My cat is hiding after dog trauma. How can I help her feel safe?

Hello, thank you for your question. This is not uncommon after a traumatic event, especially since cats are very sensitive to stressful events. I would allow your cat time to recover from this event and recommend allowing her to come out from under the bed at her own pace. She may be more likely to come out sooner if the dog is not in a similar location, so you could try confining your dog for a brief period of time. If you have any concerns that she may be injured I would recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian. Hope this helps!

He is probably just really stressed. It is best if you leave him alone, don't force him to interact or you may traumatize him more. Be sure he has access to food, water and litter box that is close to him. Be sure the house is as quiet as possible. Get him some Feliway diffusers for the new house and a calming supplement called Zylkene. Both of those things should de-stress him. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=117324 https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=115875

When cats get spooked or frightened by something, it often takes them a few days to completely calm down again - so this is not unusual. The best thing to do is leave her alone and give her space. You can try using a Feliway pheromone diffuser and/or a daily calming supplement like Anxitane to help reduce her anxiety, if you want to.

You should not force her to interact. That will backfire as she will be scared. Once she feels comfortable she will come out of the room on her own. You are overthinking the process. My one suggestion would be to try some Feliway diffusers in the house. This may decrease stress levels and make her feel more comfortable. https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/comfort-zone-diffuser-with-feliway-for-cats Hope this helps. Best wishes!

I'd put Sophie in her own room with food, water, and litter box. Close the door, and let her stay there overnight. This may help calm her down. Let her out in the morning to see if she is more relaxed. She may just need some time to herself. I hope this helps!

Hello, I am incredibly sorry to hear about Tazi. After an extreme stressful event like this the most important thing is to create a calm and consistent environment for recovery. If possible try to stay home with Tazi and provide her with love and affection. If she enjoys playing you could spend additional time playing with her and socializing her. Hopefully as time from this stressful event passes Tazi will relax more and realize that overall nothing has changed in her environment. Hope this helps, good luck!

This takes lots of time and patience to improve. You can try a Feliway pheromone spray or diffuser. That often relaxes cats and reduces their anxiety. If she enjoys grooming brush her for a short time each day. Usually then they will start coming out to get groomed and be with you. The loud noises are hard and there is not much to be done other than act calmly like you are doing. I never force a cat to come out or do do things that make them anxious as this will only worsen the problem. Make sure she has a quiet, private 'safe' place to go. With time she should improve, it's hard to get over bad kitten experiences. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Princess.