Reducing fear and socialising a grown cat.

I've posted a few times about the importance of early nurturing as well as contact with humans for cats to become properly socialised and domesticated, ready to live with their human compatriots in harmony. What I haven't posted is what happens when you have a cat that isn't properly socialised and has some issues functioning in an environment co-habiting with humans.

Have you ever wondered why some cat's seem to be more friendly than others? Some cats would go as far as being passive aggressive and show signs of fear of humans. Many people incorrectly attribute this to the individual personality of that cat -- for which there is certain degrees of friendliness -- but the significance of an improperly socialised cat's unfriendly and fearful behaviour is much more than just personality.

One of the reasons why show cat's and professional breeders command a premium on their specimens is that they understand and selectively breed cat's with certain personality traits which reduce the chances of improper socialising. In-fact, the cat's are so well brought up that it is a deciding factor in why pure breeds and show cat pedigree cats have a higher cost associated with purchasing one.

For most of us, including myself, I do not wish to support cat manufacturing economics as I believe that all cats should be loved and treated the same. In that vain, I believe that cats who have not developed the social skills can still be treated.

This is how to go about it :

Identify the source of the cat's fear or agitation. The stimulus must be repeatedly exposed to the cat at greatly attenuated levels to build up a level of resistance to that stimulus that doesn't produce anxiety. Gradually increase the exposure level whilst always rewarding the cat with treats for positive reinforcement.

Remember, take small steps and allow for plenty of time for the cat to acclimate to the new conditions, surroundings and environment. Never end a session with a cat hissing or running away, end it with a reward. At no point should you ever get angry or raise your voice, it is important to stay patient.

Imprinting positive memories is always the goal and this should be layered on top of other positive memories to make the cat feel more comfortable, secure and happy around humans.