Why did the animal suddenly become afraid of everything?
The main reasons for sudden changes in behavior include nervous shocks and various pathologies affecting the central nervous system. In the first case, the problem is solved by creating a safe and comfortable environment, and in the second, by drug treatment under the supervision of a veterinarian.
Negative memories
If you got your pet from other owners or were picked up on the street, then you can only guess about its past. If there are negative memories of a certain event, fear will be activated by a specific trigger: children, dogs, a wave of the hand, or seemingly harmless things.
Initially, a domestic cat may be frightened by shouting too loudly, unfair punishment, or accidentally stepping on its tail or paw. Despite the absence of malicious intent on your part, such events must be smoothed out. Otherwise, the animal will begin to avoid you and hide in secluded places.
IMPORTANT!
Don't let your pet go out alone if you can't guarantee its safety.
Experienced stress
Most mustachioed pets are terrible conservatives. Any change in their usual lifestyle puts them in a state of stress. It is especially difficult for cats to move, meet new family members, change owners, and receive treatment.
Stress can be short-term or chronic. In the first case, the animal copes with the experiences on its own after a couple of hours or a day, and in the second, it is in dire need of outside help. Chronic stress is provoked by frequent encounters with irritating factors, as well as prolonged exposure to unfavorable conditions.
Great fright
Another possible reason is severe fear. Cats are sensitive to sharp and loud sounds, so many of them cannot stand a vacuum cleaner, hair dryer and other household appliances.
The effect of surprise plays a significant role. Some owners calm their pets during heat by dipping them in cold water. This method really works, but it also creates a new phobia due to its inadequacy and increases the chances of getting a genital tract infection.
NOTE!
The only humane and really working way to eliminate sexual desire is castration.
Neurological diseases
Mental disorders occur not only in people, but also in their pets. Based on their occurrence, they are divided into congenital and acquired. Sudden attacks of fear and increased anxiety are associated precisely with the latter.
If your pet is over 12 years old or has recently suffered a skull or spinal injury, contact your veterinarian. The resulting deviation may be associated with a stroke or epilepsy. If the pathology is confirmed, the animal will require special care and home treatment.
The cat doesn't let you sleep at night: what to do and how to deal with it
If a cat often does not sleep at night and meows on purpose, wakes up the owner, pushes objects, then most often this is due to lack of attention
The pet needs communication, he wants the owner to pay attention to him and make contact. The owner of the animal has a job, acquaintances, friends, recreation, hobbies, but the pet only has an apartment and the person who tamed it
Therefore, of course, the animal wants attention from those closest to it. If you don’t always have enough time to play, then you can talk to the animal after returning from work, or pet it and allow it to be nearby. It is necessary to take care of the cat, comb it, try to really contact him every day and let him know that he is not alone. You need to try to pay enough attention, then the pet will feel an emotional connection with the owner, and he will not be so lonely.
How to help a kitten get comfortable at home faster
Meeting with the new tenant
It is not recommended to adopt a kitten if it is not yet one and a half months old. Firstly, it is not good to tear such a baby away from its mother. Secondly, it will be very difficult for you to care for him (especially follow the feeding regime and rules) and protect him from everyday dangers.
When going to pick up a kitten, be sure to take with you a special carrier in which it will be more convenient and safe to carry it. This is especially true for purebred cats. I know of a case where a cattery breeder changed her mind about selling a kitten to new owners as soon as she saw that they had come for him without a carrier and were just going to carry him in their bosom. “I cannot entrust an animal to such careless people,” she said categorically. But even if you buy a kitten not from a nursery, but simply from friends or from a grandmother in transition, this still does not mean that you should be careless about moving it to a new home.
When you bring your kitten home, do not force him out of his carrier. Open it and wait for the moment when the baby becomes interested in something and comes out. If the cat is hiding, don’t try to force it out either. In the end, the baby's curiosity will take its toll.
During the first two to three days, try to create a calm, non-stressful environment for your pet. Don’t throw a festive feast at home in honor of the “new tenant”; don’t invite all your neighbors and friends to see him. It is undesirable to play loud music at home or talk in a raised voice. Remember: the baby is already scared, confused, and confused because he is in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. And then there’s some fuss and hype around it!
Try to reassure him and convince him that the new home is comfortable and safe. It's easy to do. During the first days, carry the kitten in your arms a lot (but not all the time and not with the whole family at once), pet it, play with it. After all, he was just separated from his mother, but he is still very small and needs her affection, love, protection... Let us remind you that in a family where everyone works, it is advisable for one of the household members to take a short vacation or at least a couple of days off for that the period until the animal adapts to the new apartment.
Everything unfamiliar and unknown...
At first, the kitten may meow frequently (especially at night) or hide (for example, under the bed). He may even refuse to go to the toilet and eat almost nothing. This is normal behavior for a baby during the adaptation period. The main thing is that this state does not last too long. Usually after two or three days the kitten gets used to the new conditions and begins to behave as it did before the move.
If you don't want your cat to sleep in bed with you, teach him to sleep separately from the very first days. He will get used to jumping into your bed as a baby, and then you won’t be able to wean him off. However, practice shows that in the case of cats it is more difficult to delimit sleep zones than with dogs. In most cases, even the most principled owners in this matter sooner or later give in and allow their cats to lie with them.
Photo: morguefile.com
In any case, at first it is better for the kitten to sleep alone - he is still very small, and in his sleep you can simply crush him. If, when picking up a kitten from its previous owners, you took his favorite toy, blanket or any other item that has the smell of his home, this is very good. Place this thing in the house or on the bed - in general, in the place where the baby sleeps. In the company of his favorite thing that smells like mom, he will feel more comfortable. If you don’t have such a thing, give the kitten a piece of fur, an old woolen sweater or a soft toy - this will at least partially replace the mother’s warmth for the pet.
For the first day or two, it is advisable not to let the kitten wander throughout the apartment, but to keep it only in one room - where its toilet, bowls of food and water are temporarily located, and where its bed house is equipped. By observing how the animal adapts to new conditions, you yourself can determine when the time comes to expand these boundaries. And then everything will fall into place: he will eat in the kitchen, and relieve himself in the place where you put the cat litter box. By the way, if your litter box is located in the toilet, do not forget to keep the door ajar at all times so that the cat can enter freely. Relatives and guests who come to your home will also have to be constantly warned not to slam the door when leaving the toilet.
Caution first
Since you probably took care of the safety of the animal in your home in advance and removed away all things that could potentially poison it, sharp objects, and also did not leave windows and doors open, there is no need to worry about a kitten roaming freely around the apartment. But still, at first, don’t lose sight of your baby for too long: perhaps you didn’t take something into account, and he will need your help. After all, a kitten’s curiosity knows no bounds!
If there are small children or other animals at home, be especially careful and allow them to interact with the small pet only under your supervision.
Feeding and education
As you know, a sudden change in diet and diet can have a bad effect on the well-being of any animal. Therefore, even if you do not want to feed your kitten the way its previous owners fed it, you will still have to stick to the menu to which it is accustomed for the first time. The animal must be switched to a new food gradually and very carefully. But if you adopted a kitten from a nursery, it is better to follow the menu recommendations that the breeder gave you. A professional will not give bad advice.
When feeding your pet, gently repeat the word “eat” and call him by name. Also, when calling a kitten, at first avoid the common “kiss-kiss-kiss”. Instead, say: “Barsik, come here!”, “Ryzhik, come to me!” or something like that - in general, the more often he hears his name, the faster he will get used to it.
Although cats are independent animals, they are by no means stupid and, with good upbringing, are capable of showing miracles of obedience. Therefore, immediately establish rules of behavior for your pet. If he tries to scratch the furniture, show him with all your appearance that he can’t do that, and bring the kitten to the scratching post every now and then. If he jumped on the dinner table or grabbed your leg, scold him (but don’t yell!), hiss at the naughty guy, lightly spray him with water from a spray bottle, or come up with some other method of punishment. Just don't hit the animal! Every time your pet misbehaves, repeat the word “No” along with the punishment. Very soon, just this “scary” word will signal to the kitten that he is doing something bad, and the need for punishment will disappear by itself. Gradually, the baby will understand what can and cannot be done in the new house. You just need to be a little patient.
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The cat attacked the child
Etiology. The source of the rabies virus in nature is wild predatory animals (foxes, wolves, jackals, etc.) and domestic and stray animals (dogs and cats). The main route of infection into a healthy body is the bite site, where the virus is transmitted with the saliva of a sick animal. The pathogenic microorganism is found in the nervous system, salivary glands and internal organs. Milk, urine and bile, according to some data, do not contain the virus. The latent period of the disease in adult cats is usually 3-6 weeks, in kittens it does not exceed 5-7 days. Sometimes the latent period is quite long and reaches 1 year in some adults. It has been established that the rabies virus is detected in the saliva of infected cats 8-10 days before the first clinical signs appear.
Why is a cat only afraid of strangers?
If the animal does not panic and calmly retreats behind the sofa or to another safe shelter, then the reason for its behavior lies in banal caution. It is completely natural for cats and does not require outside intervention.
If your pet remains scared even after the stranger leaves, then the problem is much deeper. The reasons here are the same as described above. Due to negative memories, a cat may be afraid of people wearing white clothes or smelling strongly of cigarettes.
Fear of strangers is eliminated by reinforcing positive associations. Encourage your guests to give your cat healthy treats and not cuddle her against her will. Over time, she will understand that such meetings are beneficial to her and are not at all dangerous.
Rude attitude, intimidation
Having discovered that the cat is afraid of guests, the owner should watch her more closely. Does she avoid everyone who comes into the house or certain people? Does she defiantly leave the room or rush out of the room, clearly frightened?
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If events develop according to the second scenario, then most likely the guest is to blame for this behavior of the animal. Perhaps he has a negative attitude towards the cat and, when he comes into the house, he shows rudeness - he pushes it away with his foot, speaks loudly, actively gestures, and puts it out the door. The owner should think about whether it is worth allowing guests to behave this way with a furry family member? And who will protect the pet from stress if not the beloved owner?
We invite you to familiarize yourself with Breeds of cats and brindle cats and their contents
Dogs. Main enemy?
Cats are afraid of dogs. This statement is partly true. For cats, a dog is an incomprehensible creature that is always trying to disturb its peace. The dog, seeing the cat for the first time, runs towards it and tries to get to know it. At the same time, he wags his tail and barks loudly. In this way, the dog shows friendliness and tries to play with her. But for a cat, such behavior is hostile. After all, a cat waves its tail and makes sounds only in case of aggression. Therefore, she rushes to attack the friendly dog in order to get ahead of the enemy. The second time the dog meets the cat, he will be much more careful and, perhaps, will try to attack first.
How to recognize fear in a pet
When a cat is afraid, he reacts like this:
- runs away;
- hiding;
- shows aggression;
- freezes in place;
- cries (meows pitifully);
- lick themselves too actively;
- curl up into a ball, pretending to be asleep.
If he doesn't like the smell (eg aerosol/perfume with citrus scent), he may shit in the wrong place, including. into the owner's slippers. Your task is to correctly understand the signals of what the cat is most afraid of, find and eliminate the irritant.
What makes cats afraid?
Cats have many fears and phobias based on their instincts. Most of them are rational, but not all. Common things that cats are afraid of include:
- Loud noises
- Changes in daily routine or schedule
- Unfamiliar people or pets in the house
- Wide open spaces
- Predatory animals
- Visit to the veterinarian
- Separation from owner
Any of these problems can make your cat scared. Anxiety takes its toll on cats. According to applied animal behavior science, stressed cats live with persistently elevated cortisol levels. Cortisol is colloquially referred to as the “stress hormone.” This explains why your cat is afraid.
Designate the cat's room
Sometimes having a whole house to explore is too much for a cat, so you may have to temporarily narrow the space.
Remember that cats are territorial, so having a lot of space to “watch” can be exhausting. Creating a room just for your cat may be a good approach. This creates a home within a home with all the amenities a kitten needs, including food, bedding, bed and toys. A safe haven can be created in any spare room that is not actively used.
You can keep the door closed at first until the kitten adjusts to the environment. After a while, open the door and let him explore the rest of the house at his own pace.
This could be at night when everyone is sleeping, and that's okay. You can also leave a bowl of treats in another room to encourage your cat to come out of hiding more often.
Why are cats afraid of water?
Cats are not so much afraid as they do not like water. It makes their fur wet and heavy, making the animal vulnerable to other predators. They especially do not like to get under cold water due to the sudden change in temperature.
Another reason cats don’t like water is the smell, especially when it comes to an outdoor pond. They can be put off by the smell of chemicals that they consider toxic. Therefore, a cat’s refusal to drink water that you pour for him is a reason to be wary and check the quality of the liquid.
Hugs
Cats are very independent animals. This does not mean that they do not become attached to people and do not want to spend time with them. This means that unless they need some kind of attention, it is almost impossible to force it on them. One of the things that can scare cats the most is when we try to hug them. Small, soft hugs while lying down are usually acceptable. However, if you try to grab them and give them a big hug, most cats won't perceive this as a sign of affection. They will think that they are being restrained by force and will be afraid, thinking that they are being hurt.
Helping your cat cope with stress
Cats have a hard time with changing their environment; it is stressful for them. What to do if you can’t avoid a trip to the country, a trip to the veterinarian or hairdresser?
Two necessary conditions for the trouble-free movement of a cat are a calm owner and a comfortable carrier, which should become a second home for the animal. You cannot carry the animal in your arms.
Before traveling, prepare a mobile shelter for your cat - a comfortable carrier with hard walls, soft bedding and ventilation. For sound insulation and warmth, the carrier is wrapped with soft cloth on top. The cat should perceive the mobile house as a shelter where your pet can hide, say, after a doctor’s examination and calm down.
Required conditions after stress - peace and quiet
Habit plays an important role. If you plan to often take your cat with you on trips, you need to gradually accustom it to this from childhood. A pet that regularly travels in its portable home will not create problems during its next voyage.
Medicinal methods
In order to prepare the cat for stress, which cannot be avoided, special medications based on herbal ingredients are used. For example, Fitex contains hops, motherwort, valerian, and Baikal skullcap. In addition to these herbs, Stop-Stress contains phenibut. The drug Kot Bayun is available in the form of infusion and tablets. It includes extracts from a dozen medicinal plants.
To overcome stressful situations, calming cat food containing herbal sedatives and special collars with pheromones are also produced.
A calming collar with pheromones will help the animal cope with a stressful situation
Table: Calming products for cats
| A drug | Active substance | Release forms | Dosage | Effect | Price |
| Stop stress | Active ingredients: phenibut (aminophenylbutyric acid) + extracts of medicinal plants (catmint, motherwort, hops, Baikal skullcap). | Drops and tablets | 1 drop per kg of animal body weight twice a day; or 0.25 tablets with a weight up to 5 kg, 0.5 - with a weight from 5 to 10 kg; for body weight more than 10 kg, give a whole tablet. | Long lasting calming effect | 145 rub. |
| Fitex | Plant origin. The composition of the drug includes the following extracts: - thick extract of valerian officinalis (valeriana officinalis) - dry extract of motherwort (leonurus quinquelobatus gilib) - dry extract of common hop (humulus lupulus) - dry extract of Baikal skullcap (scutellaria baicalensis georgi) 1 ml The drug contains 100 mg of the sum of dry and thick extracts. Does not contain sugar or ethyl alcohol. | Drops | 3–5 drops three times a day | Mild sedation | 130 rub. |
| cat Baiyun | Only plant components, contains aqueous extracts from plant materials: oregano herb - 0.45%, sweet clover herb - 0.23%, rhizomes with valerian roots - 0.23% and phytocomplex - 1.45%, containing extracts of flowers and fruits hawthorn, hop cones, motherwort herb, peppermint leaves, ivy grass, catnip herb, lemon balm herb, meadowsweet flowers, St. John's wort herb, thyme herb, cudweed herb, hillwort herb, nettle leaves, roots, rhizomes and herb of evasive peony , and as an auxiliary substance - distilled water - up to 100%. | Infusion and tablets | A single dose for infusion is 2 ml (half a teaspoon); for tablets - 2 pieces. Frequency of administration: 3–4 times a day. Tablets are used starting from the age of 10 months of the animal. | Long-term sedative effect: stabilization of the animal’s condition for 5–7 days | Drops - 132 rub. per package. Tablets - 115 rub. |
| Xylazine | The synthetic compound is a derivative of thiazine Xyl as an active ingredient in 1 ml contains 20 mg of xylazine hydrochloride, as well as excipients: sodium metabisulfite - 1 mg, citric acid - 10 mg, benzyl alcohol - 0.01 ml, sodium hydroxide (for pH correction = 5.0) and water for injection - up to 1 ml. | Injection | According to the instructions for use, 0.25 ml per 100 kg of weight is used for sedation; for sedation accompanied by muscle hypotonicity and analgesic effect - 0.5 ml; for immobilization and pain relief 1.0 ml; for long-term surgical intervention 1.5 ml (this dose is used only for adult animals). | Calming, analgesic, muscle relaxant | 630 rub. |
Photo gallery: sedative medications
Fitex drops for cats calm and heal Xylazine has a calming and analgesic effect Drops for cats Stop Stress have a long-lasting calming effect Kot Bayun - a dietary supplement for a calm life for cats
No one is immune from stress and fear, not even cats. Each domestic cat has a unique character and temperament. No one knows how your pet will behave in an unusual situation. Only love, care and the right reaction will help owners of tailed pets find the right approach to their animal and help them cope with emotional turmoil.
