Why Are Cats Shy
Cats are creatures of comfort and of the status quo. They do not respond well to changes in their environment. Their usual reaction to an unwelcome change will be to distance themselves. They may retreat to a hiding place or, if pushed, they may react aggressively. For a cat, hiding is a normal response to a new or frightening situation.
Some cats are shy and fearful because of an illness. If this is new behavior, have her checked by a veterinarian. There are cats that respond to a new person in the household, be it an adult or baby, by running and hiding. Introducing a new dog or new cat to your household might elicit the some response. If yours is an outside cat she may have been startled by a stranger or an animal, or she may have lost a good fight. These experiences may result in a fearfulness that will convert her to a shy-acting inside cat. A sudden loud noise like thunder, a firecracker, or an engine backfire might send your cat under the bed for months. A phobic shyness indicates that proper socialization did not take place when your cat was an unweaned kitten. Proper socialization occurs when a very young kitten is handled and cuddled by all kinds of people, sniffed and touched by dogs and cats, and exposed to all kinds of noise out there in the world. Things are not as frightening if they have been experienced in the comfort and security of one who loves you.
Option : Look At That
If the quick introduction did not work and your dog is not becoming desensitized to the cat, you might need to try some more structured training. By playing Look at That with your dog, you can help to teach her not to fixate on the cat. Youll be teaching her to look at the cat and then look back at you for a treat. Essentially, shell learn that it is more rewarding to not pay attention to the cat.
To start working on LAT, you need to figure out the dogs threshold while on leash: At what point does she notice the cat, but still respond to you when you say her name? That is her threshold. Each dog has a different threshold. For one dog, five feet away from the cat might be her threshold for another dog, it might be 25 feet. Youll know you have gone past the threshold when she starts barking or lunging at the cat. Another sign that youre getting too close to the cat is if she starts moving more slowly, staring and stiffening her body. If you call her name and she doesnt respond to you, move a few feet away from the cat.
Once youve figured out the dogs threshold, grab a clicker and some really delicious, pea-sized treats. If you dont have a clicker, a verbal marker will work just fine. Put 10 treats in your hand and keep the bag close by for later.
Socializing Cats & People
Now comes the fun part! Just remember to be patient and let your cat set the pace for socialization. Some pointers on getting your kitty used to handling include:
- Always use a calm, quiet voice and slow, deliberate movements
- Get down on your cat’s level and stay low to the ground at first
- Begin by petting their head and shoulders, avoiding the underbelly
- When you’re ready to lift your kitty, do it smoothly from under the chest
- Remember, treats make a great reward, and positive reinforcement can go a long way
Any time your li’l buddy seems overly agitated, take a break. It’s important that you can be flexible. Early on, a few 15-minute sessions a day is enough to start breaking the ice with your kitty.
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Introducing Kittens And Puppies
If you are introducing a kitten to a dog, keep in mind that kittens may not have any fear of dogs, so you must watch the dog carefully. Because kittens are small and want to run and play, dogs with a strong prey drive may be very excited by a kittens movements. Even if your dog is OK with your adult cats, it is important to watch her closely when shes with a kitten. If your dog is young and high-energy, she could hurt or kill the kitten simply by trying to play. So, for safetys sake, keep kittens and dogs apart any time you are not watching them.
Introducing adult cats to puppies can sometimes be easy, since a well-socialized adult cat might be fine with a puppy acting like a puppy. However, if your rambunctious puppy is chasing your shy cat, it is up to you to intervene. Until the puppy is old enough to have more self-control and has had some training, you will want to manage their interactions. You dont want your puppy to learn that chasing the cat is a fun game. Baby gates can be used to keep the animals safely and comfortably apart. To help you keep an eye on your puppy, you can also put her on a leash. That way, if she begins to chase the cat, you will be able to easily direct her away from that behavior.
How To Befriend A Wild Cat Or Kitten
This article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as Dr. B to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA accredited hospital and Bostons first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University.There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 16 testimonials and 94% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 305,912 times.
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How To Introduce Your Cat To Your Dog
It’s likely that stress levels will run high the first few times you try to introduce your cat and dog. Your job is to make the experience as relaxed as possible.
You may want to feed each pal prior to your socialization session or take your pup for a long walk beforehand to use up some of their energy. It’s also a good idea to keep your dog on a leash and let your kitty take the lead on introductions. If your dog barks too much or gets aggressive, or if your cat hisses, raises their back, or appears distressed, take a break and try another day.
The key here is patience. You can also try keeping your furry friends in adjoining rooms with a baby gate separating them for short periods so that they can get used to each other’s scents and habits.
How To Start A Friendship With A Cat
Depending on the life history of the cat you wish to befriend, starting a friendship may be easy or hard.
Cats that are used to being around people and being approached and petted will become your friend easily and quickly.
Cats that have had less than stellar relationships with humans will be anything from more timid to downright hostile.
So it is best to always be patient with your first pet. If the cat knows you are the one feeding her she will likely be more open to your approach. Just wait until the cat is sitting or lying nearby and approach slowly. Take as long as it needs. A skittish cat or a feral cat will not be afraid to run away if you get too close. If this happens, don’t chase, just stay put for a while and then try another time. For feral cats especially, you may need a lot of time and patience.
A good sign to know if a cat trusts you is when the cat lets her belly show to you. The reason for this is that by lying on their side and showing their belly cats put themselves into a vulnerable position. Sometimes skittish cats will lie down and show you their belly when you are some ways away but the moment you start approaching again, they’ll either split or get into a safer position. So it is best to take your approach toward them very slowly.
When your cat begins taking liberties, you can be sure that the cat feels at home.
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The Dos And Donts Of Introducing Cats
As we all know, cats are intensely territorial beings. And yet, when the subject of introducing two cats has come up through the years, I would constantly hear people advise, Just put them in a room together and theyll work it out. Does it work sometimes? Sure, but its cat Russian Roulette Just as often, they might work out who loses an eyeball, but they will not magically work out how to be friends.
Instead, bringing a new cat home can trigger the territorial panic switch in your existing cat, and this often means war. So, do yourself and your cats a favor, and follow this time-tested, step-by-step recipe to a T: It will give you your best chance for a smooth integration.
Before You Get Started
It’s a good idea to think about the different types of experiences your pal will have in your house. Do you live in a noisy neighborhood with a lot of traffic sounds? Do you frequently play loud music? Do you use power tools? How often do you vacuum? Do you work long hours? Any of these could make your kitty nervous and affect the pace of socialization.
You may also want to make a list of the different ways your feline friend will eventually interact with you and the other members of your household – furry or human. Some examples include:
- Having pictures taken
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When To Socialize Your Cat
Sooner is better than later.
Kittens are most receptive to new experiences when they are 2 to 7 weeks old, making this the ideal window for socialization. Of course, many pet parents don’t adopt their fluffy buddies until they are closer to 7 or 8 weeks of age. Don’t worry-cats are fairly easy to socialize all the way up to 14 weeks. Older cats can also be successfully socialized it may just take more time and patience.
Blacksad: Under The Skin
Available on: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
This film-noir-inspired detective adventure game is sort of like if The Wolf Among Us was a Cat Among Us instead, and if literally everybody was animals. You play as John Blacksad, a private detective, World War 2 veteran, and big muscular catman, as you follow one of the toughest cases of his career. While his story slots in neatly with the rest of the Blacksad comic, you don’t need to be familiar with it to appreciate the game – you just have to be ready for a hardboiled detective story. Blacksad: Under the Skin has some rough edges in terms of how it feels to move around the world and find clues, but its reactive tale is worthwhile for grizzled cat fanciers of all stripes.
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How To Befriend A New Cat
This article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as Dr. B to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA accredited hospital and Bostons first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University.There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 33,259 times.
Cats are sweet and loving animals, but they can be nervous around new people. You might want to befriend a new cat who you just adopted or want to befriend a strange cat, like a friends cat or a neighborhood stray. When you befriend a new cat you should let the cat come to you and make the cat feel as comfortable as possible.
Keep Her Coming Back For More
The next step is to provide relaxed, non-threatening enrichment to ensure that the cat enjoys spending time with you and keeps coming back. Feline rescuers say the best time to initiate an interaction is during meal times. They also recommend providing treats and toys to encourage the cat to connect with you one-on-one.
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Have A Dedicated Cat Room
When you bring your new cat home, have a safe room ready with all of your new cats amenities ready and waiting for her. It should have scratching posts, a few toys, food, water, and a litter box . This room should be quiet and, for the time being, not for human use. This space should also have some small and safe hiding places, like a cat house or a blanket draped over a chair, but no places that are completely inaccessible to you, like under a bed, to prevent serious hiding as that allows the cat to completely remove herself from her new environment.
You should spend time in this room every day to help the cat acclimate to your presence. While in the room read out loud, or call someone, and just talk. This lets the cat learn the sound of your voice and become comfortable with it.
Animal Rescue Experts Typically Classify Stray Cats Into Three Categories: Socialized Semi
Socialized cats are fully domesticated and comfortable around humans, while feral cats have had little to no human contact and are basically wild animals.
Semi-feral cats fall somewhere in between. They tend to avoid being touched, but may vocalize when around humans or even make eye contact.
Although it is a slow, difficult process, taming a semi-feral cat is possible. These 6 steps will help you turn that frightened neighborhood kitty into a new furry friend!
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How Do I Introduce A New Cat To My Existing Cat
Cats are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment. Some cats can meet a new cat and be friends right away, but cats are very territorial, and most cats need time and space to adjust to a new companion and establish a rapport and a new social hierarchy.
All cats are different, so there is no hard and fast rule regarding how long it takes to introduce a new cat into a home with an existing cat, but it may take up to 4 to 6 weeks for the cats to make the adjustment. If at any point the introduction fails, you have to take a step back or start over altogether.
Play With And Pet Your Cat
There are many toys out there that your cat will love. You can even make your own toys out of balls of string. Cats love to climb into empty boxes and bags. Playing with your cat is a great way to bond.
Cats love being petted, brushed, and massaged and will purr to you to show their happiness. They love to interrupt you when you are quietly engaged in something else, ignoring them. However if you ignore your cat too much and do not pet your cat your friendship will likely suffer. So always make time to give your cat affection and love.
Even though your cat will learn its name, do not think your cat will come when called. The cat may or may not, and may or may not come later. Cats are independent. That is their nature.
You can increase the likelihood that your cat will come when called by always making sure to call your cat sparingly, and especially when you have something good for the cat, like a yummy dinner or a new toy. Take advantage of the times when your cat is happily being stroked on your lap and call her name then.
Feel free to talk to your cat. Your cat will talk to you too, so no need to ignore her.
Meow is like alohait can mean anything.
Hank Ketchum
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Some Other Ways You Can Help Feral Semi
- Learn the difference between feral cats and community cats, as not all cats on the street were originally born there! You can find cats that were displaced and simply need a new home. The displaced cats can be re-homed without much extra coaxing for human communication. The same goes for kittens born to a feral cat, young cats have a much higher chance of being socialized successfully.
- For older cats that are completely feral and unlikely to become a household kitty, one of the most humane ways to stabilize and reduce the feral community is through Trap-Neuter-Return . Work with your local animal shelter and learn how to help. TNR means fewer cats will be feral, therefore current feral cats will have a reduced risk of disease and more food.