Cat funny videos scared cat moments

My cat seems to be afraid of people and/or other animals.

Why might that be? There are many reasons that cats can develop such fears. Your cat may have had limited exposure to people and other animals when it was young. Socialization is an important aspect of raising a kitten. Research studies have indicated that cats that are handled frequently and regularly during the first few weeks of life are generally more exploratory and more social. Without adequate, continuous and positive interactions with people, other animals, and new situations, cats may develop fears. Because the socialization period in cats begins and ends earlier (generally between 3 and 9 weeks) than it does in dogs, the early environment of the kitten is most important.

"The socialization period in cats begins and ends earlier (generally between 3 and 9 weeks) than it does in dogs."

Cats adopted as strays or from shelters may not have had adequate early exposure to many different and novel things. Cats can also develop fears through the effect of just one unpleasant experience (“one trial learning”) that was intense or traumatic. This learning may then generalize to similar situations. For example, a bad experience with a small child could result in a cat that is fearful of all small children. Sometimes a number of unpleasant events “paired” or associated with a person or animal can lead to increasing fear. For example, if a pet is punished or if some disturbing event occurs in the presence of a particular person or other animal, it may begin to pair the stimulus (the person or other animal) with the unpleasant consequence (punishment).

Genetics and the early environment are other important contributing factors to the development of fear. There are some cats that are inherently timid and fearful. These may never become outgoing and highly sociable. Still other cats experienced poor nutrition or poor maternal care during development or while kittens, and this affected their emotional development.

Can I prevent fears from developing in my cat?

Early, frequent, and pleasant encounters with people of all ages and types can help prevent later fears. Because genetics plays a role in the development of fears, select kittens that are nonfearful and sociable. Some evidence The socialization period in cats begins and ends earlier (generally between 3 and 9 weeks) than it does in dogs. has indicated the importance of the father’s role in personality; therefore, assessing and observing the kitten’s parents, in particular the father, may give some insight into the personality that a kitten may develop when it grows up.

"Cats can also be trained to respond
to basic commands for rewards."

The cat soon learns to expect rewards when placed in the cage and exposed to the stimulus. Gradually the stimulus intensity is increased. If the cat acts afraid during training, the stimuli are too intense and should be stopped. You must set up the cat to succeed.