My cat is terrified of visitors. How can I make her feel safe?

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.

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!

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

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.

Just like people, some cats are quite introverted and it can take a fair amount of effort to get them out of their shells. For many of these cats, their “shyness” is actually a sign of stress and anxiety, which is often fear-related. Try to find something your cat enjoys – a special treat, ear scratches, playing with the laser pointer – and encourage your cat to approach you. Do not force any interaction, as this often makes stress and anxiety worse. It may take a bit of patience and time. Calming pheromones, such as the Comfort Zone® Calming Diffuser, can help to minimize some cats’ stress, as can anti-anxiety medication prescribed by your veterinarian. If these strategies are not successful, it may be best to consult a [veterinary behaviorist](www.dacvb.org) for further advice.

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pip. Some cats simply do not like strange visitors in their homes. You can try a pheromone diffuser such as Feliway as this can calm some cats. It plugs into the wall in room where he spends most of his time. It secretes pheromones that he can smell, but not people. This can have a calming effect. Visitors can also offer treat or a toy to try to engage Pip. I hope this information helps!