How to Calm a Nervous Kitty
DCL
Love and patience go a long way in making your nervous cat more comfortable in her new home, but you can also use training techniques and medications to help your kitty acclimate. I was fortunate enough to speak to Ingrid Johnson, a certified cat behavior consultant at Paws, Whiskers, & Claws Feline Hospital just outside of Atlanta, about techniques that can help. I wish I'd known her when we first adopted Agnes.
"With a new cat one of the best things that you can do is put her in a small, confined space, like a bathroom, where she can hide but you can also get to force a little bit of love on her," explains Johnson. You should have everything in this room that your kitty needs: food, water, litter, something cozy to sleep on, maybe even a scratching post and a toy or two. She could be in that space for a few days to a few weeks before she's ready to venture into the rest the house, so you want to make it comfortable for her.
Johnson says that young cats are socialized by the time they're 8 to 12 weeks old, so after that it's going to take some extra effort to acclimate a cat to living with you. If you're adopting an adult cat that's already been "shaped," she recommends using food rewards to bribe her to spend time with you. Give your cat food on a schedule, of course, but use something high-reward like cooked chicken as a treat when you're training. So, if the cat goes from having an arched back and twitching ears to sitting calmly, give her a little piece of chicken. If she takes a few steps towards you, give her a little bit more. You want her to associate you with the positive reward.
If you feel like training alone isn't doing enough for your nervous cat, there are some herbal remedies that you can try. Rescue Remedy herbal extracts for pets can help ease anxiety. You drop it into her water or apply onto her ears. Johnson also suggested Feeliway - a feline pheromone that makes cats feel comfortable in a strange place. You can spray Feeliway around the room or use it in a diffuser. Cats like the smell of lavender or honeysuckle essential oils, but don't put the oils on their skin, because they are toxic to cats if ingested.
There are also prescription medications that can help a nervous cat, but what will work really depends on the dynamics in your home -- dogs, other cats, kids -- and you should talk to your vet to see what's best.
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