My cat is scared of kids downstairs. How can I make her comfortable?

Hi there. Without a much more detailed behavioral history, it's hard to say what might be causing this. It does sound like something downstairs probably spooked her, but this could have been almost anything - an unusual noise, a strange smell, or something else that you aren't aware of. She may eventually decide to come back downstairs on her own, but I would not try to rush this process as this will only make her more fearful. You can try feeding her treats at the top of the stairs where she is comfortable, and go one step lower each day as long as she is doing well - this can help encourage her to associate good things with coming down the stairs, as long as you go very slowly. You could also try a Feliway pheromone diffuser downstairs, along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to see if this helps with her fear.

I would recommend trying Feliway products to help de-stress the environment. You can also try a melatonin supplement to help calm Tor. I recommend using Naturvet Quiet Moments with Melatonin Calming Chews, which you can pick up at your local Petco. I hope this helps! You may also consider taking her out and socializing her with your friends and exposing her to more people. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Some cats can just be naturally skittish, however making sure Yin has a place she can relax and settle in may help her feel more comfortable. A high perch she can view people from may make her want to interact a bit more, as well as making sure she has her own access to food, litter, water, etc without the other cats interfering. Pheromone diffusers such as Comfort Zone can also help nervous or stressed cats relax as well. Giving her time and letting her approach you for a treat or pets may also make her more comfortable over time.

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.

Many cats are like Bubba and the good news is that most will get use to the roommates as long as the roommates are not loud/aggressive or scare him. Don’t force Bubba to interact with them, let him do it on his own terms. Having the roommates feed him and give him treats will help to gain trust. Make sure he has places to hide in the house and if you can put a cat tree or other areas where he can get up high, that will help. Feliway diffusers or changing the diet to Royal Canin Calm formula can also help. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

At this age it may be very difficult to change her pattern of behavior, she is obviously a very shy and anxious cat. Natural calming supplements or royal canin calm food can have very dramatic results and would be worth trying, as would a pheromone diffuser but it is unlikely she will become overtly friendly to strangers at this stage