shy cat help

[flying_babyb]

I have tried to let it be but I cant handle this anymore. My baby cat (3 years old) no longer comes out. She handled living with my mom for a week and came out all the time. Now we came home (yes its a new aparment) and shes like barly ever out. She hides in my room and only comes out like twice a day if that. She comes out to eat and potty then hides. Its making me so sad cause shes my buddy. If I shut the door she lays by it with those pathetic cat eyes till I let her back in then its back under the bed. Any advice

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

No real advice but I know what you mean...I had a cat like that growing up. We had one regular normal cat, and then the neurotic one (Clover). Poor Clover would stay in my room, where she acted normal with me, etc. When she went downstairs for necessary things (eating, litter), she would scurry by everything and many people didn't even know we had a second cat. She seemed petrified of everyone. She was usually just a blur of fur. I don't think you can change her personality, just enjoy her and make sure she feels welcome all over the house (sounds like you are doing that!)
Good luck!

 

[Imzadi]

Have you been sitting on the floor by the bed where she hides and visiting her for periods of time? I've found that helps a lot. As she comes out to let you pet her and she visits with you, and she realizes she's actually quite safe, she will naturally become more curious and start looking around near you, then slowly further out.

It may take several days of doing that until she finally becomes comfortable to come out completely. Sometimes it takes kitties a gentle reminder that the world is a friendly, safe place.

Cats take their cues from the Alpha Cat. My cat can get all weirded out by noises she hears out the window a couple blocks away. I gently say in a soothing tone, "You're okay, you're okay," and she calms down. There are other times when I may have forgotten something on the stove and I gasp and jump off the couch to turn off the stove as I smell it burning. Since Kitty was snoozing next to me, she looks up in alarm, flattening her ears back and goes, "Whaat?!? What just happened? Should I run & hide?" Poor kitty!

 

[flying_babyb]

our alpha cat (bosco) rules over me too. He is in chage I AM NOT. hes awalys out sleeping around the house. hes also stalks and plays.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Definatly "visit" with her in your room, maybe even close the door so she won't be bothered by others while you are there. You can also try a calming spray type of thing, I have one from Petsmart that works well for my high strung (part siamese) cat. They also make one that plugs into the wall like an airfreshner, the spray(and I would think the plug in type) has no sent that I can detect but the cats like it.

 

[minniecarousel]

Yeah - try the "Feliway" sprays or plug-ins. We used them for a while with our scaredy-cat. (I trimmed both cat's claws today, so both are avoiding me now - I'm such a meanie!) Our alpha cat tends to intimidate the scaredy cat, but they're also best buddies. He's to the point where he lets me pet him and will actually come up to me for pets. He's come a long way! But he'll alwys be our scaredy cat.

 

["Got Disney"]

one of my 3 cats are the same. She is getting better however. When upstairs where she hangs under the bed or in the laundry room behind the water heater we call her name. We started doing this about 6 months ago and we would put a snack near her food or under the bed for her.

she is a timid cat and my other 2 are monsters. We call her all the time. She know will come out and even jump on the bed at times to be pet but cautiously.

she was very bad and stayed under the bed or heater or in the closet....calling her name all the time has definitely helped.

funny we have 2 dogs and one dog my 2 crazy cats are afraid of yet Tiger will come up and sniff his nose and if the dog is upstairs in the laundry room and the dog is up there she has no problems walking by him back into the room....go figure

 

[flying_babyb]

I visit her alot and shes started visiting me when im using the bathroom so its a bit of progress

 

[Imzadi]

[QUOTE="Got Disney";29470856]funny we have 2 dogs and one dog my 2 crazy cats are afraid of yet Tiger will come up and sniff his nose and if the dog is upstairs in the laundry room and the dog is up there she has no problems walking by him back into the room....go figure[/QUOTE]

Aww, sounds like she feels very protected with him.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Tigger is a very shy cat, but for some reason he's coming around more now. Not sure why, but it's nice to have him out and about. Ask your vet--he/she may give him something to help calm him. It's a short-term fix, but it might help get him over being so scared or at least be something that you can give him when there's a more stressful situation than usual (ie, people over, etc).