My cat is scared of many things. How can I help him?

Question

He is very frightened of:

1. Thunderstorms

2. Airplanes/any loud noises

3. Plastic bags

4. And he doesn't like it when anybody raises their voice.

Any way I can help him?

Answer 1

Honestly, facts are that those are honest fears.  Healthy ones, even.  

1.  Even indoor cats still have enough instinct left to know to be worried during thunderstorms.

2.  And it's a GOOD idea for cats to be afraid of airplanes/cars/other loud noises.  There are other reasons, but one of the MAIN reasons that my cat is an indoor-except-while-leashed cat is that he isn't very frightened of cars.  He doesn't run away when a car passes.  This would put him in danger of being hit and I make certain he never goes outside alone for that reason.

3.  Although many cats love to play with plastic bags, all it takes is one frightening experience of getting stuck in one to turn them off.  And it's perfectly reasonable and rational for any creature to fear something that has hurt them before.

4.  Again, the yelling is a reasonable fear.  Even humans get nervous when someone raises their voice.  We start wondering what happened.  "Is it something I did?  Are they angry at me?  Am I going to be punished?  Am I going to be hit or hurt?"

Trying to "accustom" your cat to these noises will likely just make the problem worse.  My cat is brazen and imperturbable, but my husband's cat is a flighty, nervous creature like yours.  She's sometimes even frightened by sudden movements or the air cutting on as she walks by it.  What you might try:  homeopathic anxiety remedies.  You can find them in any pet store.

Most of them contain only natural oils or essences which are known to be relaxing and have little to no side effects, like chamomile.  Some remedies contain concentrated doses of tryptophan, the famous "sleepy" amino acid found in turkey.  Since these items are based on natural ingredients with low side effects, they are generally safe to give daily, but you may want to check with your veterinarian before beginning a regimen with your cat.

Don't think of it as drugging up your cat.  Humans have been doing things like drinking chamomile tea and comfort foods for centuries to help us mellow out.  Your cat won't be stoned and shouldn't sleep more than is normal for him.  It will just help smooth out the peaks of his anxiety into something a little more manageable.

Just make sure you get something easy to administer.  Paste/gels or liquids work best.  With a paste or gel, just quickly swipe it onto his lips before he has a chance to react.  Cats instinctively MUST l**k it off, and the job is done.  If your cat, like my husband's, is too flighty even for that, get a liquid and lace your cat's water or food with it.

Good luck.

Answer 2

It's a hard one...I had a dog that was afraid of thunder and we had to get tranquilizers from the vet to calm him down.  Even as I send this, we have thunder and my cat is hiding in the basement.  I heard it's bred in them and likely their mother or father was afraid also. My other cat is afraid of plastic and runs whenever I change the trash bag.  Go figure!

Answer 3

Speaking from experience, I'm afraid there is a chance you can't help him.

My cat Sol is terrified of pretty much everything.  He hates plastic bags - he's curious and has gotten his head stuck through the handles so many times he now associates the rustle of a bag with something to be scared of.  He hates the noise of anything being dropped and will run a mile, regardless of what it was and who was to fault.

Sol's problem is his deaf brother.  Luna is always knocking things over and is obvously oblivious, but Sol thinks he will be in trouble, so he freaks.  I can trace this back to Sol as a kitten, when my then flatmate would get mad when the cats knocked anything over.  Sol associated a crash with him being shouted at.  Unfortunately, even eighteen months after leaving that environment, he is still this way.

There may have been a similar reason for your cat being scared of certain things.  The raised voices he may associate with being shouted at previously, so will probably think he's in trouble whenever anyone raises a voice.

I find that reassurance is the best answer.  I can not stop Sol reacting badly to the things he's scared of - it's not possible for me never to hoover, or never bring a plastic bag home - but I can make sure that his exposure to these things are limited, and he is offered the chance to relax with me after the exposure.  A calm voice and a nice cuddle will help him relax.

Answer 4

Tell him to stop being a scaredy cat

Answer 5

I have two suggestions which *might* help.

The first is Bach's Rescue Remedy.  This is a flower essence that you can apply topically or in food or water.  In your cat's case, it sounds like aggressive use is called for.  You'll want to apply it regularly.  Put a few drops on his head between the ears as often as you can.  And perhaps put a drop or two in his water.

The other is something I just read about - desensitization therapy.  This one site I found suggested that instead of trying to comfort your kitty, you should just leave him by.  By comforting him you're rewarding him for his fearful reaction.  But let him cower under the blankets or under the bed.  You can even provide a hiding place for him to retreat to.

But the desensitization therapy is something you'll need time and effort to accomplish.  The site explains it in detail.

I would consider drugs to be a last resort, only used if the cat is basically out of order 24/7.

EDIT:  I forgot about Feliway.  You can buy diffusers and use throughout your home, and or use the spray here and there.  It's not applied to the cat.  I've heard it can take up to 2 weeks to have an effect.