Cat Scared For No Reason

by Jeanine
(Philadelphia)

So, We have a cat who is in a small apartment. She is very familiar with every inch of this apartment. Yesterday she looked at something, it seems, and just got scared. She pulled back and jumped. After that she kept smelling and smelling the area where it happened. She jumped at every noise and watched the area for hours. Her eyes got big. After watching that area for hours she moved to another area and then back to that area, still jumping at every sound or movement. She was shaking at one point. She has not gotten over her fear of the area. We did not change anything, in fact, we had been in the apartment for hours and she was fine with that area.


Today she has moved on to a different area and things she has already smelled she is smelling and she is also very jumpy. She still will not go in the area from yesterday. She is scared of new things today, it seems. Things from all different places in the apartment. We also have another cat who is not bothered or acting strange in the least.

I am perplexed and want the kitty to not be so scared and jumpy. I am sure it is very stressful for her to feel always threatened by something.

Thank you so much for your input!
Jeanine

Answer by Kate
She is obviously reacting to some scent she can smell, even if we can't. What it is who knows, perhaps something was walked in outside and has been transferred to the floor, perhaps the scent of another cat. All i can recommend in this case is a thorough floor clean and then sprinkle some dry bicarbonate of soda onto the dry floor, leave for half an hour then vaccuum up to get rid of any left over odors.
Your cats sense of smell is far more acute than ours and so she can pick up even the tinests scent. If she is a more nervous cat anyway she will react more strongly to things like this than a more confident cat would.
I hope she settles down again once the scent is removed. Best wishes
kate

Comments for Cat Scared For No Reason

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Concerned cat mom
by: Anonymous

Did you ever find out why your cat was acting so scared all of a sudden? My cat, seemingly out of nowhere yesterday, became afraid of everything. He won't go in his cat tree. He has been creeping around like he can't trust his environment, not confident like his usual self. We didn't see him have a seizure, but he's almost acting like he's in the aftermath of having one. His change is possibly more neurological or something like that than caused by his environment, not the "something must've scared him" or "there must be smell he doesn't like" type of answers I keep finding all over the internet. The closest thing I can find is feline hyperesthesia, but we haven't noticed him overgrooming or seen his back twitching. Thankfully, he's improving today, but he still isn't 100%.

Cat is scared of everything!!! Help!
by: Cassidyjo

Has anyone found a reason or diagnosis for their cats out of nowhere acting scared of everything? Leo is an 8 month old short haired playful and extremely lovable boy and completely fearless! Yesterday all the sudden he just started acting scared of everything..things he has played with for months! Even scared of me..he won't even look at me and doesn't want me to touch him. He is scared of the door...there was nothing there just the door! He constantly has his tail wrapped around his body. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

We are not alone
by: Anonymous

Whether your belief system is of such or whether you just are not interested in such an idea however try and consider the possibility that just as humans have the ability to open their sixth sense and psychic abilities we are not the only species with this exhilarating ability.

I have sat and watched all 5 of our cats and have come to the conclusion that the feline species see's energy and or spirits! Without a shadow of a doubt I have witnessed my pets all at once and all together be stopped what they were doing and all look at the same space for the same length of time and all make the exact same eye and head or body movement again all at the same time and all it seems at nothing!

If you aware the owner of 2 or more cats perhaps watch for and pay attention to the physical as well as the mental behaviours of each if or when this experience takes place because frankly after witnessing it you may have to share the same conclusion as I have reached.

While we are absolutely safe and never in harms way or in danger of anything foul our feline help us to know neither are we at satiretimes alone!

Scared kitty
by: Nicola

My cat has been acting scared of everything and acts like he is being hunted. He has been hiding under my bed and I believe he may have been bitten on the tail by something because he has a sore, bald spot. He was the biggest baby before, literally sleeping 'on' me the second I sat down and begging to be picked up and now I can't get near him, he runs terrified. It's so upsetting. My other cat is miserable because he isn't interacting with her either.

HELP
by: Jerome

my cat is acting the same way, now he wont even get off my bed, took her to vet everything seams to be fine, gave her a shot of steroids and he is still actig the same way very jumpy, been in house for 1 yr and never had a problem all the other cats are fine. He is up to date on shots he acts like he seen something and is looking for it he is eating well idk if someone can help email me at abcnissan@hotmail.com thanks.

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