Timid, anxious cats tend to have a number of characteristics, including:
- Being exceptionally vulnerable to stress
- Becoming extremely fearful in response to noise or other disturbances
- Being wary of people and running away or hiding from social contact
- Sitting still or trying to hide rather than exploring new surroundings
- Engaging in ambivalent behaviours, such as running toward an open window as if to go out and then stopping and running away from it
- Over-grooming or pulling out fur when there is no medical problem or parasite infestation
- Keeping people and animals away with defensive aggression
- Responding to stress with depressive behaviours, such as refusing to eat
Some timid cats grow bolder in the presence of their owners and suffer separation anxiety when their owners aren’t around, whereas others are always fearful, even when their owners are with them.
Causes of Timidity and Neuroses in Cats
There are a number of reasons why cats may become anxious, fearful, timid, and neurotic, including:
- Lack of early socialization
- Abuse or rough handling
- Genetic predisposition
- Physical or psychological trauma
- Being taken away from their mothers and littermates too early
A kitten that is the runt of the litter is also more likely to be anxious as an adult, though good socialization and staying with their mothers and littermates for 12 weeks before being adopted out can help to counter this trend.
There is a Critical Socialization Period for Kittens
The critical period for socialization of kittens occurs between approximately 2 and 14 weeks of age, with the period between 3 and 8 weeks being the most sensitive. During this critical period, kittens should be handled by as many people as possible. If this is not done, they may develop phobias of all unknown people or specific categories of people (i.e., men with beards). A phobia may also develop if a kitten is mistreated or roughly handled during this time, so young children should be supervised around kittens.
Kittens that are handled regularly are more likely to sit on a lap for longer as adults. They are also more inclined to approach and be comfortable with new people.
Introducing a kitten to other pets such as dogs, rats, parrots, and rabbits increases the likelihood that these animals will be tolerated later in life by the adult cat. However, such introductions should be supervised initially to ensure that other animals don’t harm the kitten and vice versa. Kittens raised among other pets will usually view them as part of their family.
Some Cats Have a Natural Predisposition to be Anxious
Not all anxious, neurotic cats have become that way as a result of inadequate or traumatic early socialization. Approximately 20% of cats meet the criteria for timidity even when they have been properly socialized and gently handled. Like people, some cats have a genetic predisposition to suffer from anxiety.
One study in which the researcher recorded the length of time it took various cats to come out of their homes both when people were around and when the area was deserted found that confident cats would wait an average of 18 seconds before coming out when there were no people around and 3 seconds if there was a person there. Timid cats, by contrast, took 86 seconds to emerge into a deserted area and 75 seconds to do so in the presence of a person.
Some people believe that certain purebreds such as Siamese cats are more inclined to be nervous by nature, but research suggests the opposite. Good breeders know how to socialize kittens and purebreds usually aren’t adopted out until at least 12 weeks of age, which reduces the likelihood of being neurotic. Overall, when kittens are well socialized and handled gently, there is no difference in outcomes between pedigreed and non-pedigreed felines.
Separation Anxiety in Cats
Timid cats are also more inclined to suffer from separation anxiety. However, separation anxiety can also occur in a formerly confident cat as a result of trauma, major changes (such as a move to a new house), the loss of a loved one, or serious illness. Separation anxiety may manifest as crying or howling, particularly when the owner is away from the house or asleep, and urinating or defecating in inappropriate places. Like phobias, separation anxiety can be treated using behavioural therapy.
Behavioural Therapy for Cats
If a cat displays seemingly neurotic behaviour such as howling without apparent cause or litter box problems, a visit to the veterinarian should first be made to rule out medical problems. If the problem isn’t physical, then behavioural therapy is usually the most effective form of treatment, though some cases of temporary anxiety will resolve on their own if the owner provides extra attention and affection, and attempts to identify and remove stressors.
Ethologists (animal behavioural psychologists) are good at treating a variety of problems in cats, ranging from phobic behaviours to aggression to litter box problems. Such therapy will usually include guidance for handling, interaction, and countering the psychological issues that cause the undesirable behaviour.
Further Reading
For more information on dealing with anxious behaviours in cats, see Anxieties and Phobias in Cats, Natural Anxiety Remedies for Cats and Dogs, and Psychological Litter Box Problems.
References:
- Sands, David, Dr. (2005). Cats: 500 Questions Answered. London, UK: Octopus Publishing Group.
- Tabor, Roger. (1997). Understanding Cat Behaviour. Cincinnati, OH: F&W Publications, Inc.
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