The Way of Cats

Drawing out scaredy cats is a process where we make a space for the cat that they are too timid to make for themselves. If a cat has been traumatized by ill treatment, or is simply shy and overwhelmed by all the recent changes in their life, we must “turn down the volume” for them so they have a chance to calm down and think.

This will give them more confidence, and they will venture out more and more.

more cat pictures

The first step in a calmer space is to use signals the cat can understand even if they are under stress. Fleeing is the panic mode setting in, and the cat should not be thwarted in seeking hiding places, or dislodged from them if possible.

Rescue Remedy, (see below,) found in health food stores, is a safe, natural calmer that you can put in their water. A Feliway, (see below,) dispenser is like cat pheromones; undetectable to humans, but broadcasts calming messages to the cat. The cat has to calm down before they can think clearly enough to properly interpret our overtures. A perfectly sweet gesture can be misunderstood by a cat who fears the worst, and panicked cats always fear the worst.

We can quicken the process by making our presence reassuring. Before we leave for work, make a fuss about calling them, and leave treats or a toy somewhere, so they can find them and think nicely of us.

Go into rooms where we know they are hiding, and talk softly to them and about them. Get down on the floor when we do this, if possible, or sit in a chair. When they do see us, we will have a lower, less threatening profile. They want to study us, so make it easy for them.

Even if they aren’t there, make a few minutes of playtime. Rattle some toys around, talk about what fun we’d be having… if only they were here.

Be patient with every sighting. Enjoy every second more they accept our presence and find something to enjoy in it. As the process goes further, it will pick up speed.

Some scaredy cats find the wide open spaces of their new home a bit intimidating. Whether they have spent a long time in a shelter cage, or were trying to survive on the street by hiding, many scaredy cats are used to small spaces where at least they knew what was around them and could see it coming.

Help them reorient themselves by giving them their own spaces to hide in. Cat tunnels, a box with a blanket in it, or other spaces that we give to them can coax them out from under the bed. If we have a serious case, we can give then their own room, or even a dog crate, where they have quick access to their litter box, water, and food. This might be what they used to. Even though it is not the ideal we would like for them, we must be patient and let them grow into it. Litter box issues are solved if we give them such easy access, and not making them negotiate territory they are still not sure of.

When we are home, we can feed them special treats, which will help create a bond. This is not being cruel. This is helping the cat feel secure.

There’s one more thing you can do. All cats love to hear their origin stories. We can’t tell the stories without putting love in our voice. Make a bedtime ritual to where ever they are at bedtime, of telling how we got them, and how glad we are.

That might be the first thing they come out to hear.

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There’s more to raising and training a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CAT TRAINING TIPS.

I got a tip from a reader about this new way to help cats.

It’s called Freekibblekat. You might have already been noticing the badge in the sidebar. Answer a cat trivia question, and the sponsors will donate cat food to cats in shelters.

Try it!

This site was started by a 12 year old girl in Bend, Oregon. There’s one for dogs, too!

CORRECTION:

An alert reader tipped me off, the Click to Feed program at the Animal Rescue Site is back up! Honest to goodness, it wasn’t there for a couple of days, and I’d read somewhere they were in difficulties. But whatever they were, it’s BACK. The badge is back on this blog, in the sidebar. Please, visit!

So bookmark this site, make it your default for your browser, or click when you visit The Way of Cats.

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Cats are hunters. Their original environment had little vegetation and lots of small animals. Thus, cats are almost solely dependent on meat, and its main components, protein and fat, for what their body needs. Feeding the cat their environmentally proper diet is also known as “Catkins.”

more cat pictures

When I became aware of how cats must have eaten in the wild, I started reading the labels for the food I’d been feeding my cats. I was truly astonished at how many ingredients were grain based, and how low down the list I had to go before the meat products appeared. It’s not like the label makes it easy. Pet food regulations do not allow the word carbohydrate on the label. What the hey!

To get the carb content, pet parents have to take a calculator to that information on the label: 100- (protein+fat+moisture+ash+fiber) = carb content. Those bags I was buying at the supermarket were not much more than enriched, meat frosted, breakfast cereal.

In fact, that’s exactly what it is.

Just as the food industry wanted us humans to eat more convenient, processed foods, the growing number of dogs and cats in urban areas created the same potential market. Thus the pet food industry sprang into action to lecture us about not feeding people food to our pets, and instead buying their product.

Just like with people, the cheapest source of food is grains. Cats, in particular, do not see the appeal of grains. A pioneer father never came back in the cabin to exclaim, “That mountain lion’s gotten into the wheat field again!”

We might get sticker shock comparing the prices of the better food to what we get at the grocery store. But with the high quality food from specialty pet stores or feed stores, we are getting what we pay for. It’s not as expensive as it might seem. My cats ate less of the nutrient dense, better food. I wasn’t going out and having to get it as often.

So when we go searching for better foods, don’t go by reputation or marketing. Go by what the calculator tells us. The less carbohydrates in the food, the more protein and fat we are actually buying. That’s what we should be paying for, since cats need the protein and fat.

The rest will only make them sick.

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There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.