Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/cat scared of furnace

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 11/19/2008


Question
please help! Just recently I have turned on my gas furnace, first time in months due to a warm spring/summer.  As soon as it starts to flow through the vents my cat starts meowing and gets extremely agitated and wants out. I have installed a carbon monoxide detector to rule out any poison in the air, the levels are 0.  What do you think could be the problem.

Answer
Leah,

The cat will get used to it. It is a new noise that frightens the cat but he will adapt to it when he finds out nothing horrible will happen to him when it goes on. My cats did that at first with the air conditioner. It is the same with a vacuum cleaner. It is a normal reaction. After it happens a few times he won't pay any attention to it. Don't let him outside when the furnace comes on so he gets used to it and can't run from it.

Tabbi

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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