I’m sure you’ve heard your cat hiss and have seen him puff up his tail.  This means that he feels threatened. If you watch closely, when your cat gets startled, the pupils of his eyes will quickly become smaller.  Your cat may show several different signs that he is frightened. He may also run, hide, growl and arch his back. To help reduce your cat’s anxiety, it is much better to slowly introduce anything that is new or different such as new cat toy, object, person and even another animal. Slowly, over time he will become used to the new addition to his environment. If your cat runs off and hides because he his frightened, don’t run after him and try to pull him out from under the sofa or bed. You’ll just make things worse.  Be patient and let him come out when he is ready. One of my cats runs and hides when one of my friends comes over. My friend does not like cats and one time startled her. Since that time, she’s in her cozy little hiding place when my friend is over.

One important thing to remember with cats is that you should keep their routine as consistent as possible.  This includes feeding, playing and cuddling.