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Why is my cat scared of the doorbell?

If your cat is afraid of the doorbell, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.

So, why is my cat afraid of the doorbell? The most likely reason why your cat is afraid of the doorbell is that it is afraid of strangers. It could also be due to the high-pitched sound of the bell.

There are a number of possible causes and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.

Why is my cat afraid of the doorbell?

Below are a number of possible causes and what would make each of them more likely.

It is afraid of strangers

The reason why your cat is afraid of the doorbell is likely to be that it is afraid of strangers. This would be more likely if your cat only gets afraid when it is not a family member that is at the door. This would be more likely if your cat also gets afraid when a stranger knocks at the door. In this case, it could help to give your cat a safe space that it can go to.

Previous experiences

Another possible cause could be that it had bad previous experiences when the doorbell rang in the past. One example could be if strangers came inside one time and started touching the cat.

Related: Why is my cat afraid of the dark?

Nature

It is common for cats to be naturally skittish. The reason why your cat is afraid of the doorbell could be that it is an unusual sound and your cat does not know what might be causing it so your cat gets scared.

It doesn’t like the high pitched sound

Cats can hear much high pitches than we can. Another possible cause is that your cat does not like the sound of the bell. This would be more likely if your cat does not get afraid when a strangers knocks at the door instead of rings the bell.

Related: Why doesn’t my cat like to cuddle?

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main cause.

If your cat has always been scared of the doorbell

If your cat was not always afraid of the doorbell, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first became afraid of the bell. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to getting mistreated or because you changed the bell.

What is different when your cat is not afraid of the doorbell

If your cat is not always afraid of the sound, it would also help to consider what is different when your cat is not afraid. For example, if your cat is not afraid when a family member rings the bell, the cause could actually be that it does not like strangers.

What to do about your cat being afraid of the doorbell

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main cause.

Reward it when it is not afraid

One option would be to give your cat a reward whenever it does not get afraid of the bell. Doing this should help to teach it that getting afraid will not result in it getting a reward. One way to do this could be to ring the bell yourself a few times then reward your cat.

Give it a safe space it can do to

Another option would be to give your cat a space where it can go and feel safe. One way to do so could be to give your cat a cat bed that it can hide in.