Why is my Cat Hiding and Scared?
We would all love for our fearful cat to blossom in our home.
Most people do not appreciate when their cat…
- is always hiding
- lives only at night
- is scared of visitors
- is scared of the vacuum cleaner, of sound or of new objects
- flees when they approach
- growls or hisses at them
Our action plans transform cats that hide into cats that enjoy life, making you happy to be sharing your house with them!
For the consult, you will need to:
- Be sufficiently comfortable with technology to be able to use your email, Zoom, WeTransfer and the internet in general.
- (Zoom requires you to at least have a microphone so you can speak to us and either a headset or speakers to hear us.)
- Fill out the pre-consult questionnaire.
- And provide a hand-drawn plan of your residence and some photos and videos (defined in the questionnaire).
Cat Behavior Help Options
Learn the basics
Consult our articles for help
Free
Initial session
Ideal for developing a plan of action for 1 behavior issue
CA$
149
90 minutes consult on Zoom
Personalized action plan
Additional resources adapted to your case
Additional 60 minutes sessions are available at the price of CA$69.
4 sessions Package
Ideal for progressing through your action plan
CA$
326
90 minutes consult on Zoom
Personalized action plan
Additional resources adapted to your case
Three follow-up sessions of 60 minutes, each with an tailored action plan
All sessions in a package must be completed within 90 days of your initial consultation.
Additional 60 minutes sessions are available at the price of CA$69.
— Reminders —
*** Behavior consultants are NOT veterinary professionals. All medical conditions imperatively need to be swiftly directed to a veterinarian.**
***ANY SUDDEN BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN YOUR CAT CAN BE INDICATIVE OF A POTENTIALLY FATAL HEALTH PROBLEM IF NOT ADDRESSED QUICKLY. CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN NOW TO KNOW IF YOU NEED TO VISIT THEM RIGHT AWAY.**
Is your new cat scared and hiding?
Does your cat spend their time in the wardrobe or underneath the sofa and hisses at you when you bring them food? It’s not because you’re a bad human, it’s just that your cat as not yet understood that you actually want to be their friend. If you see your cat always hide, there are things we can do to help.
From their perspective, when you brought them home, you kidnapped them. This wasn’t your intention, but we can’t control the perception that others have of us in a given situation. Your cat considers that they have been taken and placed captive in the house where you live. They don’t yet know the house well and it’s therefore an environment that they consider as potentially hostile. They do not know your intentions and don’t yet see what reasons they might have to trust you.
What NOT to do
When another living being is scared of us, the last thing to do is to force them to interact with us near.
The videos below illustrate the cat’s perception when you (the monster) try to interact in ways that are inappropriate.
Why we don’t pull a cat from under the bed:
Why we don’t touch a cat while they’re eating:
Why we don’t force our presence on a cat in a tight space.
Why we don’t try to tame shelter cats by touching them in their cages:
You’ve already done these things? Don’t panic. You didn’t know any better and we can only do what we know in the moment. From now on, you know that we can do better and that’s what’s important. You’re starting a new way of interacting with your cat.
How do we become friends with someone?
Friends are people that:
- Are polite to us;
- Share their fries or their chocolate box with us;
- Help us when we’re having difficulty;
- Are good teammates during play;
- , etc.
How does that translate to your cat?
- Use your own body language to make yourself less threatening,
- Learn and listen to their body language,
- Offer them good treats without forcing them to come close to you or to touch you;
- Give them control over your proximity,
- Play with them at a distance using wand toys,
- Consider taking advantage of modern pharmacology to help their brain better optimize the release and recapture of neurotransmitters,
- , etc.
This might seem simple, but I could write 40 pages of text about each of these items! So before you say « It doesn’t work. », come get help because there are dozens of nuances and particularities to consider.
You can absolutely transform your cat-that-hides into a cat that will WANT to interact with you. We’re here to guide you through this adventure when you’ll be ready.
To book an appointment, click here.