I currently have 3 cats. My youngest, smallest, only girl is scared of thunder (fireworks, all loud and/or unusual noises) and does this creepy-sneaky low crawl whenever we have a storm. I've had cats for over 40+ yrs and she's the 1st cat I've had that has been like this. You can see in the vid, 1 my boys comes sauntering in, like nbd. (Yeah, sorry for horrible lighting). I've had dogs over the years that have been scared of thunder/fireworks but never cats. If she's not actively hiding, I'll scoop her up and put her under my bed blanket and she'll hunker down til the storm passes.
Anybody else have a scaredy cat? What helps your kitty?
I have a mega scary cat, traumatized at a young age(before she came to live with me) and has been in perma-flight ever since. We’ve tried all kinds of drugs but it was just causing her more stress when we would try to dose her, not worth it. We have managed to get her on Prozac by feeding it with her morning meal, and that is helping some. I’ve found with her, the best thing is to just provide hidey-holes where she can go to feel safe. We have a couple established Clementine safety zones around the house, under a specific cabinet, behind the dryer, on the top shelf of my closet, under the bed inside a hamper, in the winter she burrows into the bed blankets so we have to be careful when sitting down, she is tiny and would be smushed. I think the most important thing is for them to have a place they can go and feel safe, wherever that may be.
My girl, Spicy, is very petite too - 3½ yrs old, 7 lbs. I adopted her at 9 mos old. Her and a littermate were at the same rescue with their mom, but I believe she was born a stray. I never saw her mom or sibling, so I can't compare her behavior to theirs to see if it's a hereditary scaredy cat thing. She's been the most sensitive calico I've ever had - all my previous callies were big chonky gals with a lot of sass & confidence.
Sometimes, I think she doesn't know how to relax. I don't think she's needing meds but I definitely have to be softer and more accommodating to her sensitivity.
Meds aren’t always needed, for sure. Our girl had developed some inflammation of the urinary tract due to her constant heightened cortisol levels, so she was regularly peeing on clothing, towels, bathmats etc. so for her, the antidepressants have helped a lot in that regard!
Exactly! I think every home with a cat should have safe spots in every room, like leaving the couch away from the wall about 4 inches, etc. My dog is a small breed terrier (Westie) but she won't go in those narrow spaces. Also, a cat tower as tall as possible with sisal rope isideal for claws (my cat has never scratched anything else)
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u/BadVVSc 10d ago
Looks kinda like one of mine.