Luna's fear... scary discovery

[Kirsten]

You know that my Luna is a very shy girl, even though she trusts me that far that I'm allowed to trim her nails and clean her teeth... but I just noticed something that makes me wonder...

I was doing some house cleaning and was changing a roll of kitchen paper, holding the stick of the holder in my hand... and when she saw that, she ran away from me and got scared.

Gives you the idea that she might have been hit before with a stick, don't you think so?

I know for sure that something like this has never happened since she lives with me, what means that it must have happened during the first 6 weeks of her life! So far, I thought her timidity and jumpiness results from the fact that she has been seperated that young from her mother, and from her countless vet visits. But now I'm wondering if she has made some bad experiences while she lived with her first family...

Kirsten

[catnapper]

That would make one wonder. At Christmas time I played with the rolls of carboard left after the paper is gone. All three of my animals jumped and played with it. I would think that the only way an animal would react badly to something like that is if they've been mistreated with something similar. It just breaks my heart that someone would be so heartless as to hit an animal with their hand, let alone a stick.

Perhaps you can try to work with Luna holding various stick-like objects showing her that you wouldn't ever hurt her with it. Perhaps she'll come out of her shell once she sees that sticks don't mean harm anymore.

[Kirsten]

It just hit me that she's also scared of cat ticklers and dangling toys, all this kind of stuff cats usually like... I tried to make her realize that it's something she can have fun with, but she would only run away.

BTW, she grew up in a household with kids that played very rough. Maybe one of them has scared her unintentionally...

Kirsten

[slick]

Max is deathly afraid of anything with a handle like the broom, my mop, even a wooden spoon. It totally freaks him out and I know for a fact that he was never abused because I met his other family. Strange kitties indeed.

[Kirsten]

It totally freaks him out and I know for a fact that he was never abused but I met his other family

Hmmm, so you think it's just a strange kitty thing? Well, maybe some cats just are like this!

I don't know Luna's first family well enough to say they would abuse cats or not. All I know is that they wanted to get rid of the kittens at the age of 6 weeks, to spay the mommy cat before she gets pregnant again, and when it turned out she already was, they gave her to another family.

Kirsten

[boscibo]

I don't know...Hanna, despite the sorry state she was in when I found her (skinny, sick, hungry, burned whiskers) isn't afraid of much. She is not afraid of most people, the dogs, the vacuum cleaner, not much scares her. But one day I was holding her and my boyfriend walked through the doorway with a load of clean laundry - and Hanna went ballistic. She scrambled away and ran and hid. She has never reacted that way again, but it was weird. Maybe Luna thought it was something else?

[Prairie Purrs]

Sometimes is really is just a cat thing. Angel was born in my house and has never, ever, ever been abused (unless you count the squirt bottle), but he runs at the slightest movement. Unless, of course, he's determined to be nawtee, in which case he ignores me altogether.

[cubby31682]

Cubby is afraid of those as well. I know he was never abused or hit with something like that. After all I got him from my mother which she doesn't have a mean bone in her body when it comes to animals. Cubby is also afraid of alot of people as well. I think his problems come from his mother which was a feral and had Cubby and his sister. So he was raised following in his mom's foot steps so I can see why he is afraid of so many things.

But for poor little Luna girl, I can't really say for sure. Maybe she is just one of those cats that is easily afraid of new things that she isn't use to.

Katie

[Barbara]

Both of my boys have issues like that: Tigris is more or less scared by everything that happens suddenly - like turning a page of the newspaper, sneezing, lifting your hand (e.g. while you are talking and explaining things) and he is scared by bigger toys, e.g. rat size mousies etc.

He was born in a house together with his 3 siblings and was never abused.

Filou runs as soon as you approach him with the hand - you are allowed close with your nose and if it's he who jumps on ypour shoulder you can pet him.

He is born in a house and was spoilt rotten before we got him. His first human dad rather cried when it came to letting Filou go and he was allowed on the table sharing sandwiches with him

It may be that Luna simply didn't recognize the human shape when you had that stick which worried her.

One thing for sure is true: the character of cats is as different as the character of humans and some are more courageous than others

[catcrazylady]

Kirsten it so nice to have you back!!! We missed you!

As for things kitties are scared of...who knows! If you don't know their past you can think all kinds of things but when you know darn well that they have never been hurt you just have to figure it's one of those wierd kitty things! I've decided that a lot of my wierd behavior is due the feral but I can't explain the rest of it!

I think they just like to keep you guessing!

[catmandu]

It wasnt your fault , and sometimes thge Found Cats will panic , like that , for no earthly reason!

[Twink]

I would bet that it’s just kitty vapors. Rizzo is a very laid-back sort of guy, not scared by much of anything as long as it’s in “his” apartment. The vacuum cleaner, the squeaky ironing board…things that have terrified other cats I’ve known… well, he gives them a wide berth, but he’s not scared of them. But his daddy’s red jacket? Terrifies him. Makes no sense. Who knows what they see, where we see common household objects?

But then, I’m of the opinion that there’s no need to depress ourselves with the thought of possible-but-not-certain abuse when there are plenty of plain enough cases out there! Me and my rose-colored glasses, waltzing merrily through life, yep. . .

[Twink]

Oh, and Kirsten, I haven't had a chance to say this yet, but it's so good to have you back!!!

[nibblets]

I've noticed Julie DOES NOT like any kind of confined space...like her carrier, or the cubby hole in her cat gym, she doesn't get in boxes or bags like most kitties to play. I've wondered if she just remembers spending too much time in carriers or cages before she was adopted. She was very young when she was rescued as a stray. I don't know what the conditions were where she was found.
BUT...then again...she has torn the undercover of my box springs and gets up inside there to sleep...so go figure!

[Kirsten]

Okay, you're probably right and it's only a special "Luna-thingy"...

It would be so nice if we knew what's going on in their little heads, wouldn't it?

It's just that Lily is so different! Sneezing is the only thing she fears, and so far I haven't seen anything else that scares her.

And yes, it's nice being back, but I still feel I'm not back 100% since I'm still very tired and the computer makes me feel exhausted... but I guess I'm on the mend...

Kirsten