my cat is extremely anxious, help??

[princessbella]

I’ve had Muffin for 3 years now, I adopted him from a household of 15 children and 3 adults and his mother stopped nursing him early. I did everything to take care of him after I got him, regular vet visits and everything, but he has a lot of behavioral issues that the vet believes stems from things that happened prior to me adopting him. He is extremely untrusting of humans, my dad and I are the only people he allows to hold him or pet him and only briefly. We have him on Prozac, and that’s helped a bit with the aggression he would have towards people, but he still is so anxious. He’s afraid of hands, we’ve tried exercises to get him to understand that hands aren’t the enemy like using other objects to pet him with first, then slowly bringing our hand in, but he still is always watching people’s hands whenever they’re within reach of him. He hisses a lot when people go near him, and he scratches and bites often. He also never purrs, he used to when he was a baby but now it’s almost never an occurrence. Im just worried because I can tell he’s not happy and he’s also on alert, and I don’t know what I can do to help him.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!

I think to help him, you might consider to stop pushing him for a while. He likes you and your dad, let that be enough for a bit. Tell everybody else to leave him alone, especially since you don't want someone to get badly bitten.

He's trying as hard as he can to tell you to give him his space, and you aren't listening. Of course he's on alert all the time.

Also, maybe try some calming plugins and also cat music.

I'm not sure but this might have something;

How To Help An Abused Cat Recover – TheCatSite Articles

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Also, try sitting down on the floor in the room where he is, but not near him. Speak softly to him, or read aloud in a soft voice, without making eye contact. This presents you in the least threatening way possible. Just think of how terrifyingly large we look to a cat with trust issues. Also, cats are preternaturally tuned in to the humans they live with, they are very aware that when we are sitting on the floor, we cannot move quickly to get up. Yes, they know this. Again, we are less threatening.

 

[tabbytom]

Im just worried because I can tell he’s not happy and he’s also on alert, and I don’t know what I can do to help him.

Agree with the above posters and I just want to add on by saying, this cat needs lots of assurance both from you and your dad. Keep assuring him all the time and praise him for behaving and also tell him everything's ok even though he's keeping an eye on them and looking anxious. When he's done something naughty, don't scold him but just tell him lovingly not to do that. Shouting and yelling back at him not only do not stop what he's doing, but it antagonizes him and make his will stronger to oppose.

Never shout at him, keep noise volume down in the house. No shouting and talking loudly over the phone or with each other or having loud music or sound form the tv or drooping things on the floor. Loud noise scares him.

Once he hears assurance words fro your sweet loving and calm voice, it'll help him settle down quicker. Keep telling him you love him and nothing's gonna harm him.

Cat's have history that we may not know and whatever to him before you adopted him still lingers on his mind and they always have flash back of before and thus this behavior. We can only calm him down by giving him a safe environment to live else in his mind, everywhere he goes is no different.

It may take sometime for him to overcome things but at least he knows he's in a safer hand than before and he may still be anxious but he'll be better than before.

 

[NekoM]

It depends on where you live in terms of availability, but ask your vet if CBD oil for cats could be an option. It’s extremely effective with emotional disorders.