Poor Makis... Please Help!

[Gato'smum]

My Grandma's cat, Makis, is extremely timid. He spends most of his time in a box in her basement and cringes at any loud noises. She adopted him from a rescue shelter in Greeley, CO, so he was probably abused; However, she's had him for almost three years, and he's still a scaredy-cat (no pun intended)

She really wants to help Makis be less timid. She even told me yesterday that she was going to try subjecting him to loud noises so he'll get used to them, but I think that would be too traumatic for him; if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to post them- I'll be listening!

[mamaducky]

Oh, the poor little guy! I'd have to agree with you that abuse is likely part of Makis' history.

I also agree with you VERY STRONGLY that subjecting him to loud noises would be really upsetting to him, and would not achieve the desired results. If she does that, then Makis might start associating the loud and traumatic noises with her -- and that would make it even harder for them to build a close and trusting relationship!

Has Grandma had Makis to the vet to be examined, and to discuss this problem? That would be a good first step.

My vet -- and many, many of my PT friends -- recommended a product called Feliway. It is a synthetic pheromone that comes in a spray or a plug-in diffuser, and helps cats feel calmer and more comfortable. It made a big difference in my multi-cat household in just a matter of few days, and I think it would definitely be worth a try in Makis' case.

Now, having said all that, there are cats who just tend to be timid and not "people" animals -- and that might be Makis' basic personality. However, I'm sure his vet will be able to help Grandma come up with some strategies to help him be happier and better adjusted. God bless her for adopting from a rescue shelter -- and the best of luck to all of you!

Hugs,
Diana

P.S. Here are a couple of links with further advice about dealing with timid cats -- hope they help!

http://www.gardenstew.com/about92.html

http://www.best-cat-art.com/nervous-cats.html

[cristy]

I agree with Diana. PLEASE don't let Grandma scare him like that!!! I don't have any advice on the "scaredy-cat" front, since I've never really dealt with any super shy cats. I do think that normal house sounds shouldn't be avoided, but extra noises are not the answer!

I'll say a prayer that things work out quickly for this little guy and your Grandma!

[mamaducky]

Hi again --

Just wondering; "Makis" sounds like a Greek name -- is it?

If that's the case, no WONDER he's being difficult..!

Hugs,
Diana
Owned by 3 Cats
Married to a Greek Guy

[Gato'smum]

yes, it is. My grandma lived in Cyprus for several years. I don't remember what 'Makis' means, but I do know that the name of her other cat, Nessa, mans "forest nymph".

[moosmom]

Your Grandma needs to have company over more often so Makis can get used to everyday noises. Poor baby. He sounds feral, but that isn't necessarily the case. Lil A was feral but since coming to live with me, she's still scared and will run and hide when someone comes over, but she's come so far since then.

Feliway is a good product. They sell an herbal calmer that I use on my cats. Just a couple of drops in water will do it.

Tell Grandma to lay off scaring him. It'll only make things worse.

[Sundance]

Oh, no, don't let Grandma generate loud noises! That's the last thing Makis needs right now. My similar experience was with a feral cat who had been wandering around outside for at least 3 years. Someone in the neighborhood was feeding her and the other cats in the colony, but I would see her sitting under our bird feeders waiting for birds and chipmunks. She also tapped on the sliding glass door at night, trying to attract the attention of my kitties inside.

She was very skittish, and ran away any time I approached the window. After seeing one of the other ferals lying dead on the side of the road, we decided to try to capture her. It took almost 3 months to trap her. She was smart and fast. We finally caught her when the temperature was below zero, so she must have been really cold and hungry. The next day, she went to the vet to be checked out. She was about 5 years old and pretty healthy, except for her teeth. Unfortunately, she spent the first two weeks with us stuffed behind a filing cabinet, as flat against the wall as she could get. I would sit on the floor and slide my hand back there while I talked quietly to her. She never made a sound, but I could feel her pressing her face against my hand, so I thought there was hope that she would eventually come out. She did, but she ran under a sofa bed, and spent the next 3 months under it. She had her own litterbox and food/water dishes, so we just kept the room shut off from the other kitties, and spent as much time as we could with her. We pulled the sofa out from the wall a bit so I could see behind it. Usually all I could see was the tip of her tail, but the more I sat and talked to her, the more she would crawl towards my end of the sofa. We started leaving the door open at night, and one morning, she was no longer under the sofa. Nope, during the night, she had crossed the hall and planted herself under our waterbed. She was a little more vulnerable there, because the other kitties could see her, but I would spend hours lying on the floor with my hand stretched under the bed, talking softly, and gradually, she would move towards me and press her head on my hand. She started coming out from under the bed to see me when the bedroom door was shut, the house was quiet, and no other kitties were around. At night, she would venture forth to explore, and sometimes another kitty would chase her back. It took lots of patience, but one night, we saw a streak fly through the living room, so we knew she was beginning to trust us. She had found the dry food we kept on the laundry room counter and she wanted it enough to go after it while we were awake.

Altogether, it took about 7 months before she came into the living room to sit and watch us, but it was well worth the wait. She still struggles if I pick her up, but if it's on her terms, she'll sit with me for hours. She loves nothing better than Mommy taking a nap so she can curl up against me. She sleeps on the waterbed at night with the other kitties, and she wants to be wherever we are. She is one of the most affectionate kitties we have. However, the sound of thunder, hot air balloons, and fireworks drive her right back under the bed until the noise is over. Most household noises don't bother her at all, including the washer, dryer and vacuum cleaner. She retreats back under the bed if a stranger visits, or if the doorbell rings, but as soon as she hears the door close behind them, she's sitting in the living room again waiting for us.

Please tell Grandma to have patience with Makis. It's so rewarding when a cat decides to trust you! Also, Feliway has worked for our kitties. We adopted an older male cat, and he terrorized our other male for a couple of months, chasing him under the bed at all hours. The Feliway helped calm them both down. I also tried Cat Faeries Flower Essences, both Multi-Cat Household and Territorial Rescue. I think they also helped. We have 7 happy cats and they all get along great now!

Good luck to your Grandma and Makis! Since he sounds timid and not mean, there's a good chance he will come around.

Regards,
Sundance

[Gato'smum]

My Grandma wasn't going to try and scare Makis; she just wanted to let him get used to everday noises. I know that what I said made her sound mean, but it was my fault .

[mamaducky]

Oh, come on now. We just KNOW your sweet little Grandma was going to chase Makis around her basement with a chain saw, wearing a hockey mask like something out of a horror movie!

Poor Grandma -- no, I don't think any of us thought she was some wicked old lady. She is obviously a compassionate and patient person, first for having rescued Makis to begin with, and then for dealing with his unusually timid behavior for three years. If it were me, I'd be at the end of my rope trying to figure out a solution to the poor kitty's problem, just as she no doubt is.

I know that if I, for one, sounded a little emphatic in my response, it was just because I knew that she'd regret exposing him to loud sounds just for the sake of it -- and wanted you to tell her not to try it as soon as you could. As previous posters have said, the normal household noises (probably not including a chainsaw ) should absolutely go on as usual.

Has Makis been to the vet recently?

Hugs,
Diana

[Gato'smum]

whoah- your name is Diana too?! cool.

Anyway-
Yes, I believe he has. why do you ask?

[mamaducky]

You know, all (or at least several) of the cool people are named Diana.

I was wondering if Grandma had mentioned Makis' behavior to the vet, and if the doctor had given her any advice. I'm in the middle of a 4-legged soap opera myself with two of my three cats, and my own vet has been exceptionally helpful.

Of course, the PT community absolutely ROCKS for support and advice as well!


Diana

[mruffruff]

I really must agree with Sundance. Cats don't like loud noises at all. And the most scared cat CAN become a lover.

I have 12 cats; all were ferals that used to live outside. It has taken a long time for some of them to warm up at all. Some still only tolerate me after a couple years.

Each time I introduced a new cat, he/she was housed in a cage in the livingroom. This allowed the other cats to get used to him/her and vice-versa. Also, the normal noises of the household became less frightening.

In a couple of weeks I would open the cage door and let the cat decide when to come out. If he/she decided to hide, that 's OK. However, I have fixed all furniture so they can't get under the bed, sofa or dressers. I do provide carriers and open-fronted boxes for them to snuggle in.

My first suggestion would be to get Makis out of the basement. If he can't hide down there, he will adapt faster. Of course he should have a safe haven, but it should be some place where you can reach him and talk to him. Pet him if he will allow it. Eventually he will understand that no harm will come to him. Have a lot of patience.

Some cats just like to be left alone. And others don't like to be touched.

One of my ferals did a complete turnaround after I contacted Nancy Efrusy, a pet psychic. She helped me understand what the cat was thinking. It isn't expensive and can be done by e-mail. Her address is [email protected].

[Gato'smum]

Thank you SO much, everyone! I really really appreciate your input on this issue. I'll talk to my Grandma (especially about the "Feliway" stuff- thanks, mamaducky! ) and try to help her figure this out...
I'll keep you posted! Thanks again!

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Poor little fella - he clearly feels safe in his box. I hope you can come up with a way of building up his confidence.

Does your Grandma "visit" him in his basement? - talk to him from a distance and gradually get closer and build up the time she spends with him perhaps....

[Emeraldgreen]

Maybe she could put a 'box' in each room that is really similar to his basement box. It might be a way to get him to try out other rooms but still be able to resort to his cave if he feels scared. It might look silly at first, putting boxes all over but over time, maybe your grandma could begin to remove some of the boxes as he begins to feel safer?