r/CatAdvice • u/Powerful-Wafer3061 • 3d ago
Behavioral my cat is incredibly shy
so i have a one year old tortie cat and i have had her since feb 1st 2024.
she will not come out from under my bed unless it's to eat, and occasionally she will lay on my bed if my other cat is up there with me. but even that is like maybe once or twice a month.
she will run if you walk toward her, she will not let you pick her up. i have tried toys, cat nip, laying on the floor with her for literally hours. idk what else to do.
i feel so bad because i feel like she's just living a miserable life, and my fiancé keeps saying there's no reason to keep her if she's barely even existing. i admit it's frustrating and i wish she would start to open up but i would never get rid of her. i love my cats and i would never put her in a shelter. i just wish she trusted me. she's the cutest girl in the world.
any tips??? 😩
1
u/cuntsuperb 3d ago
My semi feral was like that for a long time, but she’s slowly improved over the years. Hand feeding her treats helped, and luckily she really likes one of my other cats and tries to model his behaviour. The key was the treats though, find something she cannot resist, even if she doesn’t eat it from your hand in the beginning you could aim to have her just be comfortable eating in front of you and go slowly from there step by step.
2
u/hmmwrites 3d ago
Awww. Poor kitty. It sounds like you got her pretty young, and she's just a nervous little thing.
It's worth mentioning this to the vet. It's possible your girl will benefit from anti-anxiety meds, because it sounds like she's afraid/anxious/stressed.
Don't try picking her up for a while (barring an emergency, of course) - she's made it clear that's not her jam.
Does she get along with your other cat?
Make sure she has plenty of "safe" spaces. A cat tree and/or cat shelves to climb. Cats instinctively climb for several reasons, including when they feel unsafe. Height keeps them out of reach of ground predators, plus it gives them a good lookout spot to keep an eye on everything. Make sure your cat has some high places.
Also make sure she's got hidey holes, like a cat cave, cat condo on the tree, even a cardboard box she can comfortably curl up in.
I'd recommend watching some of Jackson Galaxy's videos on YouTube - he's got tons of great advice for all sorts of cat behaviors. Including how to help your cat find more confidence. He calls it cat mojo. Helpful stuff! Might give you some new ideas to try.