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Expert: - 6/4/2010


Question
I have A cat i rescued 5 yrs. ago. she has a very sketchy attitude. she is scared by any noise, and until this day she will not let you hold her. She only comes out at night. she is increasingly becoming more social, but for example, as soon i as i get in bed she will come out of her hiding spot in another room and come jump up on the bed. As soon as i get up she runs and hides in her spot. What can i do to help her realize that there is nothing to be scared of?

Answer
Shane,

There is nothing you can do beyond what you are doing.  It is important to let your girl come to terms on her own.  There is no way of knowing what her history was and whether she was abused.  What is important is to not force the issue at all. It sounds to me as if she is slowly coming out of her shell, and, the best thing to do is to not approach her, but let her come to you. In fact, if you pretend to ignore her, she may become a bit more amenable. If she thinks being social is her idea, she will come around that much more quickly.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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