my cat's never done this before...?

Question

We have an extremely affectionate and friendly 7 month old kitten. My boyfriend rescued him from a warehouse cooler back in December. He was a little afraid of people when we first got him home, but it didn't last long. We have lots of guests over all the time, and he'll play with everyone.

This morning, my mom met him for the first time. He loves being picked up, so I was carrying him into the kitchen to see her, but he took one look at her and freaked out! My mom is not scary looking, so no comments like that please. But, the cat jumped over my shoulders right away and hid in the living room hissing at her until she left. Then he was fine right away.

He's never done anything like that before. Is it possible she reminds him of someone he knew while he was a stray? Someone from the vet he didn't like? I'm really stomped. Any ideas?

my mom simply stood there. She wasn't talking, or moving at all. He only looked at her for a second before he ran off.

also, since a week after we got him here, he's never needed time to get used to people. he walks up to people he's never met before all the time, and tries to play with them.

Answer 1

first of all who stomped on you? and secondly cats are really terrotorial animals, they will feel threatened if they meet new people. Does your mom have animals cats or dogs. the cat will smell the scent of a competing animal on her clothes and thinking that it is her will compete for dominance.

Answer 2

She could look similar to someone who abused him. I took in a stray a while ago she's very friendly and loves people. She gets along alright with the other 2 cats we have. She HATES our dog. She won't give our giant "cat" a chance. I think perhaps when she was on the streets a dog tormented her.
It has to be a bad memory. Also cats don't like to be pushed onto people. More times then not they will go to the person who is afraid of cats and isn't paying attention to them then they will to people who fuss over them.

Answer 3

Cats have very good mental senses... if someone is uncomfortable or nervous around a cat, they will instinctively react in the same manner. Let your cat become slowly introduced to your mother - we adopted a rescued dog from Hurricane Katrina, and the best thing we could do at first because she was so frightened, was to act like she was not there... tell your mother to not pay much attention to the young kitten, and let them bond slowly.

Answer 4

properly while my cat does that it many times skill that the clutter container isn't wiped sparkling. So. verify the clutter container then see what's the issue. Take her to the vet this could be a demonstration of a foul respiratory device. So take her to the vet. that is actual significant you do. And if the cat starts throwing up it must be the issue with the meals your giving it.

Answer 5

My cat is the same way with my landlord.Cats have a sixth sense.. in my cats case my landlord doesn't like him and constantly asks me to get rid of the cat. He once just heard my landlord say hello to my husband at the driveway and he was flying ( literally ) off the kitchen counter into the bedroom . think cats can sense if someone loves them or not.

Answer 6

it's possible that your mom smells like someone that your cat has met before. cats are usually very sensitive and like people a lot. but your mom is the issue. i would think that your mom should just stay away from the cat, or if she puts a specific perfume on, to change it. most likely your cat will keep running away from her, or will get used to it. i think you'll just have to wait. sometimes it takes longer for cats to adjust to some other people. :P

Answer 7

Hello..well this was the first time the cat met mom, that is why...as you say, he was afraid & shy of you & strangers till he got to know them...same goes for moms, family & friends...just cuz they're family, etc don't mean the cat knows them or that he can trust them..let the cat go to them if & when he chooses ...Take Care :)

Answer 8

Does your mum have any pets of her own? Perhaps he picked up their scent from her clothes and panicked.

Was she wearing a strong perfume - perhaps the cat took offence to that.

If guests normally enter your home via the front door, he gets to see them arrive. Maybe he wasn't expecting to see any strangers in the kitchen. Perhaps it just startled him. Cats can be pretty flighty at times.

Answer 9

I have 6 cats hehe sorta a freak i know. Its usually a smell or noise that may trigger this behavior. try giving your mom cat nip and she should keep it in her pockets when she comes in or some cat treats....then have her sit in the living room for a while so the cat can get used to her smell and the noises she makes...then you can either get the cat or let him come out on his own and have your mom feed him or give him the nip or just give him the i love you in cat lang. squint her eyes and blink slowly while looking at him. ;) good luck hehe

Answer 10

When cats feel threatened, they usually respond in three ways to the object, person or situation they perceive as a threat: fight, flee or freeze. Some cats become so frightened they lose control of their bladder or bowels and eliminate right where they are. Each cat has his/her preferred way of dealing with a crisis. You'll notice that your cat probably tends to try one option first, and if that doesn't work, she's forced to try a different option. For instance, if your cat is afraid of dogs and a friend brings his dog to your home to visit, you might notice the following: first, your cat puffs out her fur to make herself look big, then hisses and spits at the dog. If the dog doesn't retreat, your cat may flee the situation, find a hiding spot, and freeze until she deems the situation safe.

Your cat may show the following behaviors when she is fearful:

Hiding
Aggression (spitting, hissing, growling, piloerection, swatting, biting, scratching)
Loss of control over bladder and/or bowels
Freezing in place


It's normal for you to want to help and comfort your cat when she's frightened. However, this isn't necessarily the best thing to do from your cat's point of view. It's normal for a cat to feel insecure or frightened in a new environment. Often, your new cat will hide for a day or two when you first bring her home. Sometimes a traumatic experience like a visit to the veterinarian, or introducing a new animal into the household, can disrupt her routine and send her under the bed for a few days.

What Causes Fearful Behavior?
You'll need to closely observe your cat to determine the trigger for her fearful behavior. Keep in mind that just because you know that the person or animal approaching your cat has good intentions, doesn't mean that she feels safe. The trigger for her fearful behavior could be anything. Some common triggers are:

A particular person
A stranger
Another animal
A child
Loud noises
What You Can Do
Take the following steps to reduce your cat's anxiety and help her become more confident:

First, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for a thorough physical examination to rule out any medical reasons for your cat's fearful behavior. Cats don't always act sick, even when they are. Any sudden behavior change could mean that your cat is ill and should be taken seriously. Some common symptoms that your cat may be ill are aggressiveness, hiding and eliminating outside of the litter box.
If your cat is healthy, but hiding, leave her alone. She'll come out when she's ready. To force her out of her hiding spot will only make her more fearful. Make sure she has easy access to food, water and her litter box from her hiding place. Clean the litter box and change the food and water every day so you know whether she is eating and drinking.
Keep any contact with the fear stimulus to a minimum.
Keep your cat's routine as regular as possible. Cats feel more confident if they know when to expect daily feeding, playing, cuddling and grooming.
Try to desensitize your cat to the fear stimulus:
Determine what distance your cat can be from the fear stimulus without responding fearfully.
Introduce the fear stimulus at this distance while you're feeding your cat tasty treats and praising her.
Slowly move the fear stimulus closer as you continue to praise your cat and offer her treats.
If at any time during this process your cat shows fearful behavior, you've proceeded too quickly and will need to start over from the beginning. This is the most common mistake people make when desensitizing an animal, and it can be avoided by working in short sessions, paying careful attention to your cat so that you don't progress too rapidly for her.
You may need help from a professional animal behavior specialist with the desensitization process.
A Note About Aggression
If your cat is threatening you, another person or an animal, you should seek help from a professional animal behavior specialist. To keep everyone safe in the meantime, confine your cat to an area of the house where all interactions with her are kept to a minimum and are supervised by a responsible person. Cat bites and scratches are serious and can easily become infected. Bites should be reported to your local animal control agency so that your cat can be quarantined and watched for signs of rabies. If you can't keep your cat separated from the stimuli that brings on her aggressive behavior and you're unable to work with a professional animal behavior specialist, please consider having your cat humanely euthanized. The safety of your cat and the other animals and humans she encounters, should be your first consideration. See our handout on Feline Aggression Towards People for more information.

What Not To Do
Don't punish your cat for her fearful behavior. Animals associate punishment with what they're doing at the time they're punished, so your cat is likely to associate any punishment you give her with you. This will only cause her to become fearful of you and she still won't understand why she's being punished.
Don't force her to experience the object or situation that is causing her fear. For example, if she is afraid of a certain person, don't let that person try to pick her up and hold her. This will only make her more frightened of that person.