Most shelters and rescues have shy cats. These may be wonderful cats once they get to know you, or they may be somewhere on the scale between feral and tame. We have a number of these cats at KittyCorner, and have for years. Some of them “come around” and learn to love attention from me, or my sister, Deb, or one of our volunteers. But when it comes to adoption, cats who are friendly and affectionate with us, may be impossible for potential adopters to even meet. Or when they do meet the kitty runs and hides. So we have lots of cats who are just too shy to be easily adopted. Yet we find some very special people who get great satisfaction from adopting a shy cat and working with it to build trust. We think that all cats deserve a good home, where they can be special.to someone.
If you happen to find, or adopt a shy cat, God bless you. It can become a wonderful friend . You just have to be very patient, and learn to think like a cat. In nature, we think of cats as predators. But they are also prey, and instinct can be hard to overcome.
Tips for getting a frightened cat to respond
- First, in order to work with the cat, you have to confine it in a controlled space. Cats are actually more comfortable in a space that they feel they can protect. The cat may be terrified, but the more regular its schedule, the more it will relax.Most cats are motivated by food or play, but a very fearful cat may not eat or play in your presence. Bringing in food or treats at the same times every day will give the cat some sense of security.
- Just be present in the cat’s room. Spend your time in the room reading, playing games, paying bills, watching TV, dusting, or whatever you need or want to do during that time. u can either include or ignore her. The idea is that the kitty gets used to you, whether you are sitting, standing, walking around, etc. Even if some activities seem to frighten her, ignore her and she’ll discover that nothing hurts her. You may even find that she gets curious about what you do.
- Always bring treats when you enter the room. If she won’t eat cat treats in your presence, try a bit of deli ham or turkey. If she won’t eat at all in your presence, stop free feeding dry food Feed just two meals a day at the same times every day, like 7am and 6 PM, or whatever your schedule allows. If you’re feeding canned food twice a day, 1/2 of a 5 oz can, or one really small can,like Fancy Feast would be the correct amount. Acknowledge her, and put the food down in front of her,and then leave her to eat. Then she will connect the food to you. Continue to repeat the steps, and you should see her in more places around the room.
- You have to work in baby steps. Having choices is a great stress-reliever for cats. It makes them feel ore in charge.Make sure that her room always has places where she can be up high, and beds or blankets at all levels where she can curl up. For that matter, if you can either sleep in her room, or move her to your bedroom, that may speed the process along because she’ll get to know you while you’re asleep.
How long will it take? It depends on the cat. There are cats who never learn to trust, but many will learn to trust one person. Others will “turn” almost overnight. We’ve had cats act totally feral for years, then, all of a sudden, you can pet them. It’s like they suddenly decided that they like attention. Maybe they do.
Great article, Ladies! Should’ve had it when we adopted Samson – who, I thought for a minute – was the cat atop the bookcase at the beginning of this article~ Remember that? Linda had to get a ladder, but it was all for a great cause.
Treasure you both!
I love this article! It’s really rewarding to see a cat come around and seek your attention after initially showing shyness. There have been times where it’s taken a year for a cat to even sniff my hand, but every step in improvement is exciting! Patience and kindness go a long way.
The best decision I made was to adopt Swan and Kiwi together. Swan has always been the brave one and literally followed me around from the moment we got home and I opened her carrier. Don’t underestimate how one brave cat can really help one scared cat become comfortable quickly. I brought the two of them home on a Saturday afternoon in January 2017 and by Tuesday evening Kiwi was no longer hiding and coming downstairs to be with Swan and I. Kiwi probably would have become comfortable with me eventually, but certainly not as quickly without Swan here with me. Kiwi still only trusts me and I am very fortunate to have both of them in my life.