Cat Behavior 101: Lesson 6: Scaredy Cats

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Cat Behavior 101 Lesson 6: Scaredy Cats From Franny Syufy, your Guide to Cats Some cats, particularly those who haven't been socialized properly as kittens, may be naturally shy, fearful, or anxious around people, or other cats. Amy Shojai, CABC, has created a number of articles designed to help your scaredy cat come out from the shadows. Helping Scaredy Cats Emerge Helping "Fraidy Cats" Working with fearful cats can be a challenge because people often confuse their behavior with aggression. Does Sheba hiss at strangers? Dive under the bed when the doorbell rings? Attack other pets (or humans)? While a normal dose of caution keeps cats from becoming coyote kibble, extreme fear makes cats miserable and disrupts your happy home. Learn more from this article by Amy Shojai. Ask Amy Reduce Anxiety Michele P. writes, "Three months ago we found a kitten of about eight weeks old, and added her to our family with two older dogs. My husband doesn't like "snooty" cats, so from the start I've given her lots of affection and closeness to try to encourage her to be social and loving, and she's become a "shoulder kitty." She seems to have developed separation anxiety, though - vocalizing and seeming very distressed when I leave for work, or even go outside for a minute. Was it a mistake to "love" on her so much? How do I reduce her anxiety? Thanks!" Amy offers her usual thoughtful, expert advice. Ask Amy: Cat Stranger Danger Lei writes, "I have two female cats. One (age four) is warm and loving when we're alone in the house. But whenever anyone comes to the house, she goes under the bed and refuses to come out of the bedroom--no matter how long the guest stays. The other cat (age three) comes out when guests are visiting and will even let them pet her. However, in the normal course of things, she refuses to be picked up by anyone, including me, and screams bloody murder when she is picked up. As you will learn from Amy, "stranger danger" is relatively common in cats. Ask Amy: Scared Cats Patti wants to learn how to make her cat more friendly. "Since the very beginning, Pita has been very unsocial, won't let anyone touch her," says Patti. "She will come to me for food when we're eating, but won't get close. If she is in litter box when we get up from living room to go to kitchen, she runs. When we have people over, she hides." If this sounds familiar, you'll definitely benefit from Amy's advice. Tips for reducing shyness and fear in cats Is your kitty a "scaredy-cat?" Shyness and fear stem from a number of causes, but can be overcome with gentleness and patience, as these tips from Franny Syufy explain. Is your cat trying to tell you something? The optimum word here is patience. You must allow your cat to set the pace, otherwise he or she may change from "flight" to "fight." Remember always that there are no "bad" cats, only uninformed cat caregivers. Solve Your Cat's Separation Anxiety Cat separation anxiety requires behavior modification and desensitization to soothe upset kitty feelings and reverse problem behaviors. Cats may go for years without issues, and then suddenly act out when your work schedule changes and keeps you away for long hours. Vacations also tend to trigger feline separation anxiety. Think of separation anxiety as a form of grief," says Amy. "Cats don't mean to "act bad," they just miss you so much they can't help themselves. Minimizing Stress and Anxiety in Your Cat Stress and anxiety in cats can come from other sources, including environmental changes and emotional or physical stress. You will find that many of these areas overlap as we explore further in this article by Franny Syufy. We will look at some of the causes of stress in cats, the symptoms, and how we can help our cat get back on an even keel, for better physical and emotional health. This email is written by: Franny Syufy Cats Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum Missing a lesson? Click here. About U. is our collection of free online courses designed to help you learn a new skill, solve a problem, get something done, or just learn more about your world. Sign up now, and we will email you lessons on a daily or weekly basis. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the About.com 'Cat Behavior 101' email. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com Advertisement