Mary Allen
Many cat owners are familiar with the phenomenon: the doorbell rings and the otherwise daring apartment tiger fizzles out in a black hole. Many a visitor doubts the existence of your cat in the apartment at all. The animals often do not think much of strangers in their core zone, where the need for security is greatest. The doorbell announces the visit that is unpleasant for you. Do you now have to come to terms with the fact that your cat is strangling and frightening it when friends and family visit you or switch to a hermit life? Of course not! Depending on the severity of your cat’s fear, above all, you need a large portion of patience in order to reduce this in small steps that are adapted to the cat.
Cat Strangers – Where Does this Fear Come From?
The reasons why cats stray when you visit are different. Unfortunately, the understanding of the early promotion of kittens is not as well known as it is, for example, with puppies. In the puppy school, the little ones learn the 1 × 1 of human coexistence, and in the private sphere, too, more and more importance is attached to the fact that growing dogs get to know as many everyday situations as possible and can deal with them calmly. This early phase of getting to know each other is just as important for cats, but unfortunately, it is still often underestimated. The less a kitten learns in its socialization phase (between the third and twelfth week of life), the more difficult it is in later life. The little ones should experience that people of all kinds are friendly to them and that the ringing of the doorbell means the announcement of a great time with new people for them. The more the little ones can learn positively, the more open the adult cats are when it comes to changes and new things in their lives.
Sometimes, however, it is also the experience in later life of a cat that makes them skeptical of strangers in their own home. It is not uncommon for the cuddling time to end abruptly when the doorbell rings, because mistress – just sitting comfortably on the couch – jumps up and transports the cuddly chick from the land of dreams to the proverbial soil of facts. Immediately afterward, the rest is disturbed by a large stranger – the mood is gone. With each ring, the cat learns that this tone is the announcement of a sensitive disturbance of the peace and that it is better to run straight away. Unfortunately, most doorbells are also a horror for sensitive cat ears, which further exacerbates the negative situation. With appropriate training, you can help your cat to take visitors much more calmly.
Before You Start: How is Your Cat?
Before every exercise, you should check whether your cat is in good health. Cats often hide their well-being so that it is not always obvious at first glance that something is pinching and pinching somewhere. If your last check-up appointment at the vet has been a while, take the opportunity to have your velvet paw checked thoroughly, and do not forget to have your teeth checked from around the age of five, which are very often affected by a painful disease. If your cat is in pain or does not feel comfortable in its fur, is it usually not in the mood to learn anything new – who could blame it?
Next, it makes sense to take a critical look at possible places of retreat in your apartment, from where the animal can safely and unnoticed eye a visitor in order to get used to him or her at his or her pace. The safer the velvet paw feels upon first eye contact, the more likely it is that it will finally greet your visit with curiosity. Depending on personal preference, higher-lying places with a rim or a cave are popular vantage points. “See but not be seen” is the motto with which cats want to examine their surroundings.
You Catch Mice with Bacon … and What About Cats?
Now offer your cat great activities on a regular basis, preferably on the premises and at the times when it is likely to be confronted with your visit. Daily play units, a particularly great treat, or cozy brush units turn the room into a positively connected place. It is, so to speak, “refueled” and your cat feels particularly comfortable there. A place of retreat that can be reached immediately is also an important anchor where she can flee if the doorbell rings unexpectedly – and from where she can finally make the first careful contact if she wants to.
The first visit should be a calm person who is experienced in dealing with more anxious cats or who reliably follows your tips during the visit. She should only see your cat for a short time, then look away again and let the animal make the first contact. The less your visit observes your cat, the better. Overall, your visit should avoid sudden movements or loud noises. Maybe you’re creating a quiet movie night rather than an exciting console match.
In the end, it is like so often: Practice makes perfect. Many short and positive visits will help your cat to reduce its shyness and – at least to a certain extent – to tolerate visits or even to make careful contact.
Small Cat Rules for Visitors
As a visitor, you can help get your friend’s cat used to you as a visitor. Discuss the extent to which the ringing of the doorbell (still) scares the cat and you better call briefly when you stand in front of the door. If you come into the apartment and see the cat in its hiding place, blink slowly at it and look straight away again. The blinking is the same as our human smile and shows the rabbit foot that you greet them in a friendly manner. If you look straight away again, you signal to her that you are not a danger. She is allowed to relax. The more calmly you speak and move, the better the animal can assess you.
If she actually dares to go out of her hiding place, keep your attention to your friend and avoid looking at the cat too much out of curiosity or even approaching her, as that looks threatening. Let her sniff you if she dares and offer the palm of your hand so that she can gently rub her head against you.
If she twitches back when you move, frantically flaps her tailor flickers her ears, turns your side towards her, and initially ignores her. Then your encounter is still too exciting for them. Respect the cat’s limits and give her a choice of how much contact she is willing to make.