How to calm a scared cat - Tips

By Mariola Baez. 18 August 2021

Although each feline has its own character, cats are generally sociable and affectionate animals. Even so, certain situations can cause stress in cats and it is very important to know how to calm a nervous cat to help him. If your feline feels uneasy, threatened or cornered, the chances are high that he will adopt aggressive behavior or end up attacking you, even if he tries to run away first. That is why it is essential to know how to make a scared cat trust you. Even the friendliest and calmest animal can experience, at a certain moment, sensations of fear and anxiety, so it is normal but you have to know how to handle it in the best possible way. For this reason, in this OneHOWTO article, we explain all the keys to know how to recognize the signs that indicate that your pet is upset and we tell you how to reassure a frightened cat.

1. How to know if a cat is scared
2. Try to find what is scaring him
3. talk to him with love
4. Stand up to him
5. Offer him his favorite prize
6. Caress him without overwhelming him
7. Never corner a scared cat
8. Use pheromones for cats

How to know if a cat is scared

If you live with a cat, you surely know its customs and its usual behavior perfectly. In general, cats are "very much their own". Although they are playful and affectionate, there are always times when they like to maintain their space and a certain independence. Keep this in mind and do not overwhelm him when he decides to be alone and hide anywhere in the house until he decides to reappear and look for you to pay attention to him. This is a very common behavior in cats that has nothing to do with fear or stress. A frightened cat is easy to recognize, because its own body language will give you all the clues you need. How to know if a cat is afraid? Take a look at the following:

If you detect this situation, it is essential to reassure the animal and if you want to know how to calm a cat's nerves, the following tips will help you achieve it.

Try to find what is scaring him

Finding out what causes her nervousness is an important first step in making your cat's fear go away. It can be a noise that is strange and unpleasant, the presence of unknown people or another animal (for example a dog), a space that overwhelms him... are some common causes, especially when a cat is scared in a new house, because he does not know this new environment and does not trust anything or anyone. In these cases, be patient and simply give him his space. Let him wander around his new home and become familiar with everything around him. The first few days, try to find out what makes him nervous, to avoid the focus of restlessness whenever possible (it can be something as simple as the noise of a washing machine spinning). Here you can read about Why my cat is very fearful.

If your case is that the cat has just arrived home, or will soon arrive, then we recommend you also read this other OneHOWTO article on How to move house with a cat.

talk to him with love

In other cases, it may not be so easy to know why your cat is afraid. If the pet you have lived with for a long time suddenly shows the signs of stress that we have described, the best way to try to calm your cat is to speak gently and slowly. If he's nervous, don't try to pick him up to calm him down. Just talk to him and your calm tone of voice will convey precisely the calm he needs. Of course do not yell at him, scold or threaten him even if he is hiding in a place where you do not want him to be. It is better to give him calm and confidence so that he only goes out and when he approaches you you can already touch him or pick him up.

Stand up to him

If your cat is nervous, already with his back hunched (and perhaps about to attack), crouching or stretching, keeping a safe distance from him, can give good results. Getting down to his level (and not standing up) will make the animal discard any threatening attitude on your part.

In this way, he will begin to calm down, leave the crouched or hunched position he was in preparing to jump and either stay calm or, probably, go somewhere else. In this situation, don't follow him immediately, as he may become just as nervous again and attack you if he gets cornered.

Offer him his favorite prize

It is a little trick that can also make your cat relax and forget about what has caused him fear. Offer him some wet food or show him that cat toy that he likes so much, maybe he will get closer to you to savor that delicacy that you are offering him or to play with his favorite toy and, thus, he will be distracted from his initial problem. Take advantage of this moment to change the source of his fear (remove what made him nervous or if you can't, take him to another area of ​​the house), so the problem will not be repeated as soon as he stops being distracted a little with food or play .

Caress him without overwhelming him

If you see that the cat is beginning to be a little calmer, try slowly approaching it and petting it with a finger. Felines love cuddling around the nose or under the chin. If he rejects the caresses, do not insist, but if he accepts them willingly, little by little you will make the fear disappear and confidence will prevail in you.

Here you can read more about How to pet a cat, but remember that the most important thing is to know if he is comfortable and wants more or if he moves away or is restless and it is better that you leave him alone.

Never corner a scared cat

This is a basic premise to calm a frightened cat. Make sure you always have an escape route that you can go to whenever you want, for example, to another room or to a high place like a closet, the back of a sofa or a scratching post with a platform. Many cats calm down high up, somewhere where they can control their surroundings and keep a good eye out for any potential threats.

Use pheromones for cats

In extreme cases, you can also turn to pheromone products for cats. The pheromones that felines naturally secrete manage to calm them when they smell them, especially with maternal pheromones, which calm the young quickly. You can find sprays and diffusers with these pheromones to have at home and get your cat to detect the pheromones through smell and feel more relaxed without noticing the process.

However, before using them, a veterinary consultation is advisable. If fear and stress problems with your cat are frequent, they may need some type of treatment (perhaps they are in pain or have an undetected disease) or the help of an ethologist to analyze their behavior and the possible causes.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Calm Down a Scared Cat, we recommend you visit our Pets category.