Some cats take a long time to come out in the open, where strangers can see them. My house cat Conrad is one of those types of cats. I always talk to him when he finally comes out when I have company. Getting your cat comfortable with people can take a very long time. Sometimes Conrad will walk past a guest in my house in a calm and relaxed manner, or he might run for his life. I try to reassure him that my guest will not harm him. Talk to your cat in a soft, relaxed tone when they are scared. If you talk too loudly, they will be more frightened than before.
My cat Garfunkel is timid. When he has a day that he comes out and looks at my guest, I put him in their lap. I also hold him and tell him that he is okay. He is starting to let guests pat him on the head as he walks by.
I have an outdoor cat that is very shy. She lets me touch her nose. I rub the tip of her nose and talk gently to her. I also give her some canned cat food when she allows me to feel the end of her nose.
If you adopt a feral cat, it may never overcome its shyness. The wild cat was never socialized with people at an early developmental stage in its early life. Cats not associated with people as kittens will generally be shy around people for the rest of their nine lives.
Patience is vital in helping your cat overcome his shyness toward people. Reward him whenever he does come out when you have company in your home. A pat on the head or a wonderful cat treat will work wonders sometimes. If your cat plays with a toy while you have a company, that may help relax him.
Some cats will remain anti-social no matter what means we try to help them overcome their shyness. We do not know what they might have gone through in life before we adopted them. They would never forget that if they were treated poorly as a kitten. Naturally, they would not trust people after poor treatment in their early life.
I hope your cat overcomes his shyness. I hope he becomes the life of the party.
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2 replies on “Helping Your Cat Overcome His Shyness”
My cats are definitely not shy ones but I had one, KC, that was a bit skittish. She was fine around us but was always hiding when guests came. We got her as a kitten and loved on her so much but I guess it was just her personality!
They are adorable. Neither of my cats is shy. My brother in law’s cat is though. It usually takes him a good half hour to warm up to me on our visits.