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My cat won't let anyone but me near him- not even my roommates who feed him while I'm out of town. How can I help him?
My 2-year-old male cat is super cuddly. He used to love people when I first adopted him as a kitten. Then I went on a 3 week trip and left him with my roommate, who completely neglected him. He's never trusted people since. I moved out almost immediately after this incident. I now live in another house with 3 new roommates (we've been here for about 3 months now. We lived alone, just me and the cat for about 8 months prior to this). My cat refuses to let any of the roommates near him, and he won't come out from under the bed unless I'm home- or at all, if anyone other than my roommates is in the house. I'm worried about his stress level... is there any way I can calm him down and make him less terrified of new people? I have to travel 2-3 times a year for 1-3 weeks at a time, so I'd at least like him to be comfortable with my roommates...
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Member 1042879
on Jul 30th 2011
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in Separation Anxiety
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This is a VERY difficult situation. Your cat was obviously neglected, if not abused, by your former roommates and this basically destroyed his trust. He needs consistency. Rather than leave him with your roommates when you travel, I might be tempted to board him at the same place every time or leave him with family (the same ones) if possible. I really don't think he will ever be comfortable with your roommates based on his prior experiences. He needs ONE person other than you, that he can trust. A nephew, niece, cousin, or someone in your family you can always leave him with. His little psyche has been bruised and I'm not sure he will ever trust again. Investigate your other opportunities when you travel. Consistency is the key for him.
Izadore (Izzie)
answered on 7/30/11.
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