Hi gals, I am writing about one of my cats. I have a mother and daughter. The Mom showed up after a local flood, she was rail thin so I started feeding her and tried to find her owner, but no one came forward. Initially over the summer she was staying in our barn. After about 3 weeks we realized she had a kitten up there. The kitten was very good at hiding and it was very difficult to actually get your hands on her to handle her. Once the weather got cold and we realized we were keeping them, they came indoors. We named them Katrina and Rita after the hurricanes. Rita, the daughter, has never gotten used to being handled. She is over a year now. She will play with me and comes near me, but won't let me touch her. Katrina the Mom is very affectionate. I have tried hand feeding Rita and have been working on this for a year, but I get to a certain point and no further. This is difficult because we can't get her to the vet, can't get the frontline on her, etc. They are both very gentle, but Rita is a complete scaredy cat (now I know where that comes from).

Can you help?

Thanks, Sue

Dear Sue,

Sally Bahner, the official behavior consultant on CAT CHAT®, had some thoughts for you- here they are. Good luck to you – and thanks for taking in that poor scaredy cat!

—Tracie

From Sally:
This is where the use of T-Touch (Tellington Touch) would be helpful using wands. They allow the cat its distance yet gradually desensitize the cat to touch. A long-handled brush can also be used — one that has NOT been used to clean the toilet. The cat will naturally come up and sniff it, eventually rub against it and it can then be moved along the body. If you're not familiar with the technique, it involves lightly touching various parts of the body using a circular motion. (This can be done using the wands.) It seems to work pretty quickly. A cat can also be wrapped in a towel and gently restrained while using the technique.  I suggest she do some research before attempting it. (I do have a handout — lemme see if I can dig out the old link from my cat IAABC group.) It sounds as if Sue is making progress and that Rita just has to make that final leap of faith. Clicker training can also be helpful with shy kitties. Allow a touch with a want Click! and reward with a delicious treat, gradually drawing the cat closer.

Also cats learn by example and Sue should make sure Rita sees Katrina enjoying attention and being held.

Sally E. Bahner
Branford, CT
Member, Cat Writers' Association
Affiliate member #359, IAABC
Feline consultant