[Punkin]

I am worried that I may have to give my cat away. She's a year and a half, and since August she has been crazy. She and I had just moved to NYC and we were living here very happily for a few days, and then my boyfriend vacuumed. Since then she hides, and is terrified of my boyfriend. When she's not hiding (because she's eating) she hisses at him and cowers in the corner. I have to lure her out from under the bed just to get her to eat. I took her to the vet, who prescribed Prozac, but even that doesn't seem to be working. (it did for a few days, but now she's back to hiding and hissing) I feel terrible about giving her away, but maybe she'd be happier... Please post any suggestions and/or opinions on the matter. Thanks!

 

[MrPurryMotors]

:?

Well Hrm...

The vacuum did this? Yes? Your boyfriend using it somehow spooked her?

I would suggest first, trying to get her no longer afraid of the vacuum. Unplugged, put it in a room with her and yourself (who she's not afraid of, yes?) and show her by knocking the vacuum around a bit, lol, that it's nothing to be afraid of. Put treats in a little trail leading to the vacuum. Put some near it, on it. You might might to break the treats into peices to acomplish this and ensure you don't fill her up. LOL. Show her the vacuum is just like the couch, or the chair, or the table, and not to be afraid of.

Once you've gotten her not afraid of the vacuum, then work on the Boyfriend. Do the same things, basically, with him. You might want to try him doing it with you (and the vacuum) out of the room.

Afterwords, I'd make sure you never vacuum with the kitten around again. LOL.

I can't see how the vacuum, or your boyfriend using it, could have scared her. I'd be concerned that perhaps she got tangled in the cord, or hit by the vacuum, or even stepped on by accident? That seems more likely to be the source of the fear.

As to giving her away, I doubt that's the best solution. It would be a LAST resort. It would be likely more traumatic for her to have to adapt to a new home and new owners than to have to re-trust your boyfriend and the vacuum. I'd keep trying until your sure nothing will work and it's in her best interest to go to a new home.

 

[Zalensia]

all my cats are afriad of the hoover, they see it out and they run. they have never had anything happen to them around it either. only one will stick around, but she is on edge, LoL it reminds me how my bf was hoovering and she was being brave staying close, i went to pick her up and she must have jumped about 8foot in the air! it was funny
but yeah, back to my point, all of my cats but her run at the sight of the hoover coming out..

 

[Punkin]

But they don't stay scared forever! It's been 4 months and she'still scared. We've tried letting her sniff the vacuum. She's not afraid of that, it's my boyfriend and today she's afraid of me! I got several hisses and a growl. She's only getting worse.

 

[Jeanie]

Everyone has a vacuum cleaner. You'd have to send her to a shelter, and that would be horrible. Chances are she'd die there. I agree with the others. Don't run the vacuum when she's in the room. That's not a big problem. Just move her. My cats hide under the couch when I run the vacuum.

 

[Lilly]

Is your kitty fixed? I think that sometimes cats whom are not fixed display this behavior.
Please do not give her away if you possibly can help it.

 

[Punkin]

She is fixed. I don't want to give her away, but I feel very bad for her. She's always scared and she hides all the time, shhe won't even come out to eat, I have to drag her out or feed her under the bed. She can't enjoy living like that.

 

[Rayona]

Well, for starters don't drag her out from under the bed. :shock: She will come out on her own when she gets hungry. You need to be calm around her, so relax. And look into a Feliway plug-in. Some people find that it helps to soothe very firghtned cats. No matter how sad or scared you think your kitty is now, sending her away wll only upset her more. One of my cats is very shy, and even though I wanted to bring her with me to NYC I had to leave her behind where she was most comfortable.

 

[Jeanie]

The Feliway is a great idea, Rayona!