Gaining trust with a shy, anxious feline is possible with some practice, insight into their behavior, and ways to relax them around the home. Here are positive steps you can take to get your purr pal to warm up to you. Stick to a routine with your cat.
Give a treat to your cat.
If your cat is in a more approachable mood, you can try giving him a treat directly. Put three to five cat treats in your hand and kneel down close to the cat. If the cat is ready to forgive you, he will come over to you and eat the treats.
Let your cat decide when they're ready to bond. Some cats are ready to get to know you immediately while other kitties may take several weeks to initiate any kind of interaction.
It depends entirely on whether the abuse is intentional or accidental, systemic or out-of-character. Yes to the next question, Cats can tell the difference. If it was accidental, your cat will forgive instantly, and move on.
With time, you can improve (or repair) the relationship with your cat to one of comfort, ease, and predictability. Here are a few things to keep in mind when trying to build your cat's trust: Respect your cat's space.
There's a chance your cat could have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if they have experienced one or more traumatic instances throughout their lives. Cats with PTSD can exhibit unusual changes in behavior as well as significant distress related to their disorder.
Cats possess excellent long-term memories. They can recall their animal companions and the people who feed them as well as those who irritate them. Memory is what allows a cat to leap into the arms of a family member returning after a semester away at college.
Most literature on feral kitten socialization suggests that kittens older than 8 weeks up to 6-8 months old, or even adult cats, can still be socialized and adopted, but they need more time and experienced attention.
Their finding shows that the cats' bonds with people were stable in adulthood, and not just present in kittens.
Famously independent, sometimes falsely assumed to be immune to feelings, cats are in truth super-sensitive to emotions, sound, and stress. Perhaps because felines lack the eager-to-please openness of their canine colleagues, humans overlook the big and small ways they can break a cat's spirit.
Keeping your cat active through interaction with you using toys and games such as those that involve removing food from a puzzle can help to heal and divert the focus from a traumatic memory or experience—think of it as creating new memories to take the place of those that caused fear.
Animals may be neglected or abused, physically, sexually, and emotionally. The similarities of animal and child maltreatment makes it useful to draw from the terminology used for children when developing definitions for use in animals.
The answer is that cats probably don't hold grudges, at least the way that we consider them.
Whether you are going to work or simply running errands, keep in mind that adult cats can generally be left alone for a maximum of 24 hours while kittens under six months should only be left home for four- to six-hour periods.
Socialization refers to the process of exposing your cat to humans, other cats, and other furry friends within your home. A cat who has not been socialized properly may be timid or aggressive, and they might display a range of behavior problems, from scratching your furniture to boycotting the litterbox.
Cats are naturally solitary animals and are often happy without the company of their own species. They are territorial animals who don't like conflict with other cats. Introducing a new cat to an existing cat in the household takes time and patience – but don't worry, we have advice for this!
Cats do often treat humans like other felines, using gestures like licking or rubbing on both feline friends and human caregivers, she says. “In a way, cats think of us as bigger cats,” Bonk says. “They might not necessarily know that we're a different species or they just don't care.”
Regardless of their reputation, cats do get lonely when they are left unattended for long periods of time. Research proves that cats are social beings that form strong bonds with their owners. Do cats get sad when you leave? Short answer: yes.
“Cats don't forgive, and once they realize a person is causing them anxiety or hurt, they keep away.” So says John Bradshaw, an anthrozoologist at Bristol University and author of “Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet.”
Like people, cats can suffer from mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. Find out how you can tell if your cat is struggling emotionally and what you can do about it.
If you ever thought your cat was anxious, insecure, tense, suspicious or aggressive toward you, you aren't making it up, he said. If they were bigger, they probably would consider killing you. But the news isn't all bad: Just like lions, house cats are also playful, excitable and impulsively hilarious.