How to gain a timid cat’s trust

1. Feed the cat at least twice a day for the next 7 to 14 days. By doing this, the cat would start to associate you with something it loves, food!
2. When feeding, make sure to bring the food down on the ground slowly. Also try to make sure that the cat actually sees you bringing the food.
3. Call the cat’s the name softly or make cat calling sound when bringing the food.
4. Keep doing the above for the next week or two and you will eventually earn the cat’s trust.

Avoid the following

 1.      Approaching or touching the cat. Remember the cat doesn’t know you and thus is very afraid By approaching or   touching the cat without first gaining its trust will result in the cat being even more afraid than it already is.

2.      Hanging around after laying the cat’s food on the floor. You’ll make the cat nervous, just put the food down then leave.

Bringing a new cat into the household

If you brought a new cat into the household and the existing one seems to be afraid of it, the reason could be due to the new cat’s aggressive behavior. Make sure the new cat has been neutered, this way it won’t become too aggressive, and both cats will eventually learn to live with one another peacefully. Now remember the sooner you arrange for neutering, the better your chances of having a peaceful, and headache free multi cat household. Best time to have it done is when the cat is around 4 to 5 weeks of age.

Stress

Contrary to what some people may think, cats are also susceptible to stress. Yeah sure, cats don't have to pay the bills, get stuck in traffic jams, attend countless wedding invitations, and other stress inducing nonsense that we have to put with on a daily basis. All cats do is eat, sleep, crap, play and mate so where is this stress coming from? Well there are many reasons such as :

Fear - As described above.

Pregnancy – Pregnant cats are under a great deal of stress and this is most evident during the last few weeks of pregnancy. It is common for pregnant cats to display aggression towards other cats or even her owner, she gets annoyed easily during this period, so don’t be surprised, if she hiss or tries to scratch you if you do something that makes her feel uncomfortable.

Environment changes - The cat is an animal that is territorial by nature and therefore will mark its territory by releasing scent gland, through spraying or rubbing its head and paw. The scent glad helps the cat to recognize its territory. To the cat, nothing is more comforting than the scent gland that it has released all over its territory. Even you the owner, have also been marked as part of the cat’s territory, the gland was passed on to you, when the cat rubs its head or paws against your arms and legs or even during playtime. Now it will certainly cause your cat a great deal of stress, if you were to remove all or most of the objects that it has marked, because the scent that it has become familiar with, is now gone making the cat feel unsafe, like it is no longer in it’s turf.  If you wish to redecorate your or replace old furniture with new ones, do it slowly to avoid upsetting your cat. Try to do a couple of changes only at a time, doing this will help prepare your cat for more changes that you’re planning to do.

Some cats when under stress, will sit in a corner with its tail curled and body crouched and some, may even become restless and will start wandering around aimlessly. Cats that are under stress will also display the following symptoms:   

• Excessive spraying.
• Incessant mewing.
• Aggression.
• Salivation or vomiting.
• Litter box avoidance
• Low appetite.

If you notice any of the above symptoms in your cat, please consult the vet. This could be due to illness which can change a cat’s behavior literally in an instant!

Also, don’t forget to spend some quality time playing and pampering your cat!

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