Cats have a reputation for being shy and sometimes aloof creatures. But why is that? Cats are creatures of comfort, habit, and of the status quo. They do not respond well to changes in their environment. Their usual reaction to an unwelcome change will be to distance themselves. They may retreat to a hiding place. For a cat, hiding is a normal response to a new or frightening situation.
Cats will sometimes respond to a new person in the household by running and hiding. Last fall I went on vacation for a week and had a friend come by to feed, water, and change the litter box for my cats. When I returned my friend told me that he had seen my cats only a few times during the week. They were hanging out in their safe space while people other than myself, their familiar person, were present. Introducing a new dog or new cat to your household might result in the same response. A sudden loud noise like thunder, a firecracker, or an engine backfire might send your cat under the bed for months.
A phobic shyness indicates that proper socialization did not take place when your cat was an unweaned kitten. Proper socialization occurs when a very young kitten is handled and cuddled by all kinds of people, sniffed and touched by dogs and cats, and exposed to all kinds of noise out there in the world. Things are not as frightening if they have been experienced in the comfort and security of one who loves you.
Some cats don’t have enough human contact as kittens—they’re comfortable with other cats, but they’re afraid of people. The most sensitive point in kitten development is at two to seven weeks. The cat should receive gentle handling at that point. But the lessons remain important up to three months of age—the kitten should have many positive experiences with people, other animals, being held and carried, riding in the car, going to the veterinarian, and so on. The idea is to create an outgoing cat. When the shelter receives a litter of kittens, an immediate call goes out for fosters, to both care for the cats and provide the important socialization required to produce a happy and friendly cat that people will want to adopt.
