Why does my cat hide and hiss when new people visit? What can I do?

This can be perfectly normal behavior for cats. When your friend is over don't push Hershey to come out, allow him to go to the safe spot, and sometimes time and patience will improve things. If you try to force Hershey to come out it could cause aggressive behavior such as scratching and biting as a fear response.

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.

Some cats just do not like to be handled/cuddled at all. This can be normal for Pebbles personality. I would only be concerned if this is a new behavior. That could indicate something abnormal going on that may make her more standoffish (like pain or discomfort). If Pebbles has always been like this then I would not be too concerned. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It will take time for Kiki to get used to being in your home. There are some cats that will not come out while kids are around at all. I would just give her time and when she wants to come out just give her attention if she would like it. It can take up to a full 2 weeks for their personalities come out. So I would still give her time, but know she may always be a cat who only comes out when the kids are not around. I would make sure the kids are not being too loud if she does come out with them and just let her be if she does come around. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

If this was a semi feral cat it may take many months to years for it to come out and be social. Some cats enjoy being pet when they are eating, and some don’t like to be handled at all. She needs to be patient and not push. Gradually the cat will feel more secure and confident and Hopefully will want to be around people. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

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!