Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Cats with more timid personalities should be allowed to hide for at
least some part of the day.You can work to make your cat more social,
but many felines are scaredy cats by nature and no amount of training
will change this trait. People often tell me they think their scaredy cat
was abused before they found her, but it is more likely the cat was born
that way. Timid cats will learn to trust you and can become incredibly
loving companions, but they are not likely to ever warm up to strangers.
Cats who have to acclimate to new cats, dogs or children in a
household should be given time alone. It is not fair to expect the exist-
ing animal to be happy about and willing to accept newcomers.This is
just not the nature of cats. Cats hate change.They prefer things to stay
the way they are—the way
they
arranged them! It can take weeks to
months for a new cat to accept her new surroundings, or at least to be
less fearful.
When a new cat or kitten is brought into a household with children,
everyone is excited and everyone wants to hold and play with the
animal. Being the constant center of attention is not typically what a cat
wants. Parents need to control the handling of the cat and be sure the
animal is given an opportunity to rest by herself.
Even the biggest scaredy cat will learn to trust and love you, although she may never warm up
to strangers.
