Suddenly very skittish

Hi every one, We have two 5 month old Domestic kittens, one long hair female and the other a short hair male. About 4 days ago our male short hair was playing by him self with a toy and was all of the sudden scared by something. We checked everywhere and couldn't find anything. He was very cautious about Everything around him and swatted at everything he saw to see (I think) if it would snap at him. Till now he is very skittish and if we touch him when he isn't paying attention he jumps and hides. We then can not touch him with out getting scratched or hissing. We need to wait till he calms down. Can anyone help or give advice as to what is wrong with him or what we can do to help him. We would really appreciate it. Thank you for all your help.

Hi, and welcome to TCS!

How long have you had your 2 cats?

To calm him down you can start by avoiding anything that will startle him like picking him up or touching him when he is unaware of you. No sudden loud noises.
I can't think of anything else but you are doing right by waiting for him to calm down. He will return to normal when he feels safe in his surroundings.

i have a kitten who is easily spooked too. he was found in a graveyard when he was about 12 weeks old, so his babyhood is unknown. however, he hates strangers, is fine with the family, but if anyone comes round he runs and hides. it is now taking him less and less time to come out once the 'scary' thing has gone. we just act very normally but avoid making loud noises or sudden movements.

hopefully your kitty will gain confidence but watch him closely, sudden changes in behaviour can also mean there is a problem. if he doesn't improve in the next couple of days maybe you should seek advice from your vet.

good luck and welcome to this wonderful site!