My cat always hides when guests visit. How can I make them feel safe?

Some cats just are like that. I have 5 cats, three of which love people and come to greet visitors and want to be petted and part of the party. And I have two cats which disappear for hours and will not come out until the visitor is gone. The best thing you can do is provide her a safe place where she can hide and decide to go to or come out when she wants to. Over time she may change, then again she just may not. This is not a training thing, it is more a personality trait.

This is just how some cats are. Some cats will just hide when other people come over. There is not much to do to curb this behavior. I would let Pebbles be if she is scared. Once people are calm at your home she may come out more. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Moka! It certainly sounds like those children really frightened her when they came to visit. To begin with, I would place her in a safe room every time a visitor comes over. Be sure to put her in this room with her own litter box, food, water, and toys before the visitor comes. This room should be out of the way and quiet so she can relax. Give her a special treat that she only gets when she is put into that room. This will help her associate people coming over with a treat, thus making it a positive experience. Keep her in this room until your guests leave. After she seems comfortable her in her room with people coming over, it's time to introduce her to strangers. Have a friend help you, and put Moka in her room when they come over. Once your friend is settled in the home, take Moka out of her safe room and place her at a distance from your friend. The distance depends on her body language. If she appears fearful, move her back. If she is calm, reward her with a treat, petting, and play. Continue this exercise for a few minutes, then put Moka back in her safe room. You can do this exercise a couple of times during your friend's visit. It's important that your friend remains motionless during the exercise. If she becomes anxious, move her back to a distance where she isn't anxious, reward her, and then bring her back into her safe room. Over the course of a couple of sessions, Moka all get used to a stranger, and you can start encouraging her to move closer to the stranger by placing treats at shorter and shorter distances from your visitor. If she's relaxed, you can decrease the distance. If she's anxious, move her back to where she's no longer anxious and start the exercise from there. Over time she will realize that strangers are fine and she should stop hiding in fear. Keep in mind that this will take time and patience to achieve. I hope this helps!

You could try asking visitors to toss treats to him while they're in the house, and also ask them to ignore him and not reach for him, talk to him, or try to pet him as many fearful cats find these kinds of interactions threatening. Using a plug-in Feliway diffuser and a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure might also be helpful.

It sounds like Garfunkle is a cat who may be a bit wary of people or be more of a loner. This is not uncommon in cats, and I know many cat owners who say their family/friends don't believe they have a cat because the cat is always hiding. Some cats just have a personality where they do not enjoy interacting with lots of people! Just like human introverts! You can, however, try some anxiety relieving products just to see if there is a difference in your cat's behavior. I would consider getting an Adaptil diffuser (this is a pheremone producing plug-in) which you can get at many vet offices or online. I would also consider the supplement Zylkene or Composure. These are also available online.

It may be that Mickey just isn't comfortable around people, however there are a few things you can do. The best advice is to let Mickey approach on HIS terms, rather than forcing him to be petted or approach people. Giving him a space where he can go and hide and rest away from people can also help to reduce his stress. When people do visit, if he checks them out, have them toss some favorite treats to him, such as a piece of boiled chicken, but not pet him. Over time he will start to associate them with positive, rather than scary experiences. If he does approach to be petted, staying calm and offering lots of praise can help keep the experience positive.

It is not unusual for cats to be extremely wary of visitors and defensive in their own territory, or to have favorites among family members. Pheromone products and calming diets can help but are unlikely to fundamentally change the behavior you describe