Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

Last Tuesday, there was a tornado here in Oklahoma City. Between the storm and the warning sirens, my 3-year-old gray tabby has been extremely traumatized. He slept without moving Tuesday night and all day Wednesday. I started giving him Rescue Remedy three times a day and giving him water through a dropper. He is now walking better, drinking water on his own (I still offer it to him several times a day) and is moving more freely. He purrs but doesn’t want to be picked up yet, and in fact he’ll meow when I do so. He is eating some of his treats but he still doesn’t want any of his usual food. He has slept with me the last two nights, and he’s using the litter box on his own. Should I just keep watching him and encouraging him to eat and drink, and with time, will he come through this trauma?

~ Ruby

Hiding is typical behavior for severely frightened cats. Photo by Mark; distributed under a Creative Commons license via Wikimedia Commons

Siouxsie: Thank you for writing, Ruby, and we send our deepest compassion to you and your cat — and to all the other people and animals in the U.S. Southeast and Midwest — who have had to endure so much trauma, grief and loss in this awful storm season.

Thomas: Because of all this terrible weather, we’re sure millions of other people and pets are experiencing similar issues. We hope our answer will not only help you, but also other caretakers who are trying to ease their animal companions’ trauma.

Dahlia: Your cat is experiencing all the typical signs of extreme stress and fright: being petrified, losing his appetite, changes in behavior (like not wanting to be picked up), and perhaps extra neediness (we don’t know if your cat normally sleeps with you, but if he hasn’t before, that means he’s seeking comfort).

Siouxsie: Although it sounds like your cat is having a normal reaction to terrifying circumstances, it would be a good idea to call your vet and see if they think he should come in for a checkup. You wouldn’t want to assume the problem was behavioral if your kitty were actually sick.

Thomas: You’ve been doing the right thing by giving your cat regular doses of Rescue Remedy. Mama gives us Rescue Remedy if we go through traumatic things, too. She puts a drop on her finger and then rubs it into the fur on the top of our head.

Dahlia: Rescue Remedy tastes awful, so we don’t like to drink it or have it put in our mouths.

Siouxsie: We hope you’ve been giving yourself Rescue Remedy, too!

Thomas: Keep your cat hydrated and get him eating again. Cats that don’t eat can get sick pretty quickly.

Dahlia: If he was eating when the sirens went off, he may be associating his regular food with the trauma he experienced, so try different kinds of food. Canned food is often more tempting for cats than dry food, so you might have better luck with an extra-stinky flavor and a different brand.

Siouxsie: It’s important for you to manage your own emotions, too. We cats are very sensitive creatures, and we pick up on the “vibes” you’re putting out. If you’re still traumatized, your cat will know this even if you’re putting on a brave face.

Thomas: When your cat comes to sleep with you, or if he seeks you out for affection, pet him and reassure him. Tell him he’s safe now, and even though you were really frightened too, the storm is over and things are back to normal.

Dahlia: See if you can distract him from his fear with some play time. If you have a cat fishing pole or some other “thing on a string” toy, he might be enticed by it and start to come out of his shell again.

Siouxsie: Holistic therapies can be helpful for traumatized animals, too. The homeopathic remedy Aconitum napellus (also known as Aconite) is a fairly common treatment for fear, especially when the fear is caused by emotional trauma. Phosphorous is another homeopathic remedy commonly used for animals that are scared of thunder and lightning and other loud noises.

Thomas: Veterinary homeopath Kaetheryn Walker suggests giving the remedy Aconite 30C: dissolve four pillules in a dropper bottle of water and then give the affected animal four drops of the solution, twice a day, until the symptoms begin to abate. With Phosphorous, do the same thing: four pillules of 30C potency dissolved in water.

Dahlia: Homeopathic remedies should be given at least 15 minutes before or after eating.

Siouxsie: If you know anyone who practices Reiki, a form of energy healing, this can be very good for cats dealing with physical or emotional trauma.

Thomas: I love it when Mama gives me Reiki!

Dahlia: Flower essences are also helpful for traumatized animals. We like Green Hope Essences because they’re preserved with red Shiso root rather than alcohol.

Siouxsie: Their The Arbor Garden and Anxiety essences might be a good start, but they can also help you figure out what might work best for your cat’s situation.

Thomas: It will take time and patience to help your little guy get over the terrifying experience he had, but with your help and support, it will happen. If none of the remedies above works, your vet may consider a short course of anti-anxiety medication to get your cat on his paws again.

Dahlia: So, in short: First, call the vet and ask their advice. Manage your own emotions. Get your cat eating again. Use holistic remedies to help support him in his recovery. And if things don’t seem to be getting better, talk to your vet again and see what he or she recommends.

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

I have a small kitten I got from my friend. I really don’t know her age, but I’d been asking my friend if I could take her for about two months. A month after she got here, I was sleeping beside her when she suddenly jumped and scratched me. I found her standing on the floor and acting weird. I thought that she is going to throw up, so I put her outside my room and she jumped. Now she’s terrified of everyone and she can’t eat or even drink! Help!

~ Keliessa

Siouxsie: Well, first things first. Keliessa, you need to take your kitten to the vet and get her checked out. If she’s not eating or drinking, that’s very dangerous–especially for a kitten.

Thomas: She might have started acting weird because she’s in pain, and if she is in enough pain to scratch and hide, she definitely needs veterinary attention.

Dahlia: Your vet will also be able to give you a good estimate of her age. Cats, like people, have two sets of teeth. Their baby teeth start falling out around 4 months of age, so depending on how many baby teeth and how many adult teeth your vet sees, she or he can tell you about how old your kitten is.

Siouxsie: You might find that the behavior issues clear up once your kitten starts feeling better.

Thomas: If your baby does get a clean bill of health, there are some things you can do to help alleviate her fear.

Dahlia: The first thing is that you’ll have to be patient with her. Sit calmly and quietly in the room with her and try to lure her toward you with some delicious food or a special treat. When she does decide to approach you, don’t reach out quickly to pet her; you’ll scare her and you’ll have to start all over again.

Siouxsie: When she gets near you, put your hand out very slowly, with your palm facing down. Let her sniff you and investigate. Move one finger just enough to give her a gentle stroke. If she responds positively to that, slowly reposition your hand so that the pinkie edge of your palm is on the floor. She may choose to rub the palm of your hand; if so, that’s a very good sign.

Thomas: Let her get comfortable with you and give her very gentle strokes just with the tips of your fingers.

Dahlia: If she’s really scared, this process could take days or even weeks. But your patience will be rewarded by a cat that enjoys your company once again.

Siouxsie: You might consider buying a Feliway Comfort Zone diffuser. This product works like a plug-in air freshener, but it sends out pheromones that help your cat to relax and de-stress.

Thomas: The next steps in rehabilitating a fearful cat are called desensitization and counterconditioning.

Dahlia: Desensitization just means that you gradually expose your cat to the thing she’s afraid of. For example, if she’s scared of people, you’d begin her desensitization by brining in a person she already knows–a person who’s quiet and patient–for a short visit. Let the visits get gradually longer so your cat gets used to that person, but be sure the person doesn’t try to pick your kitten up or force her to experience that fear.

Siouxsie: Counterconditioning means helping your cat to associate the object of her fear with pleasant experiences like getting tasty treats or playing with toys. This helps “rewire your cat’s brain,” so to speak, by changing the object’s association from one of fear to one of happiness and safety.

Thomas: Although you may have to do some frightening things to get your kitten to the vet — for example, taking her out of her safe space and putting her in her carrier — once the vet trip is over, be sure never to drag your kitten out of her hiding space or force her to accept being held or petted.

Dahlia: With love, patience and gentleness, you’ll be able to relieve some, if not all, of your cat’s fears.

Siouxsie: We recommend that you read Starting From Scratch by Pam Johnson-Bennett. It’s a great book on retraining cats that have behavioral issues, and it’s a wonderful resource for any cat caretaker.

Thomas: Catster’s Kittens section has lots of resources to help you learn about your kitten and how to take care of her as she grows into her glorious adulthood.

Dahlia: Good luck, Keliessa! Please let us know how things turn out.

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

I just adopted a 7-month-old tuxedo cat (obviously named Tux) two days ago. The first two days were great; we bonded by playing and cuddling. Today I had to work and he was home alone for six hours. When I came home, he was hiding–for the first time in two days–and wouldn’t come when I called him. Is he feeling resentful toward me because I left him alone for the first time? I made sure I left his toys out, he had fresh food and water, and cleaned his litter box before I left. Tux is finally starting to come around, but I’ve already been home for three hours, and he is just now coming out of hiding. Is there something I can do to make it up to him, or show him that I still care? I don’t want to scare him by cornering him.

~Julia

Siouxsie: Julia, we can comfort you about one thing. We cats don’t feel resentment–even though some people think we do–so we’re sure Tux doesn’t resent you. Cats get angry or scared, but we don’t stew over it and get resentful the way humans do.

Thomas: The behavior you’re describing sounds a lot more like fear than anger or resentment. A scared cat hides. An angry cat doesn’t hide and will actually glare at you.

Dahlia: So we think it’s more likely that Tux got scared of something while you were away.

Siouxsie: Maybe there was a sudden loud noise or another cat appeared at your window and hissed at him.

Thomas: Being alone doesn’t usually cause hiding-under-the-bed fear, unless a cat is very shy and insecure to begin with.

Dahlia: You did everything right while you were getting ready to leave. You left him toys so he could entertain himself. You left him food and water so he knew he wouldn’t be hungry. You left his litterbox clean. Those are all things any cat caretaker should do before they leave, whether it’s for an hour or a day.

Siouxsie: You’re also doing the right thing by leaving him to come out when he feels ready. He knows you care because you’re not trying to force him out of hiding.

Thomas: It’s going to take him a little while to recover from whatever frightened him. The best thing you can do is quietly tell him he’s okay, pet him when he asks for affection, and let him know that part of your routine is leaving the house for part of the day. Promise him that you will come back and give him some love before you go out the door.

Dahlia: When you return at the end of the day, play with Tux for a little while. A “cat fishing” toy is great for drawing a scaredy-cat out from hiding because it will activate his hunting instinct and curiosity. If you want to make your own cat fishing toy rather than buying one, we’ve found some instructions here.

Siouxsie: Remember to put the cat fishing toy away when you’re done playing with it. You want this game to be a special, fun thing for Tux.

Thomas: Also, by putting the fishing toy away when you’re not home, you’ll make sure that there’s no way Tux could get accidentally injured by chewing off buttons or ribbons, or getting caught in the string.

Dahlia: You can wind up the game by giving Tux a special treat. There are lots of good treats on the market, but we especially love Feline Greenies.

Siouxsie: You can get Greenies at most pet stores.

Thomas: If you do give treats to Tux, make sure you give him maybe one a day. If he eats too many treats, he may become overweight.

Dahlia: Tux will recover from his fear with some help and play from you, and he will get used to your work schedule.

Siouxsie: You’re doing fine as a kitty caretaker, so please try not to feel guilty about Tux’s fear.

Thomas: Cats also hide when they don’t feel well, so if little Tux is still hiding and not eating or drinking, we’d definitely recommend a vet check.

Dahlia: Good luck, Julia. Please let us know how things turn out.