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stress and traumatic experiance

miu

something happened when I was out and now my cat is terrified of everything. He will not walk on the carpet so he sits in the kitchen and cries all day long. He is very jumpy anything and everything makes him jump out of his skin. We are in the process of moving and I just want to know if I should be really worried and is there anything I can do to bring him out of this funk? thank you

Symptoms: Behavioral

• Experienced Advisor Rosie Barclay says:

  May 26th, 2008 at 04:18 AM

  Hi

  Poor Miu

  Have you any idea what happened? Might it have been a loud noise or another cat? How was he before the traumatic incidence?

  I feel it is important that you take Miu to your vet for a check up to make sure there is nothing wrong. It seems a very strong reaction. It is also important that you do not reinforce his fearful behaviour by reacting in an anxious way. You can try and make Miu feel more secure by using one of your used items of clothing and simply go about your daily buisness as if nothing was wrong. If Miu sees that you are anxious he might not understand that you are anxious because of his behaviour he might just think that you are anxious because of the "bad thing" that happened.

  Of course it might simply be the move that is freaking him out. Cats don't generally like moving. So make sure you leave some nice smelly familiar items of clothing about for him to snuggle into to and scent your new home with his scent before you introduce him to it. You can do this by using the same item of clothing that he has been sitting on and wipe it all over your new house and furniture. Cats live in a scent world and he will feel more secure if he surrounded by his own and your scent.

  Use his favourite food and the smellier the better so fish might be a good idea, to help him associate the move more positively. Moving is very stressful for humans as well as cats so when you feel stressy stick a bottle of something nice in the fridge and have a good scream away from Miu and pretend all is well.

  I hope this helps

  All the best

  Rosie Barclay

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