Question
One of my cats will avoid any central parts of the house or run through them very quickly. He also runs in fear any time someone walks into the room he's in or if he hears voices at the front door. His favorite spots are secluded dark corners or under blankets (He climbs up into them on his own).
I've speculated a few unique causes (vision and memory) though I don't think either are the issue in this case as the issue is only temporary.
It's kind of sad because he actually loves to be pet more than any cat I've seen (more than my other two). In the midst of comfortable slumbers he sheds his fear impulses and actually welcomes people to come and pet him (rolling around showing his belly, stretching, etc).
He is about 2 years old now and was a highly sociable rambunctious kitten but even at his young age he did exhibit some odd flight patterns. We initially kept him in a bedroom alone while we introduced smells and presence to our other cats who were full grown at the time though still young. When we entered the bedroom we often had to search for him and it wasn't unless he was nearly sound asleep that he was ever out in a visible space. He always came around very quickly so I didn't think much of it at the time.
Even now if I peruse him from his fear-flight he almost always gives in and in fact wants to be snuggled/pet (nudging with his head/purring/rubbing against legs) but it is always his initial reaction to run in fear as fast as he can. He often ends up back in the bedroom usually on the bed.
Typically whenever anyone else comes over (not all that frequently) he won't budge from the corners and is even more terrified of the new people (so not all people are equally terrifying at least). He often won't let them pet him and stares unblinkingly thinking the worst is about to happen until he eventually bolts.
Are there ways to improve his anxiety reflex so he can feel safe/unafraid while walking around and more importantly while seeing people? We (my girlfriend and I) treat him with nothing but love and try to bring him out into the more open spaces when possible but he never stays for very long unless we make him a blanket tent or something similar.
He used to actually come to us sometimes but nowadays he will only ever interact with us when he wants food or sometimes to play but never for snuggling/sleep/company. Our other two cats will come for attention, will sleep near us or in our laps, etc.
He also often runs under the couches to hide. Neither of our other two cats do this at all.
I am also quite tall so I think that may have something to do with it but I'm not about to start crawling around everywhere. Shoes are more terrifying than socks.
Answer
Here are some suggestions that may help:
- When he runs, don't pursue him. Your pursuit reinforces his behaviour.
- Don't disturb him when he's hiding.
- Put a cardboard box or something else he can hide in near your sofa (or wherever you relax). This can help him get more comfortable with being near you.
- When he does make an appearance, don't make a big fuss. You can greet him, but then go back to whatever you were doing.
- Try lying on the floor and coaxing him to come to you (perhaps with treats). You don't have to do this a lot, but it will help in the beginning.
- When he does come near you, don't reach out and pet him without warning. Instead, extend your hand as a request to pet him. If he walks away, that's a "no", so respect that. If he stays close, that's "yes". Reach out slowly and pet him. Early on, he may flinch even if he stays put. I'd treat that as a "yes", but approach extra gently.
- When you pet him, try not to bring your hand down from above. Put your hand down at his level, and then move it toward him. Imagine if you had a friend that was 10 times your height. Even if you trusted this friend completely, you'd flinch if he brought his hand quickly down toward you!
- Don't "pat". Stroke him, scratch the chin and around the ears, and if he lets you, rub his tummy.
- If he allows you to pick him up, do so as gently as if he were the most fragile, precious thing in the world. Cats really appreciate exaggerated gentleness.
- When people come over, ask them not to try to pet this particular cat. It will interfere with your training him.
- The blanket tent is a great idea!
Answered By - mhwombat