scared cat

sandrak

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I have a cat that came up about a month ago. She is not very old. Probably about 7 or 8 months. She lets me pet and pick her up, but she is very scared of my husband. He has never been mean to her or handled her roughly. Every time he walks out the door, she runs. How can he earn her trust? He doesn't want keep feeding a cat that he can't even hardly touch. Can the wild be taken out of a cat? I am pretty sure she has been in the wild all her life. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sandra
 

kai bengals

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Originally Posted by sandrak

I have a cat that came up about a month ago. She is not very old. Probably about 7 or 8 months. She lets me pet and pick her up, but she is very scared of my husband. He has never been mean to her or handled her roughly. Every time he walks out the door, she runs. How can he earn her trust? He doesn't want keep feeding a cat that he can't even hardly touch. Can the wild be taken out of a cat? I am pretty sure she has been in the wild all her life. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sandra
There are any number of reasons why this cat doesn't trust/like men or just your husband. We'd all be guessing as to why.
What might help, is if your husband sits on the floor and makes no moves toward the cat and says nothing. Let the cat come check him out, if she wants to.
Try this for several days to a week. Once she gets the idea that he isn't going to harm her or chase her, she may very well allow him to touch or pet her.
Cats that have been abused/mistreated by someone else, often take a very long time to trust again. You might be in for a long haul with this..or maybe not....let the cat decide though.
 

hissy

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Have your husband take complete charge of this cat. While he feeds, tell him to take off his shoes and walk in his socks around her. Sit on the floor during feeding time, and try to sit down as much as possible with her- always on the floor. At times, put him and her in the same room, and he is to lie down on his back, put his arms straight down to his sides, close his eyes and relax his breathing. You are to put some tasty treats on his chest and then leave the room. Have him just keep his eyes closed, even when she dances across him.

Never meet her gaze straight on, and if she wants to stare him down, have him blink slowly several times that lessens the threat. It sounds to me like she has been abused by a man, and since cats don't forget the bad stuff she is being triggered to flee.

He is to do everything for her including scooping and cleaning the litter pans
 
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sandrak

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Thanks for the help. The cat was scared of my 15yr. son also, but now she is not so scared of him. She seems to be scared of men more than women. I will let my husband feed her and then maybe she will see that he is not so bad. Sandra
 
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