scaredy cats.

[Bazsmum]

Glad youv'e got a new box (much better than the "hic" one  )

Tis a good idea to have the box out in the open without the door attatched...i have a couple of boxes placed round the house as it stops the fear of getting in them...they actually sleep in them also (by choice) 

[MattJG]

just some pics to show how close my furbabies are. and what the monster desk is like. although Cleo likes to sleep behind the monitor now. :lol:

clicky thumbnails




p.s. like the mug?

[MattJG]

i had a nice big carrier given to me from my syster. she unfortunately had to have her cat (Maissy) put down to old age and illness.

ive put am old folded towel in for my furbabies to curl up on. hopefully comfort them with smells of home. it dubbles up as a cosy hidy hole bed. i have it sitting on my desk (its a very big desk) next to me so when then curl up in there i can slip my hand in and give them a stroke and a scruff of the neck. Cleo uses it a lot, while Roxy flakes out on the top of the tree behind me.

[Millys Mum]

They'll get over it with time. When my lot were little they use to wall of death round the kitchen when ever anything made them jump! They had been handled from birth aswell 


You probably already have but please get some secure carriers for them. Cardboard boxes are sooo dodgy.

[Gillian Harvey]

Hmm.....is that your new grooming technique Gillian   

Its quite a funny subject this as I have a cockatiel that sits on the hoover while i vaccuum (sp?) their room 

Haha! yes, get rid of a lot of loose hairs that way!

Cockatiels' are characters arent they? - I used to have 2, one used to imitate the phone ringing (old fashioned trimphone type of ring) and it got me every time! He also used to say 'Get Down' - cos thats what I was always telling the cats to do when they jumped up anywhere LOL!

[Bazsmum]

Hmm.....is that your new grooming technique Gillian   

Its quite a funny subject this as I have a cockatiel that sits on the hoover while i vaccuum (sp?) their room 

[Gillian Harvey]

I  can 'hoover' Ben with the upholstery brush!  Here he is - pic taken while hoover was on - no, don't ask me why I took pics while hoovering 




Most of the others just tolerate the hoover, George and Honey will fly out the cat flap whenever I get it out the cupboard! I agree with others, definitely don't shut them away when hoovering - they need to 'escape' if needs be!

[Mark]

Use a dustpan & Brush   

You say that but if Clapton is in a room I have to sweep it as he is so scared - a real pain as there are gaps in the floorboards in the kitchen. He is scared of the broom as well  but not as much as of the hoover. He is also scred of the mop, bin liners, litter trays etc etc 

[MattJG]

i now think i made it worse by closing the door.

they have a really high place to scarper too. see my other thread: the kittens tree - more like a forest

[Tiggy's Mum]

When the boys were little they were absolutely petrified of the hoover and the noise it made.  Other loud noises like the hairdryer they didn't seem to mind but whenever I hoovered they would both race up to the top of their scratching tree and visibly shake.  Fast forward to today (they're 7 months) and although they are still scared of it Lu will just sit at the top of the tree looking scared and Riley will even follow me to outside whichever room I'm doing and watch nervously.

Try leaving the hoover out so they can sniff it/investigate it if they're brave enough, when I'm hoovering in the room they're in I normally repeat in a loud 'soothing' voice 'It's alright baby Mummy's here, it's OK' over and over - don't know if it helps but like I say they are just scared of it now rather than petrfiied!  (Oh and yes, I know that makes me sound a bit mad  )

[hOrZa]

Mine hate it as well but they are getting braver they will now sometimes stay in the room at watch from up high

[Tan]

Use a dustpan & Brush  Na sorry only joking    Mine hate it too so i do it as quick as i can, i tend to wait till they are out in the garden so they can get away and it's not so bad.

Have you got any high up hidey holes for them? On top of wardrobes etc, when cats are scared they like to go high up so that will help. You can get ceiling cat trees now so they have a way up and down and on Zooplus they are cheap 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

oh that's dead easy .... stop hoovering! LOL

Seriously though they will get used to it... but will never love it!    It's probably better if you don't shut them in a room cuz that way they will be able to run away from the nasty machine.  If they are shut in they will have double panic cuz they can hear the beastie but have no way of escaping it.

[Bazsmum]

Aw bless em (love the story about the beer box   ) Id say being the owner of 7 cats there's not a lot you can do about the hoover.....mine hate it too and would bolt at the sight of it.....prob the loud noise of it, when you feel the kitty's are settled in properly i wouldnt shut them away from the hoover as this will only encourage their fear of it, if they want to run and hide they will  

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

There is nothing you can do except let them have a nice quiet place away from it.

Mine dont like dyson at all except for franta who cant hear it till its close. They all vanish to their safe nooks and crannies and move rooms if it comes in one they are in.

[MattJG]

i got home today to find litter all over the kitchen floor, and two kittens with innocent faces.

the rest of the flat needed hoovering too so i put some food out and shut them in the kitchen cos i know they don't like it.

i went as quickly as i could. (10 to 15mins, its only a small flat) and opened the door to find they had gone.   

i found them in the corner hiding in the old box they were put in when they left the previous home. i struggled to get them to come out.  the poor things were terrified.

what can i do to help them be braver when the big sucky things making a loud noise?