Traumatised cat.

[melhammouche]

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• melhammouche
• Feb 28, 2013

This is my friends cat max, he has a fear of humans after my friends brother was rough with him while he was growing up. Recently my friend has had a small amount of success with him (max) rubbing his head on my friends hand while he is putting his food down. My friend is determined to get the love of max. Does anybody have any tips to help max get his mojo back?

 

[katluver4life]

Cats associate good feelings with food. So having your friend do all his feeding should do the trick. Can use treats and play also. Play therapy is great. I have been doing a lot of work with strays and ferals and have found food to be the main thing to use to gain trust. But Max may still be afraid of other humans that come around even if he learns to trust your friend again. My 2 kitties used to hide from all visitors till we started keeping treats at the door and have everyone who came by offer some to them. Now when visitors come, they come running out to great them. Of course they are just looking for the treats, but hey, who cares as long as they aren't afraid anymore

Good luck, hope this helps. Others may chime in with other ideas, but this has worked for me.
 

He's a handsome fellow btw, thanks for a pic of him.

 

[di and bob]

Some cats are just naturally shy too, my big Burt runs and hides every time the doorbell rings, and he's never been traumatised! I agree though, food and treats go a long way for friendship!

 So does sitting quietly, talking to them, and NO sudden moves. Keep petting him and let him 'mark' you with his rubbing, he'll come around, but may be afraid of the next person. Since he was hurt by 'strangers' I'm sure that is what he'll be afraid of. Sometimes that is not such a bad thing, at least no one should be able to pick him up and hurt him again, there are a lot of sickos in the world. I just saw someone two days ago swerve towards my feral who was sitting on the sidewalk waiting to cross.  I think he saw me come running and went back. There are a lot of losers in this world, I just hope they get the Karma they deserve!

 

[melhammouche]

Thanks for your help guys il pass on all your info! I guess the main thing is just not to give up hope. My friend has done a little cat shopping and gotten some supplies (treats, catnip toys etc) and he's really putting time in so if this has worked for you guys I guess he's already on the right track

The reason why he's decided to try now is because not only is his brother moving out of that house soon but because he sees our kittys calm behaviour and he doesn't want max to feel scared anymore, it's beautiful really. One great thing about him being a scaredy cat is he won't step out on the road because that passes his territory. Thanks guys.

 

[goholistic]

It might also take time for Max to regain trust in men altogether (not trying to be sexist!). One of my cats, Caesar, who I adopted as a senior cat, does not like men. My boyfriend has a theory that Caesar was abused by a man at some point. I am a firm believer that talking to cats really makes a difference. A calm, welcoming voice...maybe slightly in the higher pitch range, even if the cat is hiding. People might think your friend is crazy having conversations with his cat, but who cares! 

By the way, Max looks just like my Sebastian (pictured in my avatar).
 

 

[melhammouche]

That's very true. Max has a problem with everyone in the family except my friends mother. He bought his max a catnip toy today and he didn't really know what to do with it :'(

He's absolutely gorgeous (as is your cat ) that's why it's so upsetting for my friend, because he bought this gorgeous kitty and the kitty had great behaviour for months and months until his brother started roughing him up and then he just turned into a different cat.

 

[katluver4life]

Regaining a cats trust just takes time, patience and love. Max'll come around. Just needs time to realize he'll no longer suffer being roughed up by anyone Have your friend try some stick toys. Personally mine love Da Bird and the cat catcher. Can be bought online since I see your not in the States. But any dangling feather toy works great. During play, give alot of praises and a treat or 2. As stated, talking to them in what I call baby talk reassures them too.
 

 

[melhammouche]

He has a dangly toy and my friend did have a bit of progress he told me before that max actually let him scratch his head!

Unfortunately max hasn't found a treat to suit him yet. He's not particularly interested in anything but tuna flavour dry food. And only while its in his bowl. But he's going to keep trying new treats and hopefully find something he likes.

 

[callista]

If he is not food motivated he may well be play-motivated or enjoy catnip. Have you tried one of those fishing-rod-style interactive toys? Most cats love those. Mine do.

 

[melhammouche]

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• melhammouche
• Mar 1, 2013

Look guys! He's play motivated!

 

[melhammouche]

My friend said he ever got a lick on the head today. Thanks for all your advice!

 

[catspaw66]

A lick on the head is a high compliment.  Good to hear Max is coming around.  Now if the brother will leave him alone.

 

[callista]

Awww, that's wonderful! It's great to see a cat gaining confidence, isn't it?

 

[melhammouche]

It's so great to see. Yes we will just have to hope his brother will leave him be and see if he continues to gain more and more confidence. I'm so happy and max isn't even mine!

 

[agentspooky]

Great advice has already been given, I just wanted to ask if anyone has talked to the brother about humane treatment of animals.
 

 

[melhammouche]

He's thirty years old and he is well aware that his behaviour has scarred max and he laughs about that often. I think he must be sick in the head.

 

[callista]

Sounds like a real scumbag. And let me tell you, I'm plenty sick in the head myself, and I don't act like that. People like that give a bad name to us self-respecting crazy folks.

Is he at least not able to get to Max (or other cats, or kids, or vulnerable creatures in general) now?

 

[melhammouche]

He's working now so he has no time to torture max. And also max knows when hes home and hides in the garage. Max is brilliant, he's so smart but it's very sad that he feels he can't enjoy his own home. But soon the brother will be leaving the house so hopefully max will get some relief. And hopefully the brother will never have another animal again :S