Stories, case studies, and recommendations about fearful cats.
Not the Right Fit Cats are living beings with their own personalities, needs, and wants. That means they will each have their own unique requirements of a home. Some need peace and quiet, others lots of play and engagement. They may be happiest with a feline (or canine) friend or prefer to have only human … Read more
Hearing your cat hiss or growl can be scary. You might worry that they are going to harm you or your other pets. Hissing and growling is aggressive behavior, after all, so it needs to be stopped immediately, right? Vocab of the Day: Ritualized Aggression Before diving into why your cat might be hissing or … Read more
Behavior and health go hand in hand. If your cat’s behavior has changed, a vet visit is your first step. When To Talk To Your Vet Behavior and physical health are very tightly linked. Cats are masters at hiding signs of pain or illness so you cannot assume that you would see clear signs. Behavior … Read more
Behavior issues in cats are often rooted in stress. What does this mean? Something, or more likely things, are causing the cat to feel unsafe, frustrated, uncomfortable, painful, annoyed, or bored. Stress reduction may be necessary to resolve behavior problems. It may also be recommended by your veterinarian for health reasons. Why can tackling stress … Read more
“My vet recommended [name of anti-anxiety medication] but I really want to try all of my other options first.” Maybe your veterinarian has previously brought up anti-anxiety medication for your cat but you weren’t sure if it was necessary or right to try. Or maybe you already think medication might help your cat but you’re … Read more
Do you have a scaredy cat? You’ve probably heard the advice to give them treats to help them overcome their fear. It’s great advice (unlike some of what’s out there…) but there are a few important tricks to using those treats effectively! Why Treats? Fear can’t be controlled in the same ways other behavior can … Read more
Does your cat run from the vacuum, hiss at the new kitten, try to bite when you trim their nails, or have some other overreaction to a harmless thing? What’s up with that? You know that the vacuum isn’t a monster, that the kitten is just trying to play, and that nail trims are not … Read more
Fight or flight – you’re probably familiar with the different ways that we react to fear. Do you stand your ground or take off running? Or perhaps you just freeze up, unable to react at all? Our cats have the same reactions when faced with a scary situation. This story of two brother cats reacting … Read more
You are so excited to bring home your new cat. You’ve been looking for just the right companion for a while and today is the day! But your new cat immediately hides under the sofa and won’t come out. What gives? Did you just make a huge mistake? Who Are Your Calling Feral? Working at … Read more
This is week two in a series about coping with vet visits. In the first post I shared steps you can take before and during an appointment. Here I’ll talk about coming home. When Coming Home is Hard to Do You’ve managed to get your cat in their carrier, survived the vet visit with minimal … Read more