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It's been 5 months and she still won't let me come near her, why?
My kitten Zoe, the one in the picture, is still so scared of people after 8 months. Since we got another kitten she's been better but she will not let me come near her, she even runs away at feeding time. I love her and won't give her away but I'm afraid she will be this way forever. Anyone else have this issue?
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Zoe
on Jun 23rd 2011
in Behavior & Training
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Yes i have had this problem with my cat sammy she was so scared of the outside world and new enviornments that she would stay down stairs and not come up for days she didnt even come up for food or water and since we gave her time to ajust to the new enviornment she started to grow in personality and bravery it took her a year to get her the way she is now and we still have some more things to conqure, give your kitten time when you do catch her be very gentle with her and pet her show her you are not there to hurt her in any way work on this and she will eventually come around i work with feral cats at my house capturing them and giving them new homes dont be startles if she scratches you its just a reaction hold her front paws to keep her from scratching you as you pet her do this as many times as you can get a hold of her it may take longer than you expect but all you can do right now is let her know that you are not there to hurt her good luck with Zoe
Sammy
answered on 6/23/11.
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The problem with Zoe is that she was a feral kitten, and it sounds like she didn't get much human contact until she was about 3 months old. Ferals caught much later than 2 months need a LOT of intensive socialization therapy and it sounds like Zoe wasn't treated as a wild beast that needed taming, but more like a sick stray pet. It would help to take a step back with her and acknowledge that she is pretty much feral even she's housetrained. Look up cat socialization techniques and start using them.
For example, if at all possible move her to a small to mid-size room without a lot of great hiding places where you can spend time just being in the room with her, not necessarily interacting with her. Ferals appreciate people who give them space. When you feed her start out sitting away from the dish not making eye contact and move closer each day until you can have your hand by her dish. When she's comfy with that start sneaking little pets, always taking things painfully slow!
Hannah
answered on 6/23/11.
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I've found that cats who are skittish do need time, as Sammy says. Make sure her environment is kept quiet and calm. Loud-speaking people or active children can scare a skittish kitten. If she approaches you, don't try to pick her up and caution other people not to grab her as well. Speak in a soft voice to her. You might also want to try to engage her in some playtimes with a "hands-off" toy such as a feather-teaser fishing pole.
Izadore (Izzie)
answered on 6/24/11.
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