Tree House Animal Foundation

Guidelines for Integrating Your New Shy Cat into Your Home

In some cases you may already be adopting a shy cat from Tree House Animal Foundation. In other cases, a cat who seemed more outgoing in your adoption process at Tree House may become suddenly shy when you bring him or her to your home. Oftentimes an animal will revert back to shy behavior when they are moved out of a territory or taken out of a situation that they have become accustomed to, such as Tree House. You can expect your shy cat or kitten to behave differently in your home than they did at our shelter. You will need to create positive experiences for the cat while in your presence, to help your new cat get used to you and their new home. While gaining the trust of a shy cat can be very rewarding, it can also be hard work, depending on the cat’s level of shyness. If you follow the steps outlined here, however, your new cat should eventually become accustomed to his or her new home, and more responsive and interactive with you.

Step 1: Set up a small room without hiding places for your shy cat.
Because cats are territorial animals, too large a territory can be overwhelming, as it is just too much responsibility. The ideal room for your cat’s home base is your bedroom, because it smells like you more than any other room in the house. In addition, you will automatically be spending your sleeping hours with her in a non-threatening situation. If you cannot use your bedroom, a bathroom will also work as long as the sounds of running water and toilets flushing don’t scare the cat. Shy cats feel less overwhelmed and more secure in small, quiet areas.

Make sure they have food, water and a litter box.
Keep your cat in this room until you have worked through the following socialization steps and your shy cat is comfortable with you and their new room.
If you let your new cat out of this room before they are used to you, they will likely find a hiding place and that will make the socialization process much more difficult.

Step 2: The Socialization Process.
Plan on spending at least two 15-20 minute sessions working with your shy cat each day. Introduce yourself slowly.At first you will just want to sit in the same room with your shy cat – don’t try to touch the cat right away. You need to let her come to you, and she will do so when she feels most comfortable and ready. Always talk softly and move slowly when you are with your new shy cat. Just spending some quiet time with your cat will allow it to get used to you and learn that you are not scary. Soft talk can be more reassuring in the early stages than petting. When he or she seems to be comfortable with you just being in the room, you can hold out your hand palm down in a relaxed manner and let him or her smell you. If your cat approaches, hold your position and continue to speak softly. Begin by softly stroking the top of your cat’s head and cheeks. You will be able to tell if your cat wants you to go further. If at any point your cat backs away, you have done too much. Let her leave when she wants to, and do not try and make her stay with you or pull her onto your lap – this will only frighten her.

Step 3: Create positive experiences for your shy cat while you are with them.
If your shy cat still will not let you pet her after you have sat with her several times, do not worry as there are still ways to work up to physical contact. Continue to spend time sitting in the same room and talking to her. You can offer her treats like tuna, baby food, and tender vittles:

Begin each socialization session with a small amount of tasty food such as meat flavored baby food (make sure the baby food does not have any onion powder in it), tuna or Fancy Feast canned cat food.
The only time your new cat will get this treat is when you are present.
Sit quietly while your cat eats the treat and talk softly.

Another option is to try playing with your shy cat. Playing is also a great way to bring her out of her shell. Your new cat will have a positive experience while they are in the presence of what they are afraid of. Even if your new cat only watches the toy at first, you are making progress. Playing is a confidence-builder in even the shyest cats, so we recommend using an interactive cat toy, such as a Cat Charmer or Cat Dancer (please see the section entitled “Play Therapy and Cat Toys” for more information). Catnip can also be used to help your cat feel more relaxed and at ease. To play with your shy cat with an interactive toy, there are two different approaches you can take. The first approach is as follows:

Set a wand toy down near the cat to get him/her accustomed to it.
Use a wand toy to gently stroke your new cat, beginning on their cheeks and head.
As your new cat becomes more comfortable with being touched by the toy, move your hand closer to the cat along the toy until you are touching the cat with your hand.

You can also try this second approach to playing with your cat:

Set a wand toy down near the cat to get him/her accustomed to it.
As your new cat begins to play with the wand toy, lure them near you with it.
When they are comfortable coming near you while playing, give them a quick pet on their back while you continue to play with them.
As they continue to make progress while you are playing with them, you can stop the play for a few moments and pet them and then continue to play.

If at any time your new shy cat seems to become uncomfortable with what you are doing, step back in the process and go back to something you know they are comfortable with.

Even after your new cat is comfortable with you and your new home, they may always hide or shy away from other people. You can use the above process with other people to help your cat feel more comfortable when you have visitors.

Call the Tree House Behavior Hotline at (773) 784-5488 ext. 228 for any questions or concerns you may have about working with your new shy cat.

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