How to Keep Your Kitten from Becoming a Fraidy Cat

If you own a cat, you're likely aware of how easily they become startled. The paranoid behavior is even more prevalent when strangers make their way to a cat owner's doorstep. When the doorbell rings, quite often, cat owners find themselves tripping over a fleeing cat as they make their way to the front door.

Experts recommend that cat owners begin socializing their kittens as early as two weeks of age. This doesn't mean carrying the kitten with you all over the place and traumatizing it. Rather, expose the kitten to everyday life by petting it, talking to it and exposing it to different types of light and sound, being sure to avoid anything too intense or loud. If you do these things and show off your kitten to friends and family, she will become familiar with noise and the idea of strangers, making it less likely for her to frighten so easily.

 

If your cat is older, you can practice some socialization exercises. Recruit a friend and have them knock on the door or ring the bell. Once you let them in, get your guest and the cat together. Have your friend pet the cat and give him a treat as soon as she enters the home. If the cat begins to associate visitors with treats, he will no longer be afraid of what's behind that big, bad knock on the door.