Why is my cat suddenly scared of strangers and hiding from them?

Question

My cat is 10 months-old. She used to be fine when new people would come to my house: she would stay around us and even play with strangers. One day, friends' kids came and scared her so she was hiding the whole time they were there. Since then, I've had adults coming to my house on two separate occasions and she is very scared of any strangers now. She hides and won't come out until they're gone. What's going on? Is there anything I can do to help her not being scared of people? Thank you. Pet's info: Cat | Devon Rex | Female | spayed | 10 months and 14 days old | 6 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

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!

Why is my cat suddenly scared of strangers and hiding from them?

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