Helping your Scared Cat

So, let's say you have a new kitty to introduce to your cats.  How do you start that process if you have kitties who are already nervous and scared? 

First, it's good to know what kind of anxiety your cat experiences.  Just like people, cats have a couple of different broad categories of anxiety.  Eggroll (left), one of our newer cats, is still learning that he is safe so he's still shy and fearful of people.  If your cat is sometimes frightened by loud noises or visitors, that's acute fear.  If your cat has constant anxiety that causes behavioral changes, that's called chronic fear.  You need to know what kind your cat is feeling. 

We know cats love their routines - consistent feeding times, location of litter boxes and food bowls, stable environment, daily playtime and etc.  The first sign of trouble is detectable if your cat deviates from his/her routine, the one you see every day.  There are several signs to look for:  aggression or being very clingy to you; avoiding eye contact, excessive grooming, not eating and litter box problems are among them.  Signs that are harder to notice are dilated pupils, ears back and a low body stance and even wool sucking.

When a cat starts doing any of the above, it could indicate anxiety or fear.  People can talk about their issues and get help but cats can't talk to us that way so we need to be detectives to figure out what is actually going on.   Some cats get anxious if they are with too many other cats for their comfort, if the litter box is unappealing (ie, not cleaned frequently enough or used by too many cats), and even not having a really good place to scratch, like a post or corrugated cardboard.  If you're away too much from your cat, that can also cause stress and fear. 

Some believe it's all in how you raise a kitten.  If you're lucky enough to have one from a very young age, you can make sure the kitten is around people, gets petted a lot so it's used to being touched as well as being around other cats and kittens.  These early steps will help kitty be more comfortable with people and other cats into adulthood.  Since many cats are adopted or rescued as adults, though, that part of their lives is a mystery.  There are things you can do to make your cat happy and stress free.

One method is to replace one behavior with a better one and to desensitize the cat to whatever it is that makes it anxious.  A great example is loud noises. Desensitizing is a slow, gradual process that helps a cat trust that the loud noise won't hurt them.  Getting a cat used to and comfortable with the thing that scares them is another gradual process.  A third idea is to reward a cat's good behavior, which also strengthens the bond with the cat's owner.  If behavioral changes don't work, there is medication that can help fear and anxiety.  For any such medication, call your vet and discuss the specific situation and what you've tried so far to fix it.

As we all know, cats have their own personalities, agendas and ways of communicating with us.  Knowing your cat well, being aware of its normal behaviors and reactions and catching problems quickly are the best ways of keeping your cat stress free!  

 CLICK HERE to read a more detailed look at cat stress and how to handle it.