Cats Who Are Shy or Fearful Around People (Feline)

by Petside Team

Cats that are shy or fearful around people is a condition characterized by pronounced and prolonged physiological and behavioral signs of distress in the presence of or in anticipation of exposure to, a particular person or to people in general. The response appears excessive in relationship to the intensity of the trigger and/or interferes with the cat's normal functioning or overall well-being or that of its caretaker.

Signalment
Cats that received little handling by people as very young kittens are usually nervous or afraid of people as adults. This is commonly seen in cats that were formerly strays. Fear of people also seems to have a genetic component that may be expressed more often among strays, likely due to its having adaptive survival value for cats living on the streets.

Furthermore, a cat that was socialized but not by children or men or the elderly, etc., may then act fearfully toward this demographic as an adult. Even well-socialized cats, however, may become fearful of a person or type of person after having an aversive experience with them.

Clinical signs (primary, most to least frequent, scientific term, synonyms)
Clinical signs may include dilated pupils, piloerection (fur standing on end), increased heart rate, increased respiration or panting, trembling, urination or defecation, hypersalivation, changes in appetite, excessive shedding, and footpad sweating.

Behavioral signs may include watchfulness; freezing; cowering; flattening of ears and body; escape or avoidance-oriented behavior; hiding; hissing; growling; a decrease in activity level; play and attention-soliciting behavior; marking with urine and/or stool; over-grooming leading to hair loss; and swatting at, biting or attempting to bite the triggering stimulus or redirecting such aggression to a nearby human or other animal.

Causes (scientific, common term)
Lack of early socialization with people (between 2 and 7 weeks of age), An aversive experience with a person, Genetic predisposition to fearfulness.

Organ systems affected (most to least affected)
The specific neurophysiological changes associated with anxiety and fear have not been determined but appear to involve a variety of areas of the brain including the cortex, limbic system, and brain stem.

Differential Diagnoses
Injury, Cystitis, Endocrine disorder.

Overview

Fear is a useful thing. It prevents a cat from doing potentially dangerous behaviors. Fear only becomes a problem when it is excessive in relationship to the intensity of the trigger and/or interferes with the cat's normal functioning or well-being or that of its caretaker.

A fearful cat may be very watchful, cower, run away, hide, tremble, hiss, growl, or even swat or bite if approached. The most common reason for a cat to behave this way toward people is a lack of frequent, pleasant handling by people of all ages and types before 8 weeks of age, a crucial period of social development. Other reasons for fear of people include having an unpleasant experience with a person or a genetic predisposition to fearfulness.

Treatment

Home Care
Treatment usually requires desensitization and counterconditioning. Desensitization means exposure to the feared person at such low levels that the cat can remain calm. The intensity of the encounter is very gradually increased over time, allowing the cat to interact with the person without ever having an adverse reaction. All the while, the cat is rewarded for calm behavior in the presence of the person, thereby teaching it to be calm instead of fearful. This is called counterconditioning.

A very desirable reward (treats or play) must always be provided for calm behavior in the presence of the person and only in the presence of the person. The reward should first be given by the cat's caregiver, then tossed gently by and eventually hand-fed by the other person.

Training sessions should always end with success, even if that requires going back a few steps in intensity. In between training sessions, the cat must not be exposed to the feared person, so confinement in one room or in a covered crate may be necessary. Never force the cat to confront the feared person, and avoid punishing the cat, which will only compound the problem.

In addition to training, providing the synthetic feline pheromone Feliway¬Æ and a very consistent daily schedule can help reduce overall stress.

Professional Care
Devising the gradient of exposure to the triggering person and knowing when to move on to the next step can be difficult. Furthermore, training is risky if exposure to the feared person cannot be completely controlled and the cat's symptoms include aggression or panic. Consultation with a certified applied animal behaviorist or veterinary behaviorist is strongly recommended.

A normally friendly cat that suddenly becomes fearful or defensive may be ill or in pain and should be examined by a veterinarian.

Behavioral medication can facilitate the training process. This requires a veterinary examination, prescription and continued monitoring of the cat's health.

Outcome
The probability of a favorable outcome is good if duration of the problem is short, the cat was adequately socialized to people as a kitten, the problem started in adulthood, and exposure to the triggering person can be completely controlled.

A favorable outcome is less likely if the cat has shown fear of people as well as other environmental triggers from an early age without having had any aversive experiences with them and if it is difficult to control exposure to the triggering person.

References/Additional Readings

Griffiths, CA, Steigerwald, ES and Buffington, CA. Effects of a synthetic facial pheromone on the behavior of cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2000; 217:1154-1156.

Hetts, S. Fear and anxiety behaviors in cats. In: Pet behavior protocols: What to say, what to do, when to refer. Lakewood CO: American Animal Hospital Association Press, 1999; 265-280.

Karsh, EB and Turner, DC. The human-cat relationship. In: Turner DC and Bateson P, eds. The domestic cat: The biology of its behaviour. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988;159-178

Landsberg, G, Hunthausen, W, and Ackerman L. Fears and Phobias. In: Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat, New York: Elsevier Saunders, 2003: 227-268.

Reid, PJ. Excel-erated learning. Berkeley, CA: James and Kenneth, 1996.

Russell PA. Fear-evoking stimuli. In: Sluckin W, ed. Fear in animals and man, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1979: 86-124.

Author
Katherine Miller, Ph.D.

Consulting Author
Trish McMillan, M.S.

Editor
Steven Hansen, DVM, MS, MBA, DABVT, DABT