How to calm a scared cat.Although each feline has its own character, cats are generally sociable and affectionate animals. Even so, certain situations can cause stress in cats and it is very important to know how to calm a nervous cat to help them. If your feline feels uneasy, threatened or cornered, the chances of him adopting aggressive behavior or ending up attacking you are high, even if he first tries to flee.
How to calm a scared cat
Hence, it is essential to know how to make a scared cat trust you. Even the friendliest and calmest animal can experience, at a certain moment, feelings of fear and anxiety, so it is normal but you have to know how to handle it in the best possible way.
Index
- How to tell if a cat is scared
- Try to find what’s scaring him
- talk to him with love
- Get up to him
- Offer him your favorite prize
- Caress him without overwhelming him
- Never corner a scared cat
- Uses pheromones for cats
How to tell if a cat is scared
If you live with a cat, you surely know its habits and habitual behavior perfectly well. In general, cats are “very own.” Although they are playful and affectionate, there are always times when they like to maintain their space and some independence. Keep this in mind and don’t overwhelm him when he decides to be alone and hide anywhere in the house until he decides to reappear and look for you so that you pay attention to him. This is a very common behavior in cats that has nothing to do with fear or stress. A scared cat is easy to recognize, because its own body language will give you all the clues you need. How do you know if a cat is afraid? Pay attention to the following:
- Your cat is in tension. You can see it in his bristly hair and arched back.
- The ears are flattenedand directed backwards.
- The eyes are wide open and the pupils dilate. He may stare at you defiantly, or, on the contrary, he may flee from your gaze.
- His lips are retracted and his mustaches are stiff.
- He may be crouched, in a jumping position. Careful! He feels cornered and is preparing to attack or to jump towards a gap that he has seen to get out of there quickly.
If you detect this situation, it is essential to calm the animal and if you want to know how to calm a cat’s nerves, the following tips will help you achieve it.
Try to find what’s scaring him
Discovering what causes his nervousness is an important first step in making your cat’s fear go away. It could be a noise that is strange and unpleasant , the presence of unknown people or another animal.(for example a dog), a space that overwhelms it… are some common causes, especially when a cat is scared in a new house, because it does not know the new environment and does not trust anything or anyone. In these cases, be patient and simply give him his space. Let him wander around his new home and become familiar with everything around him. The first few days, he tries to figure out what makes him nervous, to avoid the source of unease whenever possible (it can be something as simple as the noise of a washing machine spinning). Here you can read about Why my cat is very afraid .
If your case is that the cat has just arrived home, or will soon arrive, then we recommend that you also read this other unCOMO article on How to move house with a cat .
talk to him with love
In other cases, it may not be so easy to know why your cat is afraid. If the pet you have been living with for a long time suddenly shows the signs of stress that we have described, the best way to try to calm your cat is to talk to it sweetly and slowly . If he is nervous, don’t try to pick him up to calm him down. Simply talk to him and your calm tone of voice will convey precisely the calm he needs. Of course, don’t yell, scold or threaten him even if he is hiding in a place you don’t want him to be. It is better to provide him with calm and confidence so that he only comes out and when he approaches you you can touch him or hold him.
Get up to him
If your cat is nervous, and with its back hunched (and perhaps about to attack), bending over or stretching , keeping a safe distance from it , can give good results. Getting at his level (and not standing) will make the animal discard any threatening attitude on your part.
In this way, he will begin to calm down, he will leave the crouched or hunched position that he had preparing to jump and he will remain calm or, surely, he will go somewhere else. In this situation, don’t follow him immediately, as he may become just as nervous again and attack you if he gets cornered.
Offer him your favorite prize
It is a little trick that can also make your cat relax and forget about what has caused him fear. Offering him some wet food or showing him that cat toy that he likes so much, maybe it will get him to come to you to taste that treat that you are offering him or to play with his favorite toy and, thus, he will be distracted from his initial problem. Take advantage of this moment to change the source of his fear (remove what made him nervous or if you can’t, take him to another area of the house), so the problem will not repeat itself as soon as he stops being a little distracted by food or playing. .
Caress him without overwhelming him
If you see that the cat is starting to calm down a little, try approaching him slowly and petting him with a finger. Felines love cuddles around the nose or under the chin. If he rejects caresses, don’t insist, but if he accepts them willingly, little by little you will make fear disappear and trust prevail in you.
Here you can read more about How to pet a cat , but remember that the most important thing is to know if it is comfortable and wants more or if it moves away or is restless and it is better that you leave it alone.
Never corner a scared cat
This is a basic premise for calming a scared cat. Check that he will always have an escape route through which he can leave whenever he wants, for example, to another room or to a high place such as a closet, the back of a sofa or a scratching post with a platform. Many cats calm down by being up high , somewhere where they can control their surroundings and keep a close eye on any possible threats.
Uses pheromones for cats
In extreme cases, you can also resort to pheromone products for cats . The pheromones that felines naturally secrete calm them when they smell them, especially with maternal pheromones, which calm the babies quickly. You can find sprays and diffusers with these pheromones to have at home and make your cat detect the pheromones through smell and feel more relaxed without realizing the process.
However, before using them it is advisable to consult a veterinarian . If fear and stress problems with your cat are frequent, it may need some type of treatment (perhaps it is in pain or has an undetected illness) or the help of an ethologist to analyze its behavior and the possible causes.
