other cats will copy a behaviour.