2023-07-22 09:00:00
Felines are generally in good physical health, but emotionally they are more fragile, so they may tend to be reticent with their owners.
Photo: Freepik
Ingrid Johnson, a certified cat behavior expert, told PetMD that fear and anxiety in cats can lead to a shy personality in them. “A trusting cat will walk through the center of the room, his tail will be held high and he will act as if he were the owner of the place,” commented the expert for the previously mentioned portal. “On the other hand, fearful cats will be able to slink off into space. Their behavior will depend on whether they are experiencing acute or chronic stress.”
Read: What does it mean when a strange cat comes to your house?
One of the most common behaviors in frightened cats occurs when they bristle or decide to sit up. carla carpio (@tata.veterinaria on Instagram), a veterinary doctor, specialist in Animal Welfare and Ethology, told La Red Zoocial that this is a defensive posture, where the cat is communicating that it is afraid and that it might attack to defend itself. “It is common that when they adopt this posture, they can make noises with their mouths. If they feel very threatened, they might attack to protect themselves,” explains Carpio.
The arched back in felines is not only a way to stretch sleepy muscles following a nap, but also to communicate that they feel threatened. In the latter case, bristling is usually accompanied by hair, standing out all over its body, especially its tail.
However, the question arises as to why cats are afraid of humans, especially their owners. The Animal Expert portal indicates that this may be related to various factors, the vast majority of which are related to negative experiences in the socialization process.
Read: Why do cats have scratchy tongues?
“Neofobia”
If a cat is introduced to a new home (either because it was recently adopted or changed owners), everything can be new to it and, in this way, it can develop neophobia. “All animals with a developed central nervous system instinctively show fear of new things or situations, this is known as neophobia. The neurological center of fear is the amygdala, which not only influences the reaction to fear, but also acts on conditioned or learned fears”, indicates the aforementioned portal.
However, it is completely normal for the cat to be scared by a new house and the ideal is that we help it in the adaptation process that can last from several days to months.
Read: What scares cats the most?
Lack of socialization
Cat expert adds that a cat can also develop fear because it has never socialized with humans and does not like to share spaces. “A correct socialization begins at two months of life, when weaning has finished. Thus, the cat will be able to associate his new life with the presence of humans ”, indicates the portal.
However, when it is not possible to socialize the cat in a new environment or people, the ideal is to seek the help of a professional to avoid any accident or major behavior problem. “The advice is patience and consistency to help your cat adjust,” the post reads.
Read: What is the most irascible or angry cat breed?
illness or trauma
However, when adopting a cat we run the risk of not knowing some traumatic situations that it has experienced, such as abuse or abandonment. “It is important to point out that it is not easy to differentiate the fear of a cat due to mistreatment from that of another due to abandonment and lack of socialization, since both individuals will be afraid of people,” says Animal Expert.
Given this situation, the socialization period will be much longer and, perhaps, expert advice will be needed to evaluate an appropriate treatment for the feline.
Read: What does it mean when a cat meows non-stop? These are the main reasons
However, if your cat has a sudden change in behavior, it may have some type of disease. This is problematic because many cats hide pain as a defense method so as not to appear vulnerable. This can allow them to hide illnesses, such as dental disease or osteoarthritis, to avoid appearing weak in the face of predators.
Therefore, the best recommendation is that at any alarm sign take your cat to the vet and, in this way, safeguard its life.
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