If your cat has been acting scared of you, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat act scared of me? Possible reasons why your cat has been acting scared of you are that it is injured, intimidated by your actions, it’s unsure of its environment, it didn’t get human exposure as a kitten or it’s still young.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat acts scared of you and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.
Why does my cat act scared of me?
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat acts scared of you and what would make each of them more likely.
Intimidation
The cause could be that your own behavior is causing it to get intimidated. If you shout around your cat or you have aggressive looking body language, it will likely cause your cat to get scared. Instead, it would help to be calm around your cat and to use more open looking body language.
Injury
The cause could be that it has gotten an injury. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being injured such as limping and not moving around much. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Something is causing it to be anxious
It could also be the case that something has been causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if your cat is not always scared of you and if it seems to be more scared at a certain time such as when there are loud noises outside or in the house.
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Someone else mistreating it
Another possible cause is that another person or pet has been mistreating it. This would be more likely if your cat gets scared when a specific person or pet is around.
It is unsure of its environment
If your cat is in a new environment, the cause could be that it is unsure of its environment. This would be more likely to be the reason if you have recently bought or adopted it. In this case, it should begin to improve within a couple of weeks.
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It’s still young
Cats will usually be more timid as kittens. If your cat is still a kitten, it might be the case that it is normal behavior. In this case, the behavior should improve within a couple of weeks. However, it is important to give it human interaction, while it is a kitten, so that it learns not to be afraid when it is older.
It wasn’t exposed to people as a kitten
Cats are meant to get human exposure during their first two months of life. When they do not get much human exposure as kittens, it can result in them being afraid of humans as adults. If your cat has always been afraid of you, it might be the case that it did not get much human interaction as a kitten. However, this behavior should also get better over time.
A change in its environment
Cats can also often become skittish when there is a change in their environment. If your cat has suddenly started being afraid, after a change in its environment, it is likely to be due to the change. Examples could be if you recently moved homes or got a new pet.
Things to consider about your cat acting scared of you
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
In what way does your cat act scared of you?
It would help to consider the way in which your cat acts scared of you.
If your cat acts scared of you when you are approaching it, the cause would be more likely to be that you have intimidating body language. However, it could also be due to its age or being in a new environment.
If your cat has been acting scared constantly, it would make it more likely to be due to things such as injury, being a kitten, or a change in its environment.
What else happened when your cat first started being scared of you?
If your cat has not always acted scared of you, it would also help to consider what else happened when your cat first started acting scared of you. If it started doing it suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as injury, a change in its environment, or someone else being aggressive around it.
How old it is
It would also help to consider the age of your cat. If it is still a kitten, it would be more likely that it is being scared because kittens often are naturally scared. Whereas, if it is an adult, it would be more likely to be due to one of the other reasons mentioned above.
What can I do about my cat acting scared of me?
Below are some things you can do about your cat acting afraid of you.
Avoid intimidating it
As mentioned above, it might be the case that your cat has been doing it because of the way you have been behaving around it. Instead, it would help to be calm around your cat and to avoid making bold actions when approaching it.
Reward it when it behaves the way you want
It would also help to encourage your cat to behave the way you want by rewarding the behavior. So, whenever it shows signs of not being afraid, it would help to reward it with a treat that it likes.
Give it time
If your cat is still young or you have recently adopted it, it would likely help to wait a while since it will likely become more comfortable after a few weeks.
Get help
If your cat has been being extremely afraid or it has not improved after a few weeks, it would help to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat.
Why is my cat acting scared of me suddenly?
If your cat has started acting scared suddenly, it would make it more likely to be due to things such as a change in its environment, someone being aggressive towards it or getting injured.
Why does my cat act scared of me sometimes?
If your cat is only scared of you sometimes, it could be because it is actually afraid of another person or pet. It might also be because you appear to have threatening body language sometimes or because of other things in its environment such as loud noises.
Why is my cat scared of everyone but me?
The reason why your cat is scared of everyone but you is likely to be that your cat is naturally scared of people that it is less familiar with and that you are the one that spends the most time with it and are the one that feeds it.
Why is my cat scared of me at night?
Your cat might be scared of you at night due to a change in the environment at night such as there being loud noises or other pets or people being around that it does not like. The cause could also have something to do with you interacting with it differently.
Why is my cat only scared of me?
If your cat is only scared of you and nobody else, the cause is likely to be that you treat it in a different manner and it causes your cat to get intimidated. It would help to be calm and gentle with it instead and to consider if other members of the family treat your cat differently to you.