Kitten suddenly extremely frightened (like he's seen a ghost) - need advice please...

[jeremyf0923]

Hello all - desperately seeking some help/guidance please. I have two cat brothers (4 years old) and just adopted a kitten about 2 1/2 months ago - he is now about 6 months old. He was the most relaxed (regularly slept on his back all sprawled out), playful, loving cat I've ever had - just a wonderful addition to our home as he brought us all so much joy. My existing two cats adjusted to him very quickly and they all became very close - playing, eating, and sleeping together everyday. I'm speaking in past tense because beginning about 3 weeks ago, it came to an end literally overnight. He is now constantly frightened, extremely skittish, hides a good bit of the day, and refuses to play. It is like a switch was flipped. Literally nothing has happened to cause this - no trauma or abuse, no issues with the other cats, and no physical illness (took him to the vet for full exam 2 weeks ago and he checked out perfectly fine). The vet had no explanation for what was going on.

Over the course of the last 3 weeks, he has gotten somewhat better (less frightened, a bit more relaxed, but still refuses to play), but then will regress for no reason at all. There is no trigger whatsoever (that we can see) for his regression. It feels like we are on a rollercoaster with his behavior. I've been doing a great deal of research on the internet and unexplained, 180 degree behavior change like this is sometimes tied to the cats ability to see ghosts. Some cats apparently can't see them at all, some can and are not bothered by them, some see them and get very aggressive, and finally some see them and get extremely frightened. Before I continue, let me say that I am really not a believer in ghosts; however, I may become one as it would make sense why the sudden unjustified/unexplainable behavior change.

That said, certainly I am not the only one that has a cat that has experienced this extremely sudden shift in behavior (unrelated to physical illness) - thus why I am posting so I can tap into this huge cat lover community and am hoping for some guidance on what I can do. I feel incredibly helpless and it is very sad to see my sweet kitten suffering like he is. I would be extremely grateful for any feedback, thoughts, guidance that the community could provide me as I am desperately searching for a solution.

Thanks in advance!

Jeremy

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
I know you're saying nothing caused this, however something tangible did.

What really matters now is how to help him to continue regaining his confidence.

Love on him, play gently with him, and try Cat Music. It's surprisingly useful in helping cats. There's RelaxMyCat, Musicforcats and Spotify and other sources have harp music for cats, and some music has purrs in it.

Speaking of, you might obtain a purr toy for him.

 

[jeremyf0923]

Thank you for the reply Furballsmom. Didn't know about the cat music. Will check that out. I did purchase a Feliway Optimum diffuser this past weekend. It seemed to help earlier this week - he was relaxing more and more. And then yesterday he got freaked out again (no idea by what). He was still out a good bit yesterday, but anytime someone would come near him he would flatten his ears, which was a brand new reaction from him. He would still let us pet him, but he was very frightened. Today he regressed further and spent the entire day under the bed. He came out once to use the litter box and he moved through the house like he was running for his life. And yes, I know something extremely tangible caused this - just no idea what that is and how to help him feel better. I can't emphasize enough how incredibly calm and relaxed he was before this started. He was unphased by sudden movements, loud noises/loud music, etc. Here's a few pics of my sweet boy before this started...

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Also, before you start calling your local paranormal groups, bear in mind that cats are hypersensitive to their surroundings. I've seen cats thrown into a tizzy by construction going on 3 blocks over, that didn't even register with the owner. If you live in a house, as opposed to an apartment, or on a ground-floor, there may be stray/feral cats coming into the yard, or even coyotes and other predators. And NEVER dismiss the possibility of coyotes. There was, when I lived in Chattanooga, a fair-sized city, about 15 years ago, a pack of 30 of them living right downtown. There were constant announcements to keep cats and small dogs in. They were, however, murder on the rat population. But yes, they lived in the middle of a city, denning in abandoned buildings. I'm fairly sure that you're dealing with a corporeal issue, some sight/sound/smell that you might not notice, but your cat does.

 

[Furballsmom]

Can you give him that room where he stayed under the bed, with his toys, food water litter, and some Cat Music now and then (not constantly) so that he has a safe space?

Try a purr toy too.

I think I'd keep everyone away from him until he is able to work this through for himself, or whatever it is stops and he comes out on his own. Flattening his ears like that could mean a couple of things, but its possible he might bite someone while he's in the midst of this incredible situation.

 

[Furballsmom]

How are things today?

 

[jeremyf0923]

No better. In fact, he regressed further over the weekend. I have been playing the relaxation music. Doesn't seem to be helping, but will continue doing so. The feeling of helplessness for my wife and I is overwhelming. Begun looking for someone that can communicate with animals. Vet has no answers. My poor kitten's life is completely miserable right now.

 

[Furballsmom]

Dang, I'm so sorry

Do you have a friend where you could take him and leave him for a couple days, with his things including a couple worn socks of yours and his litterbox, or board him to see if it's just your house?