What to do with a Scaredy Cat

The question asked was what do I do with my scared cat...

I have had cats for many years and when the last one left us, my son's got us the cutest little doggie. Dogs are very different from cats. You can't take your cat out as easily as you can a dog for a walk in the park.  They won't walk on a leash unless you train them.  They want to jump on everything and run like the wind.  They want to be free and don't want a master, so the challenges are much greater and the personality of the cat has a lot to do with how they are as adults.

That said, many people like to tease cats because they have a playful nature and are very curious.  I found a video on YouTube which you should watch. This guy thinks he is playing with his cat and what I see is a guy teasing and taunting this cat so it would not be a surprise to me to see this cat afraid of everything.

Animals need to be comfortable and socialized. So you can't get them nuts, yelling at them and scaring them when they do something wrong, or playing with them the wrong way can end up with very poor results. You should correct poor behavior immediately, but always reward good behavior so they get to know what is right and what is wrong.

Of course an animals nature or genetics has a lot to do with their confidence and personality.  I have found that animals will follow your lead, yes even cats can be trained. As Ceasar Milan the Dog Whisperer will tell you a dog (or cat) has to be well balanced, know you are their pack leader and corrected immediately when they do something wrong.

I take Georgie everywhere I can. To stores that allow him, like Home Depot, Kohl's, Pet Smart and other stores and take him for walks so he can socialize with other dogs and cats. This is of course harder to do with cats, but it is a good idea for your cat to get to know that people will not hurt them and will be gentle.

Many people will keep a cat in their home and never take them outdoors. I think this is a very big mistake. Imagine you living in a few rooms in your home and you would be scared and nuts too.  They are in a cage all day long, get them out doors even if you have to take them in a carrier. I know that you can't walk a cat on a leash like a dog, but you need to get them out of the house and get them interested in meeting people.

Why not have friends come over and bring him some of his favorite treats. Eventually he will accept them and know that their visit means treats. Keep doing this and take treats with you when you take him out and give it to new people to give to him, so he knows that people are his friends.

Was their anything in the past that caused his fear of humans?  Did you have your cat declawed?

These two things can ruin a cat for life.  Unlike dogs that have a short memory and live in today only, cats don't forget anything.  We had one that we declawed, which was a mistake. It was done because my young son put his hand under the cats collar and the cat was choking and clawed my son who later had to go to the hospital to care for his wounds.  We decided to declaw him and it killed this poor cats spirit.  He would bite when threatened because he could no longer defend himself with his claws.  They also need their claws to knead things.  It brought tears to my eyes when I used to see him attempt to knead something without his claws.

We have had many cats over 25 years and frankly each one was different and had their own personalities. They say you can't own a cat, they own you. They are not dogs and are very independent. Cats are more of a challenge to train, but they can be trained and you can change them.  Cats however may return to some old poor behavior at times, so you have to be aware of this.  Remember, they are cats, they do what they want to do and not necessarily what you want them to do.

Most cats I have had have been wonderful and loved affection.  They loved my wife and would wait for her to come home from work. She would sit on the floor and one sweet little black cat, Smokey would turn over on her back and wait for her mommy to scratch her tummy.  She lived with us for just about 20 years and it broke our heart when she died.  

Not all of our cats were like Smokey and the last one, Fletch, gave us the honor of his presence in our home for about 15 years and was out doors more then he was in.  One day he just never made it home.  As I said, cats are all different and each one has his or her own personality, so you have to be lucky and try to do what you can to socialize them and keep them well balanced mentally.