- Joined
- Nov 1, 2015
- Messages
- 247
- Purraise
- 92
Got this little guy when he was about 6 months as a foster. I've since adopted him and he is 9 months now. The people who brought him to the shelter said they'd been feeding him for about a month before bringing him in. He's pretty social with me and doesn't have much, if any, fear of me. He was def a housecat at one point - he really enjoys pets and being hugged. And he has some odd quirks, like sitting on my lap while I'm in the bathroom haha.
He's been slow to warm to my fiance and still tends to run from him. We've been having him feed him meals when he is home/awake for meal times. But my fiance has been able to pet him when he comes to him for feedings.
He's afraid of the doorbell... Runs and hides when he hears it.
He's afraid of strangers.
He's afraid of the backdoor being open.
He's afraid of just the curtains being open because of strangers walking past!
Because of this, he mostly hides during the day. He's allowed me to hold him and walk to the curtains and not struggled to be let down. He looks with a curious, fearful gaze. Today he even approached the curtains on and off on his own!
I have an idea with the doorbell to help try to desensitize him to it - play a track softly in the background and give him a treat after hearing it. Easier said than done cause he hides when hears it, but it was an idea.
We live in a small, 1-bedroom apartment and he's not allowed in the bedroom (fiance has cat allergies), so living room is the only place he has. I don't want to see him constantly afraid in his own environment. I also don't want to live in a dungeon with curtains closed all the time. Come summertime, we'll have a portable a/c in the backdoor and when it's not on, he will hear lots of sounds from outside. I don't want him to feel the need to run away every time some kid runs past the backdoor, curtain open or not.
Also, my fiance is starting to feel defeated with his slow progress with the kitty...
He's clearly just a shy house kitty who, because of living life on the streets for a while, has learned the world is a scary place. I want him to unlearn this. I don't feel he should be turned out into a TNR community; he's too social for that. But I would like to see him more comfortable in his own environment... I mean, I would love for him to be a social bee and accept pets from friends when they come over, but I'd settle for a cat who can just deal with the curtains being open! Ideas for how to help him over this hump are appreciated...
He's been slow to warm to my fiance and still tends to run from him. We've been having him feed him meals when he is home/awake for meal times. But my fiance has been able to pet him when he comes to him for feedings.
He's afraid of the doorbell... Runs and hides when he hears it.
He's afraid of strangers.
He's afraid of the backdoor being open.
He's afraid of just the curtains being open because of strangers walking past!
Because of this, he mostly hides during the day. He's allowed me to hold him and walk to the curtains and not struggled to be let down. He looks with a curious, fearful gaze. Today he even approached the curtains on and off on his own!
I have an idea with the doorbell to help try to desensitize him to it - play a track softly in the background and give him a treat after hearing it. Easier said than done cause he hides when hears it, but it was an idea.
We live in a small, 1-bedroom apartment and he's not allowed in the bedroom (fiance has cat allergies), so living room is the only place he has. I don't want to see him constantly afraid in his own environment. I also don't want to live in a dungeon with curtains closed all the time. Come summertime, we'll have a portable a/c in the backdoor and when it's not on, he will hear lots of sounds from outside. I don't want him to feel the need to run away every time some kid runs past the backdoor, curtain open or not.
Also, my fiance is starting to feel defeated with his slow progress with the kitty...
He's clearly just a shy house kitty who, because of living life on the streets for a while, has learned the world is a scary place. I want him to unlearn this. I don't feel he should be turned out into a TNR community; he's too social for that. But I would like to see him more comfortable in his own environment... I mean, I would love for him to be a social bee and accept pets from friends when they come over, but I'd settle for a cat who can just deal with the curtains being open! Ideas for how to help him over this hump are appreciated...
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