Shy Cats

Hi, I am new to this Forum. Not sure if there is a spot where I have to introduce myself first , if so please let me know and I will do it.

I have 10 cats, 2 of them I took from the daughter of an old co-worker that was going through a bad divorce. I was told these 2 cats should stay together because they are alittle shy.

Well 'alittle" was the understatement fo the century. These cats are horrified of humans. Later i was told they were used to breed Ragdoll cats. I am thinking they were caged all the time cause these cats are not normal. We have them for around 2 years now and the first 12 month they lived under our bed. They ate there, had their litterbox there, slept there. Now atleast they go into other rooms when we are not there ( night ) Sometimes they run around during the day if we are home but forget about touching them.
One of them ( Candy ) i was able to bribe into sniffing the tip of my finger and sometimes I can touch her gently when she isnt watching but when she konws its me she runs.. ( like the devil is behind her )... Her brother ( Frankie ) is worse. You cant even look at him. he freezes, then panics and tries to hide.

Besides bribing them what else can I do to make em feel more at home ? Well thats not even true. They snuggle with the other cats and candy loves sleeping with my Am Staff Terrier. They are just not used to humans...

Oh did I mentioned that of course none of em has their shots for anything cause they wont go in a cage. I put frankie in a cage once and he freaked out to the point that I thought he would die in it. banging his head against the walls.... not pretty..

Any idea ?


here is a pic of candy

http://www.num1kitten.com/images/cats/candy.jpg

and Frankie

http://www.num1kitten.com/images/cats/frankie.jpg

Welcome to pet talk:) My name is Zara and my cat's name is Zsa-Zsa and she's a British Blue Spot. You don't have to introduce yourself anywhere, but if you do want to, then the best place to do so is in the General forum;)

Anyway, to answer your question, reassuring and taming cats is no easy business. Cats are naturally wary and independant, and if they have not been handled gently from kittens they are always likely to be a little skittish. Some of the simplest things you can do are speak softly and don't make eye contact, as to cats, this is a threat. I've also heard that gradually expanding the range of area in which the cat can explore can boost confidence eg: just keeping the cat around its basket for a few days and then gradually leaving doors open so it can explore other rooms. Routine is also important, try to make sure that you feed the cat, change the litter box etc at the same time each day so you do not surprise the cat and the cat will be expecting you. It'll be a long process i'm sure, but with patience and perseverance cats can learn to have trust in humans. Good luck.

Oh, and Candy and Frankie are beautiful;)

Have you tried feliway or rescue remedy.
You might want to check if there is a Mobil vet in you area who can come to your home.
If not, ask your vet to prescribe a mild tranquilizer before taking them in for shots.
They are both very beautiful and I think it’s great that they get along so well with your other pets.
After 12 years my black cat still runs from me when she feels like I’m trying to pick her up. It took lots if time and much patience but she is letting me pet her now.
I wish you the best of luck.

]Hello,
I also have a 'shy' kitty. Phoebe is a rescue cat of sorts. She is a beautiful bleu Chantilly/Tiffany.
She was 'retired' from a cattery after having only one litter. She was so timid she wouldn't come out of the carrier when I brought her home. I took the top off and lifted her out and she ran under my bed and stayed there for days. She came out and ate and used the litter but I actually never saw her. One year later she is a very sweet, loving and very needy kitty. She needs to be touched, petted, brushed and adored and she lets me know that I must pay her all the attention she wants and needs. She sleeps on my bed, sometimes, on me, if she gets cold in the night. Love and patience paid off. Phoebe still hides when anyone visits, but she is no longer shy with me

Hi, I have a shy girl, Luigi (yes, I know, it's a boy's name...my son named her so he could have Mario and Luigi). I do not know if she is shy or really angry for bringing Tiger home. Ever since he came here in the summer I am not allowed to pet or cuddle with her. She can rub my legs, or she waits for me to sleep before jumping on me to sleep, (okay I pretend to sleep just to get her attention).

The best thing that works with her is if I ignore her. The harder I try to cuddle or hear her purr the more distant she will become.


Frankie and Candy are gorgeous, I don't blame you for wanting those pets and cuddles. I am glad that they are in your home and out of cages. And even if they just snuggle to other kitties, that is better than their previous experiences.

Twelve cats!? I should be asking you for advice!

And oh, don't forget that famous quote...."If a cat don't wanna, it ain't gonna!"

Welcome to Pet Talk. Yes, General is usually the best place to say Hi, I'm new; cat general works for us cat people. Everyone's shy cats are so beautiful and your two are GORGEOUS! Yes, it takes time and patience and lots of it. My Mitzi is a shy girl; she lets me pet her, but only me. Whenever anyone comes over, she immediately bolts under the bed. Many people don't realize I really do have two cats. The Feliway sounds like a good idea too - I've never used it, but many here have with good results.

I just wanted to say welcome to you and your beautiful kittys.My name is Marlaina and I am owned by my kitty Felix(You can see him in the siggy below)

Thank you all for your tips and tricks. I was atually able to pet candy without her freakin out.
She was laying on the dog pillow next to my desk and was snuggling with spot, I was petting spot then "accidently" petting her. Then I was able to give her chin rubs for 2 minutes. Spot got up and walked away, when candy realized that a human was petting her she ran away. Well we made some progress, thats the most I was able to touch her since we have her

My husband and I adopted a three-legged, terribly shy cat many years ago. When we got her home from the shelter, she streaked out of the carrier and fled to the attic, where she took up residence behind some book shelves.

My husband would go up there every night and sit next to the shelves, reading out loud from whatever book he was currently enjoying. He would also periodically toss her some tasty cat treats.

After a couple months of this, Tripod was completely 'his' cat. She would appear as soon as he got home from work, squeezing into his chair with him or sitting at his feet gazing at him adoringly.

Not one to horn in on a partnership, I gladly played 'bad guy', being the one to do nail trimmings and capture her for vet visits when he wasn't home. She lived with us for 18 years, and was his girl the whole time.

I'd guess patience, gentleness and a ready supply of treats is your answer. Also having somebody else to do the evil stuff, like vet visits and grooming, so they don't associate you with negative experiences.

They're beautiful cats, best of luck with them.

They are absolutely beautiful cats. The fact that you can even get pictures of them shows that they are not quite as shy as my mother's cat Magic. My mother barely ever even sees her - except for her eyes peeking out from her hiding place. Magic was always that way - from kittenhood. She was adopted from a farm, and the kitten that was adopted at the same time, Zane Grey, is as sociable as you please. We have never been able to figure out why Magid is so shy. One time, after I had been staying in my mother's condo alone for almost 2 weeks, Magic climbed onto the bed and into my lap to be petted. That is the only time anyone except for my mother and father have been able to touch her. Some cats are just extra-extra shy - and yours came with a history. I am sorry I don't have any suggestions - just sympathy - and much warmth that you are taking care of such special cats as these, who have great needs and yet have such a hard time sharing affection. Good for you.

We have 2 cats. We used to have Oliver and one evening a friend brought round a tiny black kitty in her handbag who needed a new home. She opened the handbag and there was just black fluff and 2 amber eyes shining up at us! We instantly named her Amber. Oliver took her under his wing and taught her everything feline... how to fight etc. (He did forget to tell her to sheath her claws when she play fights!) Sadly oliver decided to move in with an old lady up the road and Amber really pined, so we went to the RSPCA who recomended a boy cat for company. We brought Marmi home and she hated him! this is nearly 6 years ago and she still spits and hisses at him when he gets too close. Amber is very shy and some of our friends have never seen her in over 12 years :( We tell people that they are very especially honoured if she stays in the room, and if she allows herself to be stroked......well nothing tops that :) Marmi, on the other hand is a bit of a slut, he makes friends with everyone, even the delivery man from Sainsburys! There is nothing shy about him, such a contrast to Amber (who is spoilt rotten by the way) he just loves everyone!