Perks of Being a Wallcat: Learning to Bond With Shy Companions at ACR

By Anjali Ravi, Communications Intern

​​On my first day of interning at Alley Cat Rescue, my co-workers showed me the kitten room. A small office filled with free-roaming kittens, some curled beside each other in beds, others playing, wrestling, sliding across desks. I’ll be here a lot, I told them.
 
My favorite cats were the ones that came to me: Pellusa, the office cat, who nibbled on my hair and sat in my lap as I typed up fact sheets, and Rigatoni, the kitten who cried when I wasn’t holding him, to name a few. These cats validated my love for animals without asking much of me.
 
Then I dropped by the isolation room, where our new cats are first brought. There I met Basil and Petunia, two feral kittens who had not yet been socialized. Picking them up left me with scratches on my arms. They hissed when I came close. They were wide-eyed, sharp-clawed, shivering babies.
 
I visited often. A co-worker showed me how to scruff them, wrap them in a towel, and hold them close. I brought Basil a toy and slowly she started opening up to me. Eventually they were moved to the kitten room, where a family fell in love with playful, sweet Basil and took her home.
 
Getting closer to shy cats is a process. Some feline friends are slow to acclimate to people and environments due to traumatic pasts, insufficient socialization, or genetic predisposition. Yet cats like Peaches, Lincoln, and Zetta at ACR have stolen my heart – not because they owe me affection, but because our connection had to develop over time.
 
Interested in befriending a shy cat? Here are some tips to make sure your cat is as comfortable as possible!  

• Introduce your cat to your home bit by bit so that they won’t be overwhelmed by the size and unfamiliarity of their new environment. You can start them off in a single room or area with their food bowl, litter box, and toys in consistent locations.
• Shy cats do best in quieter homes! Avoid making loud, abrupt noises and turn on the television or radio at medium or low volumes to expose the cat to everyday household noise.
• Talk to your cat in a calming voice to help them get used to your presence.
• If your cat wants to hide, don’t pull them from their hiding place or force them to interact right away.
• Pay attention to your cat’s body language! Petfinder describes how watching a cat’s tail, ears, and eyes can tell you more about how they’re feeling.
• Move slowly around your cat, even sitting on the floor or lowering yourself to their level rather than towering over them.
• Don’t stare at your cat when making eye contact. Try blinking, lowering your eyes slowly, or closing your eyes when eye contact is made to reduce aggressive or antagonistic associations.
• Use food (treats or wet food) as a means of connecting with your cat and creating positive associations.
• You can play with your cat using interactive toys to help bring them out of their shell.
• Slowly introduce the cat to new people and use treats so that they form positive connections with these people.
• Some pet guardians have claimed that calming pheromones like Feliway are helpful for cats with shyer or more fearful personalities. You can spray this around the room, use it in a diffuser, or put a calming collar on your cat. Felines seemingly enjoy the scent of lavender or honeysuckle essential oils. Even if this doesn’t work, at least your house will smell good!
• Remember that the amount of time it takes for a cat to get settled in depends on the cat’s personality. It could take anywhere from a week to months, but by the end you will have formed an unforgettable friendship! 

---