HELP! What Do I do?

[Snickerdoodle]

I've scared my poor little Snicker's and it's worse than I could have ever imagined. She is running and hiding from me like I'm a stranger out to get her. I've left her alone for hours hoping she'd be ok, because she's been spooked before and usually comes to me to let me know everythings ok. I've only had her 3 weeks and her normal pattern is to come and visit me after I'm sitting down or laying down. If I'm up and aout, she doesn't like to remain in a room unless I move slow, and even so sometimes will dart away. I was moving pretty fast and took her by total surprise. She became so spooked, she jumped off a ledge above my living room. My immediate concern was she was injured, so I coaxed her out from under my couch with some tuna. She walks normal and even cleaned herself without appearing to have any problems. What should I do, I feel horrible!
:confused:
Debi (Snickers Mom) aka

[jw]

Yikes! I don't know - I'll see if I can put the SOS out to some cat owners that might be able to help.

Right now we are mostly dogs, but I'm trying to get new cat people here! :fatcat:

[Jenny]

My best advice is to give her some time. Then let her come to YOU. Don't try and seek her out. Sit on the floor, being very quiet (no tv on or saying anything). Get a toy (a stick with a string attached and a feather attached to the end of the string and slowly just move it around a bit. See if you can get her to come play with it.

The main thing is to just be patient. She is scared right now and the only thing that will help that is time. It will be hard and it will be frustrating but it WILL happen. :)

Good luck and don't worry! It has happened to us too!

[jw]

Originally posted by Jenny
My best advice is to give her some time. Then let her come to YOU. Don't try and seek her out. Sit on the floor, being very quiet (no tv on or saying anything). Get a toy (a stick with a string attached and a feather attached to the end of the string and slowly just move it around a bit. See if you can get her to come play with it.

The main thing is to just be patient. She is scared right now and the only thing that will help that is time. It will be hard and it will be frustrating but it WILL happen. :)

Good luck and don't worry! It has happened to us too!

Thx for responding to the SOS - hope that helps Snickerdoodle! :)

[Snickerdoodle]

Thanks....she's been reclusive all day. I have only tried to get close enough to observe her.....again, I want to be sure she wasn't injured. This evening was cute. I left to go to the store and came back to find her in her cuddle bed. I gave her the bed when she first came home as part of her "safe place" until she could adjust to her new home. I came home to find her snuggled up in it, just like when she first arrived. I was happy she understood it was her safe place, but sad I may be starting over. I sure hope I didn't lose 3 weeks of trust! I can only thank you for the prompt response and promise to write back.....but just in case, I need you to know another reason I'm so stressed about all of this....I only have one more day before leaving on a trip. My boyfriend will be my pet sitter who she likes, but I hate to leave her distressed...she needs to know her world is now safe forever. I will never know for sure, but it seems something has happend in her life to tramatize her. I want her to know what a loving life can be....and hate to think that I've confused her in any way. Again, thanks for an immediate response....I know I'll feel better when she shows me she's totally ok, but it helps to have others to encourage me that a light is at the end of that tunnel.
:( p.s. Animals like us are God's little creatures....Us loving God's animals pleases God, did you know it?

[Jenny]

Actually, the trip might be a good thing. Your boyfriend will be there at least once a day I am assuming to check up on her. Have him take a couple of minutes each time to sit quietly and let her get used to a human doing nothing. If her bad experience was humans only being mean to her, being loud, etc, then she has to experience the quiet, slow movements, etc to be able to rebuild her spirit.

Just be sure that when you get home, don't automatically assume that all is well and go rushing up trying to hug her or whatever. Take it slow. Sit on the floor, don't try and reach out to pet her. Let her come up to you and sniff. It may take days, or even several weeks. She'll eventually nudge your hand or arm with her nose & head and that is when you should really start to softly pet her.

We have had our cat Fluffy for about a year now and she is still a bit skittish. Of course, a 5 year old can do that to a cat! lol

:)

[Snickerdoodle]

Thanks Jenny....yes, my boyfriend plans to live at my place while I'm gone. Snickers will have his presence morning and evening and I'm hoping it will give both of them a chance to get closer. She likes him, but I'm always around, so she defaults to my lap when making her visits. He felt the trip might her get closer to him and help her forget anything scared her. He believes that what ever happened to her before I adopted her is still burned in her memory, but doubts that my scaring her will be remembered for long. He said he's noticed how endeared she's becomming to me and thinking she might miss me a little, expecting all will be well when I get home. I do very much appreciate you suggesting I take things slow. I wouldn't have thought of that, but find it a really good idea. If she misses me and wants to get back to the way things were, she'll tell me. And if she's a little mad, or feels she needs to add the absence to her tally of human dislikes, I need to be mentally prepared not to feel hurt or overly concerned. Today was a little better. She did come see me in bed this morning for a quick hello, and started playing on the stairs again. That's how we got in trouble yesterday! She likes to hide, then jump out and run. This time I told her I'm not going to play until I know she's able to hang. She still ran up and down the stairs a few times which I liked. I don't think she would run if she was hurt. I did tell her how cute she was and told her what a good girl she was. It's cute to watch her play. I want her to be a happy, playful and confident cat and forget she was ever cold, hungry and abused. Patience, Patience, Patience are the words of wisdom.
:wavey:

[AlienC]

To: Snickerdoodle.... My cat, Ginger , came from the rescue center, too. She 's still abit skittish, but she's getting better about it.
Mostly it's hissing sounds, but the occasional fast movement by me sets her off.
I left for a week a month ago, and she had daily visits. I leave animal planet on with the sound off, she seems to like to watch it.
I'm always telling her the condo is her's, I'm just taking care of it!

[jw]

Welcome AlienC :wavey: Go give yourself a proper introduction in the intro thread at the top of the board!

[Hol]

I editied this thread - removed the declawing discussion, because there was some confusion about who said what to whom, etc etc. ahhh LOL

The declawing issue seems to be one with varying opinions. If you all wish to open the discussion up again, that's fine,, discuss the issue reasonably, vigorously even, we don't have a problem with that. But please keep proper board etiquette in the forefront.

Try to be respectful of differentiating opinions on any given subject, and those expressing them. Cuz Lord knows,, we all have our opinions. :p

thanks, guys. :)

[unstresst]

....years ago I had a simular situation with a cat.....didn't have that cat long......then there was another cat about a month later that was acting just the same way as the first.....
....The cat was a well adjusted cat.....there was NO reason for this cat to be avoiding me.
.....Got seriously involved in researching this.....something very odd about this......after vet visits to three vets and hours at the library........BEHOLD the reason.
......It seems that that year [summer time] the extra dry air coupled with cheap, cheap carpeting in my apartmnt was causing quite a bit of static electricity.........
after this idea was put forth to me I did indeed notice that whenever the cat got close enough to touch me she was getting a good zap of static electricity...........some pets can eventualy learn to accept this and act normaly....whereas other pets are extra sensitive to it and will stay away from their people while indoors

[Snickerdoodle]

:wavey: Poor kitty getting zapped! A very good point I'm sure many would miss. I couldn't help but chuckle. We bring these little creatures into our homes to keep them safe, but there's still the element of surprise. As for Snickers, my carpet is the non zap variety. My little sweetie needs to forget those days of danger and mistrust, and it's all coming along well. She plays with all of her toys, taken full command of her scratching post with the perch (I thought she would never jump on the perch!) and walks about the house like she owns the place (actually she does, but I try not to let on). She's still skiddish about being picked up. My guess is that being picked up has never been a good experience for her. It spelled danger when she was a stray, and being caged and relocated in an effort to get her adopted after her rescue. I'm trying to demonstrate that being picked up can be a safe and loving act. I've been very selective and only try when she's calm and relaxed. Gentle with soft kind words, and gently putting her back down. It's working, each time I try it, I notice she's more relaxed than the last. I know she really trusts me because she let me clip all of her toenails without one flinch. I was sweating bullets on that one, but she was a perfect little lady. In fact, so much so, I think I could have given her a manacure and she would have been ok with it.

Time will tell, but I hope to help her forget her troublesome past by the end of the year.
:angel:

[Hol]

HiYa, Snickerdoodle,,, Debi! Nice to see ya here.

A little at a time, Snickers' past is beginning to fade. You're luvin' her into safe and content. :)

[unstresst]

....sounds like cat is well on it's way to overcoming.
...Always good to hear those happy endings.

.........[where I live our dogs occasionly have "dry" days where they get a static 'zap' whenever I touch them......If one isn't looking for it one would think dog was acting wierd.....flinching when they're petted]