10 Easy Ways To Calm A Scared Cat
Fear is a common thing that every living thing has like humans and animals. Fear can have both positive and negative consequences for those who experience it. Fear can be used as a way to protect oneself or vice versa, it can actually self-destruct.
One living creature that is inseparable from fear is a cat. Cats which are mammals have a fear of certain things. This is normal for cats. This will not interfere with the mental or physical health of the cat, provided that the fear is not excessive and continuous.
If this happens continuously, it is feared that cats can experience stress. Even though we know that fear of cats is harmless but as cat owners, when we see a scared cat there will be a desire to calm the cat and to make it not afraid anymore.
According to Anggora himself, this happens because the relationship between the owner and the cat is too close, which is more like a family relationship. Calming a cat is easy for those who know how. For those who don't know how to do it, might be curious to know how to do it.
For those of you who want to know how, Good Owner can read Anggora's writing below. Read to the end.
10 Ways To Calm A Scared Cat
Calming a scared cat is similar to calming a scared human child. You can calm your cat very easily using a few methods. Here are some ways :
1. Let The Cat Alone
When the cat is scared try to leave the cat alone. Because if you immediately try to calm him down by hugging his body or holding and then stroking his body, cat wont be calm, instead it rebels and then it scratches you.
Of course you don't want your hands to hurt and feel sore cause of the actions of a cat clawing you because he feels panicked. Therefore, when a cat is just scared, it's best to leave it alone for a while.
Then after you feel that the cat's fear has subsided somewhat, then you approach it to calm it down. So, remember, if the cat is still in a very scared and panicked state, let it be alone for a while until its fear subsides a little.
2. Let The Cat Hide Where He Feels Safe
Surely you often see cats when they are scared they will run to a hidden place and they feel safe. If you see this it's best to let the cat stay where it is or maybe you can lift it to a more closed place and away from the things it's afraid of.
By letting the cat hide in a place where he feels safe or moving him to a room or a more closed place will make the cat calmer and will make his fear gradually disappear.
If you leave the cat in that place for a while, the cat that used to look scared will now return to its normal behavior and will behave normally as before it was scared.
3. Eliminate Things That Make Him Afraid
If the second way is still not enough to calm the scared cat, then try using the third method, which is to eliminate the source of the cause that makes the cat so scared.
For example, if the cat turns out to be scared because it is being chased by another cat, so that the cat is not afraid anymore, you can simply drive away the cat that is chasing it so that it goes far away and does not disturb your cat anymore.
If the cat turns out to be afraid of the household appliances that you buy, then you just have to make the cat not see these objects by storing them in a hidden place when we are not using them.
Some cats are afraid of certain household appliances such as broom sticks, electronic objects that make loud noises such as vacuum cleaners, blenders and the like.
4. Accompany The Cat
When human are scared, humans usually need a friend nearby to help them fight their fear. Now the same thing applies to cats who are feeling very scared. Cats need their owners to overcome their fears and to make them feel comfortable.
Therefore, accompany the cat when the cat that you have let alone doesn't seem panicked and not too scared anymore. Accompany the cat until you feel that the cat is calm and not afraid anymore.
5. Talk To The Cat
While accompanying a scared cat, you can talk to him. Speak softly and say things that can make the cat calm like :
I've chased away the cat that was chasing you
It's just a household appliance, won't hurt you
Do not be afraid there is your owner here
You are safe here with me
The thing you're afraid of has been saved so don't be afraid anymore
And other words that make cats calm
Even though cats don't understand human language, in their own way cats are able to catch what their owners are trying to tell them. For those of you who are cat owners, of course you know what Angora means by saying this.
6. Caress The Cat's Body
Stroking a cat's body that is feeling scared is one way you can do to help a cat fight its fear and make it comfortable. You can stroke the cat while talking to him.
7. Give Food That Cats Like
The seventh way is to give the cat food that he likes to calm him down. Some cats will calm down using this method. Because when a cat is scared and then he is given food, this can distract his mind from his fear.
When his mind is distracted, the cat that was very scared will forget his fear. In some cats this method may not be able to completely eliminate the cat's fear, but this method can relieve the cat's fear. According to Anggora, this method is very effective besides the 6 methods above.
Even though this method is quite very effective, it has its own negative side. That is, a cat that we make it a habit to give food when it is scared will be more likely to ask for food outside of its prime hours.
Which if we continue to follow his will, this can put the cat at risk of obesity.
8. Introduce New Things Slowly
Local cats are often afraid of new, unfamiliar objects and the first time they see them in the house. That's why it's not uncommon for us to see cats become very wary and a little scared around objects that they see for the first time.
An example is when we bring a cat that we just adopted into the house, our cat that we have kept at home for a long time will be afraid if the other cat approaches it. Some of them were even angry and beat the newly adopted cat.
To overcome this fear of new things, the only way we can take is to introduce these new things slowly to the cat. By using this method, over time the cat will no longer be afraid of this new thing.
9. Use Hormonal Help Or Sedatives
If some of the methods above are still not able to calm the cat, then you can consider using certain sedatives. You can use hormones or sedatives in the form of a diffuser that can be placed in the house or where the cat is often located to help relieve fear or stress.
However, to use hormones or sedatives, you need a recommendation from a veterinarian.
10. Take The Cat To the Vet
This method is the last method that you can do when you have done the 9 methods above but to no avail at all. Take the frightened cat to the vet for treatment. The vet will ask questions about the cat's fear and will help find the right solution to overcome this.
In addition, the doctor will also provide medicines to help calm the cat while providing a good multivitamin for the body.
Maybe that's all the discussion about easy ways to calm a scared cat. Hopefully this article can help you answer your questions on this matter. As well as add insight and can be useful for you.