Cat is terrified of one family member

My cat Dallas, just over a year old now, is terrified of one person in our household. Its been like this since we got him, we just thought it would go away as Dallas got to know him. We have tried numerous tricks, such as letting the cat sleep on his clothing to pickup the scent, playing with the cat, feeding the cat, but nothing really works, the cat may like him for a few minutes, but will then have nothing to do with him, sometimes even hiss if he comes near.

He seems fed up and wants nothing more to do with the cat, is there anything that a third party can do to try and console things?

I wouldn't force the issue. Let Dallas get to know the person on his terms.

How old was Dallas when you adopted him?

Dallas was just about six to seven months I believe.

Hmmm. Do you know anything about his history before you adopted him? I am wondering if he had a bad experience with someone before he came into your life. Sometimes cats that have been abused by a previous person in their life can act terrified of someone that reminds them of that awful person. For example, a client that goes to our clinic adopted a cat that had been abused by a male- the cat is extremely terrified and untrusting of certain males he comes in contact with. This may not be the case at all, but it's just a thought. You could also try to find a feline behaviorist in your area. Call you vet or ask around at a local pet store to see if there is one that is good working in situations like your own. The good news is that Dallas is still young and the behavior has not had a chance to become permanent. Don't push the issue, though. Most cats react adversely when forced to interact with someone they don't want to. It doesn't sound like you are pushing Dallas at all though, so I don't think that's anything to worry about. Good luck. I hope things get better soon.

While I have no helpful input here, I do have a similar story. I adopted Moka at roughly 6 weeks and while she was initially afraid of everybody, she came to love the two most frequent visitors of my house with nearly no problem at all. My best friend Louis, and my boyfriend.

However, when my children come to visit (2 girls ages 9 and 13, one boy age 14 1/2) she was quite timid. She is now more comfortable with the girls and will sometimes play with them on her terms. But with my boy, she is terrified. Sometimes all he has to do is walk in the room she is in and she will not just hiss but will actually spit and strike out at him. To my knowledge he has never done anything to instigate this behavior and she didn't suffer any bad experiences as a newborn in her other home. Not trying to take over this thread by any means but thought I'd chime in regarding my similar situation. It is unsettling to see her this way and to see the affect it has on my son who can't figure out why she hates him so much.

dawn...

Just keep in mind that some cats are very intuitive when it comes to people. And they usually dislike them for a very good reason.

While it can get a little touchy saying cats dislike some people for a good reason, it is definately true of some cats. One of my cats, that stayed at home with my parents when I moved out (she could never be separated from her sibling- she's been with her since birth) absolutely despised one of my now ex-boyfriends....for a good reason too. He turned out to be a very deceitful, manipulative person. Wouldn't it be nice if every cat could just warn you ahead of time...hahaha . While it is a possibility that Dallas was treated unkindly previously, it is also possible that he is a shy cat and will only bond selectively with people. Whatever the reason, I still suggest that you call your vet to see if there are any good feline behavior consultants in your area.

Julya,

Is it possible that the person the Cat doesn't like be abusing the Cat when no one is around? Without getting too personal is this person an Adult or Child?

Hissy,

Is that what you were eluding to with your statement?

We as humans do release scents that animals can smell that we as the "evolved" ones can't!

Originally Posted by Kimi's Dad

Julya,

Is it possible that the person the Cat doesn't like be abusing the Cat when no one is around? Without getting too personal is this person an Adult or Child?

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So far, I don't know anything about Dallas' history- that's what I was trying to find out. From reading above, I also don't know if the person that Dallas is terrified of is an adult or a child. I don't know because all the information I know about Dallas is what Tev has posted in this thread, but I seriously doubt that Dallas is getting abused while no one is around.

Cats will take a dislike to someone sometimes. My Buddy is a reformed feral. He is about 5-10 years old and I have had him for 8 months. He doesn't seem to mind if women come over, just stays in his cat tree and avoids eye contact. But the other day I ordered a pizza. All of a sudden Buddy was at the door, growling. The pizza was there. I had to put him back in the tree before I could open the door to get my pizza. I don't know if it was because it was a man or that specific man. It was very funny to me, but poor Buddy was sure upset. I gave him a bite of pizza, though and he was quite happy. Becky

Hissy -Just keep in mind that some cats are very intuitive when it comes to people. And they usually dislike them for a very good reason.

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I agree with Hissy. My older cat used to live with my sister and her family for 3 weeks before I adopted her. I have her for about 1.5 years now and she still reacts to my brother-in-law in a don't-touch-me way when they come to visit me.

Tev - He seems fed up and wants nothing more to do with the cat, is there anything that a third party can do to try and console things?

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And if the human shows no interest in the cat, I don't see a reason why the cat would show interest in the human.