My cat is anti-social. She runs away from people. I want her to be friendly to people though! ANY TIPS?

Question

Any at all?

Answer 1

I have a cat like that and my suggestion is to just get used to it.  I tried everything under the sun to get her to tolerate strangers and nothing worked.

Answer 2

I think cats develop their personalities as kittens.  If they are not exposed to many people as very young kittens then they are probably not going to want to be around many as adult cats.  If your cat is friendly towards you, then that is all that should really matter.  Trust me, it is better that she runs from guests rather than attack them.  It is very difficult to change a cat's personality but if you have the time and patience to try then this is my suggestion:

Cats tend to like high pitched "kitty kitty kitty meow meow kitty kitty kitty" chants...usually from a woman's voice.  If you can figure out a cat treat that she really likes have your guest try to approach her with it in their hand.....she is probably hiding under the bed...have them hold out their hand with the treat and let her take it from them.  Continue to have them speak to her affectionately and have them attempt to pet her.  Fast or loud movements will scare her so make sure they are gentle and calm around her.  

I hope this helps.  Good Luck!!!  

Answer 3

And, if the worst comes to worse, even a cantankerous anti-social older cat can be turned around to some extent if the right approach is used. You can teach an old cat new tricks - it just takes longer. But the "unlearning" of fears is never complete so it makes better sense to start out right at the beginning with the easily malleable material, that is your new kitten, and to shape it, as if out of clay, as it were, into the confident individual that you want it to become.

One of the first maxims of medicine should be the first motto of raising a new kitten. First of all, do no harm. This means protecting the kitten against the unwelcome advances of bawdy people and unruly children so that it does not form a lifelong impression that certain people are bad news and are to be avoided or driven away (that comes later). Assuming this one premise can be upheld, the next, which is really the corollary, is that pleasurable, or at least neutral, exposure to an assortment of guests should be arranged so that the kitten can learn to like people. It is not enough to protect the kitten against unwelcome advances; there have to be positive learning experiences, too. Kittens should learn that strangers are benevolent and often come bearing gifts. One way to achieve this end is to arrange "kitty parties" in which a few kindly cat-friendly persons are invited to visit and play pass-the-kitty. Of course, gentle handling, coupled with petting, food treats, and games are in order. Sessions like this should be conducted once or twice a week during the critical first 3 to 4 months of ownership. They are the responsibility of any new kitten owner who wishes to end up with the adult cat of their dreams.

The challenge to the young cat can be incrementally increased over the ensuing weeks to include an eclectic bunch of strangers: short people, tall people, people with high voices, people with deep voices, etc. The common factor is that all the people speak kindly to the kitten, handle it gently, pet it, and offer treats. By the time the kitten is 14 to 16 weeks of age, exposure to strangers will have become an accepted part of its life. The kitten will have learned that strangers are not to be feared and that exposure to them is likely to be rewarding. Trust so garnered can be reinforced, as the kitten gets older, by implementing a slightly less rigorous, yet systematic, exposure of it to strangers under a myriad of different circumstances.

The same technique works to alleviate potential mistrust of other cats, though any cat engaged in such socialization with your kitten must be healthy, vaccinated, and well behaved, or the mission can backfire. What many owners often fail to appreciate about desensitizing a kitten to strangers or other cats (or dogs) is that involves a systematic approach, not a precipitous one. Anyone who hears advice like, "If your cat's nervous around children, bring him to kids party," or "If your cat doesn't like people, take him to the shopping mall and he'll meet thousands in one afternoon," must know, right off the bat, that this approach will not work. It is not desensitization, but what usually turns out to be a failed attempt at "flooding" (and often does more damage than it does good). Follow the yellow brick road outlined above and you should have no problems.

Answer 4

Helloo :)

I had a cat just like that, she had xenohobia(fear of strangers) and exposure to people made her run  away and hide for four hours, bless her!

It's really important that people do not force contact with her, and definately don't make eye contact as in a cats world, this is a threat.

Loud people and sudden loud noises wont help, so perhaps it would be worth telling your friends this, also children should either be kept away or told about the cat.

Another thing to consider would be, is she in any pain?

If she does venture closer to people, it would be lovely and comforting for her to be given  a small treat and for that person to turn their heads away whilst gently stroking her. If you can't get near her with your hands, it's really worth stroking her with a pole, gently.

And as she improves bit by bit, make sure she gets a treat every time! :D

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

It's probably her personality and if so she may never be a "friendly" cat, but if you invite people over to regularly and let her get accustomed to them slowly, it may improve.

Answer 6

just give her time...if you try to force her around strangers who she does not know or trust she will just become more scared, just pull out the treats when strangers are around she may slowly come out when she knows she can trust everyone

Answer 7

A study shows that's how most cats behave. They are not likely to come and cuddle a stranger if that stranger approaches it. Now if the stranger were to avoid the cat when that person comes in, and doesn't pay attention or anything phycologically the cat will come to that person and show type some type of interest and might walk by that stranger.