Some cats can be nervous nellies. This can come from a wide variety of things including growing up as a stray and then being introduced to a loving home or even living in unfortunate circumstances where she was abused.
But there are other times when cats are just nervous. So what do you do to calm her down and make life easier for both of you?
We’ve put together some information that may be helpful for you about how to calm your cat down during the day and also if you have a night prowler.
First Things First
One of the first things you should do is try to find out what is making your cat so nervous. Have you introduced a new animal to the house? Have you brought in some new plants that may give off a scent she doesn’t like? Or maybe your schedule has changed and you’re not home as much or at the same times as you work for.
Cats do not like change. There’s no way around that sentence. They love being in a rut.
If you’ve recently adopted a cat – and this is the scenario that will probably most fit a nervous cat – one of the best things you can do for her is to give her a safe place to hide.
She may feel nervous just because she’s in a different environment even if you don’t have children or any other pets around. She may have never been socialized especially if she lived her life on the street as a stray.
Hide ‘n Seek
Hiding in a safe place is what she will do if she feels threatened. According to Ingrid Johnson who is a certified cat behavior consultant, putting your new kitty in a small confined space will let her hide out but also give you an opportunity to start socializing her.
Make sure she has everything she needs to be comfortable like food and water, a litter box and also some toys or scratching post along with a soft bed to lay on. If possible, make sure that her litter box is not too close to her food and water because cats are not happy with that.
Training
One of the things you want to do is give her a reason to socialize with you. Tries some tasty treats like cooked chicken if she comes close to you without appearing aggressive.
Herbal remedies also help like Rescue Remedy. This type of remedy is either placed into your cat’s water or applied on her ears. There’s also a pheromone product called Feeliway that works in a diffuser and could help calm your cat.
Night Prowler
Cats are nocturnal by nature so they may be keeping you up at night. If you’re out of the home working all day, your cat may not be busy enough to feel sleepy at night.
There are a number of interactive cat toys you can introduce into your cat’s schedule that will help him be sleepy when you’re ready to go to bed.
If your cat is waking you up to eat in the middle of the night, there could be an underlying medical reason so you will want to take him to the vet as soon as possible. If it’s plain hunger, think about getting an automatic feeder that dispenses food at a preset time.
Your nervous kitty can turn into a calm cat with a little intervention and tender loving care.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
