Got a shy cat? Watch this video to learn my top tips for increasing their mojo!
Chapters
0:00: Introduction
1:15: What is a Wallflower Cat?
2:58: The Confident Where
3:56: Catification
5:13: Caving and Cocooning
8:27: Closing
Help Your Shy and Scared Cat Gain Confidence!
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We adopted an abused cat - it took about 2 years for him to finally realise that we were not terrifying monsters, but that he was safe and could relax. He still jumps at loud noises, but he's blossomed into the most loving, darling little buddy ever. Patience and care and undoing all that damage really pays off! Also - your shirt! OMG! I need that.
Mine's an abused rescue too! I still choke up thinking about what bad shape he was in at the beginning. I've fostered kittens/walked dogs for the SPCA for years but Geordie's my only foster-fail. By the time I'd got him over the worst of his trauma he'd been with me for nearly a year and was so bonded that I didn't think he'd adjust to a new home. He's my little shadow now, hardly ever leaves my side. I love him SO MUCH. It's all about patience and care. Gaining his trust and giving him a loving home has been so incredibly rewarding. So worth it.
Ur awesome.
Mine too...two years later she is happy with me but still soooo difficult. She is afraid of everything, loud noises, new people, even new food! Taking her to the vet is an ordeal for both of us...giving her medicine? Forget it, she goes feral. I haven’t found a way to convince her to accept touches other than just a gentle pat.
Love this information Jackson Galaxy indeed the 🐈 Daddy 💓. 😎 Awesome pawsome always. Thanks for the MOJO
Mine too! I don't know if she was abused, though she's afraid of everything. She was a feral for the first three months of her life, then adopted by us. She's still very fearful of general movements and all, but is generally in the open. It's like a weird mix in between curious and fearful. I try to get her to use her cat three and scratch pad without much success :/
My cat is definitely a wallflower, or at least she was when I adopted her. Like he said it wasn't an advantage. The shelter waived the adoption fee because she was so painfully shy that she was being overlooked and considered low likelihood of being adopted, also she was 4 years old which is past the prime for some reason. I was in the store weekly for work as a brand ambassador and spent time looking at the cats who were available and reading their biographies (after work). This tiny cat spent all of her time sitting in the litter tray hiding from view. Every now and then she would peek over the edge with giant green eyes and promptly disappear again. I eventually figured out that the rest of her was tuxedo print and that her previous owner had left the country for foreign exchange study and the boyfriend she left behind dropped the cat off at the pound. I had a feeling that if someone just gave her a chance and was patient that she would come out of her proverbial shell. She warmed up to having a living space that only had 2 people occupying it very quickly. That was 10 years ago last September and she is still with me today. And at the ripe age of 14 she is more splendid than ever. She is still timid on first meeting people but is monumentally more willing to venture out of her safe place and explore or say hi to someone new than she was when I got her.
🥰🥰
Thanks for sharing that's so lovely 🥰
what a wonderful story thanks for sharing
Heartwarming ❤
a lot like our cat. adopted her month ago, she is 7 years old. started to live behind our fridge at first, but we blocked it. she protested with marking her territory on our couch. now shes more around us but still dont trust us and let us near. got to get her to vet on tuesday, because her vaccination is overdue and we havent gotten her a parasite pill. i think this trip might be a downgrade to our bonding with her, but we must do it. feeling hopeless sometimes, but this comment gives us hope.
Shy cats are the most loving cats when you gain their trust, I got one myself.
Same. She a shy baby. But when she come out to cuddle it's amazing.
I hope so , I got a12 yo from the shelter 4 days ago and just found out she is a wallflower.
Naw dawg, my cat won’t leave me alone, she was the runt.
I just got the sweetest kitten from the shelter and she ran straight under my bed
@@indiababydoll Same here, I adopted my kitty and she will fins any hiding place she can. It's been 3 weeks and she still hasn't gotten used to us. I need to buy wood to block under our bed, just need the correct measurements and then block her from hiding. Hoping we will see progress after thats done.
this guy is cat god, he is protected in the afterlife.
He actually has 9 lives
Deffo!
@@fayehikaru َ فخ؛ لي مج
you mean pro-cat-ted?
The Egyptians will make sure of that
Jackson, shy & scared cat is my biggest problem. It would awesome if you could do even more videos on this topic. Cheers mate!
Shane Ashby I have a male, 8 month old kitty-pistol who rocks my 7 year old female's world in a not so good way. She walks always with her tail perpendicular to the floor. Yet now she caves most of the time. Our house is super catified. We do need to close off the hide a ways. Any other tips?
Agreed!!! My cat has been rehomed 3 times and is very timid. Would love more videos on this topic, as well
Yeah, just like me adopted new kitty and I have to work extra to gain her love and trust, it's frustrating I posted the video on my channel tho.
Treats, a lot of treats and cocoons are a winner for sure. I started with a coccoon for my cat and would lure him in with treats to get him associating it with positive things. He has h8s cat tree in the kitchen and loves sitting there to 1 watch the neighbourhood cats and 2 watch me cook the food he will try and convince me to give him later. It took months but my cat came a long way from hiding everywhere he wasnt supposed to to sleeping beside me on the couch when i play video games. Except for 1, final fantasy he will always try and chase my character on the screen. Pretty much whatever you can do to get your cat asssosociating out and about with good things do it. My cat gets pets brushes and sometimes the rare treat either in his cat tree or on the couch so he loves those spots when im home. Also just know your cat if i have guests mine wont be out much if at all but i will give him a treat comming out to say hi when people are around or if my guests want i will let them give him the treat. That way its not forced but hey theres perks so maybe saying hi to some new people isnt so bad after all. Also just know your cat and their history. Life experience does not have to define your cat but knowing their personality and history will go a long way to understanding their needs and stressors. .... sorry i couldnt help im not a expert but i try and help maybe too much most of the time.
Me and my wife adopted a one year old stray. She was not doing well in the shelter and was initially very shy and skiddish so we knew we wanted her instantly. After almost a year she sleeps on the bed with us and on my wife. She comes up to us to take food from the hand (sometimes) or she just sits and watches us and has a sniff, she demands bedtime when shes ready and loves to follow my wife if she goes into a room. She still gets skiddish if we move to fast sometimes and don't realise she's there and she does not like other people at all she will go to hide in her drawer. Oh she also trys to meow quiet often now. These videos are helping me try and find ways to get her more confident and I am grateful to the creator for his awesome advice!!. She loves to play with our hands at times too but gets really excited at times then has to go calm herself down i think. I want to understand and learn more. I'd love a cat guru to message me so I can make sure we're giving our little cat the best possible life she can have :)
My brothers drive me crazy - mind you, we're all adults (20+), but it's like everytime they walk into the room and see one of the cats they think they need to go over and touch it! It's like I'm trying to tell a child that it's not a toy. Just let the cat chill! They're running away because they're being bothered, they're growling and nipping because their desire to be left alone isn't being respected. I've never used squirt gun diplomacy on cats, but I'm very tempted to do it to my brothers.
Lmao, bad brothers.
If language solves nothing, squirt guns are justified imho
Me too with my 39 year old cousin. Annoying!
I deal with the exact same thing from my adult kids. I tell them that if she comes to them, they can pick her up but when she's sleeping, playing or otherwise involved in something they are to leave her alone. Being cute and fluffy (and patient) does not give them the right to use her as a toy
Whoa your brothers are... uhm... bad. I also love to pet cats but if they run away (or growl, hiss, etc.) I'll just look around for a while and then it's okay.
"they can't control their nerves when they go out." my cat and i have more in common than i thought
One of my cats is afraid of all my guests at first, but once they fall asleep in the guest room she smacks their feet and jumps on them in their sleep. That's how she introduces herself.
I miss my wallflower cat! After we got him, it took about 6 weeks until he let us touch him. Then he turned into the best cat ever - he had the sweetest soul. Never give up on the shy ones!
What did u do to convince him to let you touch him
Mehitabel is correct I have a Wallflower cat his name is Shiloh he's a teenage cat now but when we first got him he wouldn't come out of the cage when my dad picked him up for the first time he scratched him it was flight of fight to Shiloh and he choose fight normally my someone would throw him on the ground that's probably would have killed him but my dad didn't and I'm thankful because it took Shiloh a long time to adjust but he's starting to let everyone pet him and touch him and hold him he's very vocal and oh my God he is the cutest thing I've ever seen
My first cat, Norman aka. Stormin' Norman Bates, was the same. I rescued him from a terrible situation (he was living in a small bathroom in an apartment) and the woman who had him, who had no intention of keeping him, had him declawed! Terribly inhumane!! It took Norman (affectionately called Normy) just over a month before he would come out from under my bed. When he finally started feeling safe enough to come out he would only walk the perimeter of the room. After living together for almost 4 months, Normy finally felt comfortable and secure. His personality seemed to change over night. He and I were inseparable. He went everywhere with me. He would stand on my back and give me massages and when I had cramps he would massage my belly. He became so playful and loving. He loved to zip around the apartment making cute little trilling sounds or hide behind doors and watch us through the crack (think Jack Nicholson in The Shining). I think about Norman every day and I miss him dearly. Normy lived to the ripe age of 20 yrs old. I know he's at The Rainbow Bridge right now playing with his animal friends. I love you Normy! Kissies, Kissies. 😚😚😚 😻
I have one cat, Bubbles who didn't interact with us. One day she cuddled with me in bed. It's been Jackson Galaxy from then on.
@@evirareid1500 So... I'm having this issue with two rescue cats; they were a bonded pair. Both were very shy; especially one of the pair who was almost "wild" but has gotten better about that and really come out of her shell, so to speak. But neither seem really interested in cuddling and/or interacting with me much outside of playtime ( which they get daily! ), food, treats; I've done everything you're _supposed_ to do and they still just "tolerate" me. Help?!? My last cat was a cuddler like none other; and he died not long before I adopted these; but I still had ample time to grieve. That said, I miss my sleep buddy and my cuddles; and I feel bad because what if this is just my cats' _personalities_ and I'm expecting too much?? Can anyone help, has anyone had a similar issue they've been able to successfully address? Thanks. I love these little guys; but I'm also still heartbroken... 😿💔 ( And I'm not real sure they love me _back_ lol! And yes, I already know cats don't act like humans; and thank God for that!! LOL! I've had cats all my life; and I'm no "spring chicken." Haha. But after my last cat, it's kinda hard to be in this weird "limbo" place of not knowing what the relationship is ...I guess). Thank you to anyone who can help. I would be deeply grateful. *ETA* One last question. You guys seem very knowledgeable; could it be because they _are_ bonded to each other; so they won't bond as well with _me_ ?? My last cat was my "only" for a long time... 😿 They don't sleep in my bed with me (but with one another), even tho' I encourage that. Any and all tips are greatly appreciated.
What about a cat that is only a wallflower when you have guests over? Like, she's perfectly confident when it's just me and my live-in boyfriend, but when there are others, she hides.
Yes! I want to know that too!? Do you have to force them out then aswell? Mine is scared of other people. It depends though. Sometimes she comes out to see who's there and let them even pet her real quick. But with other people she hides and only comes out after those people have long gone. I always think it's an energy thing. And that I should let her hide. We had a difficult start. She was away from her mom too soon and I think she was played with as a small kitten too soon. So I was already very happy when I earned her trust.
@@moordt Yeah, she usually comes out as soon as the people leave. There are some people that she lets pet her, but mostly it's just me and my boyfriend. I think it's partly my fault, as she was raised not to go into the main part of the house I lived in at the time because I didn't trust the people that came over not to hurt her. But now she hides from the people that come over, especially small children.
My boy is the same way! I think he was abused before I met him, he's older now and whenever I bring most people (who are loud) he flees under the bed, minutes after the people leave, he comes out to hang with me. It took him hours to get used to my bf when HE visited.
Sounds like you need to socialize more to gain confidence, have them play and feed
So does my 1yo Henry.... However quite confident and happy at home with me....
My kitty Sevyn was so shy while at the shelter. I got him when he was 5 months 🫶🏾 The shelter said he was shy and they raved about him sitting on one of their laps like ONCE but now??? Oh he is roaming around a house with a dog and three other people and greets new people willingly. Sometimes it really is about just nurturing them 🥰❤️ he’s 1 year and 3 months now ! 😄😄
I"m fostering two 5-month-old kittens who are super shy, hiding in the cat cave. Poor things. I hope I can help them like you helped your kitty!
I just adopted a cat off death row. I was definitely a butler service for him. Everything was under my bed. I was once a wallflower human, I have PTSD and I still have my moments. I can’t believe I didn’t realize that I was enabling my cats fear by never asking for him to come out of his comfort zone. Thank you Jackson.
My cat comes out but she’s scared of EVERYTHING. Everything makes her run, if we move too fast, if we cook and the put the cookware down too loud, definitely if we have guests.
Mine is the same way. With my cat it´s because she use to be a stray and has slowly but surely moved in but she still gets scared of everything. It´s just so deeply rooted in her.
My fiance's dad's kitty is the same. When she first came home, she ran for even the smallest of noises. It was so sad that I used to sit on the floor in the kitchen at night after everyone had gone to bed. I would just sit and watch her, talking calmly and sweetly to her. I would inch myself closer as she started to get comfortable with me being there and eventually she let me pet her. I did this every night for a few weeks, and she got better. It was the only thing I could think of to let her know that she was safe, that everything was okay. She still runs from pretty much everything, but she's usually the first to come out and investigate when we have guests.
My 4 year old male nurtured cat has the same issue but his skittishness has come on recently. He wasn’t a scaredy-cat before but about 6 months ago he became afraid of any little sound. I live alone with my 2 cats so nobody bothering, in fact he is very curious when I have guest having to check out purses, bags, etc. But i can open a bottle of pepsi and the sssshhhhh sound makes him run and hide. I wonder if he’s possibly developed a neurological issue. Anyone have the same issue with their cat?
my first cat who was a stray we took in, was never scared. First time we found him he came straight up to us. We did research around the neighboorhood to make sure he was a stray and we found out he was being fed by another lady. So he was never scared. We had him for 7 years and he died last year. 3 weeks ago we got a 2 year old female calico. She was found outside with her kittens and the rescue had her for a few months . She is super skittish and hides all the time.. She made progress tho and she can walk around when im there. The first few weeks shed hides under the bed (we blocked the access) and she went under the dresser. Then under the couch. It's a hassle but im working on it
Nancy Peuraharju ha
“I hate people....” Yeah, me too-Oh wait, we’re talking about cats?
Lol
i was thinking the same thing XD
Same❤
This video is me my partner and our cat lol. The biggest introvert house ever.
Hahaha yep.
I never realized I was enabling my cat’s hiding and anxiousness :( I put a bed and litterbox in the closet for her and even fed her there because she seemed SO much more comfortable in the closet. I thought it was cruel to force her out in the open if she was so scared of it, you know? She comes out into the main area sometimes but mostly stays against walls/on the fridge. I realize now I’ve been making it worse over the last couple years. Now that I know, I’m going to take steps to help her get her mojo :) she will probably be a bit unhappy with me for a little while but hopefully the cocoon thing mentioned will help her have a “safe” spot that’s more out in the house. Last year I eliminated “unders” because she was SO bad about hiding under things and I worried about a fire. Didn’t occur to me that the very back of the closet behind things... is just as dangerous :( I want her to have a long, happy, confident life
Any luck?
Emily Burns yes actually! That day I moved all her stuff out of the closet and kept the door shut. She still walked close to walls, slept in corners, etc for... maybe a month or so? But now she is totally different it’s AMAZING. She will lay in the middle of a room. Climb right on your lap. She drags toys across the house to you and asks to play. She uses the litter box thats out in the open and is even SUPER excited to see new people sometimes. It’s a total 180!
Yay!!! 💜 I'm very happy to hear that!
@@harmonys965 Hey I know this is a year old comment but your situation is so similar to mine! My little 9 week old baby is still so shy and skittish, but hes been exploring a little more. My girlfriend and I set up his home base in the bathroom when we got him (only a week ago) , and we’re really concerned about how we ease him out of the bathroom. I hope your little baby is doing well after a year, and if you could offer any advice please do!
I don't feed mine in their hiding place(s) nor do I put the litter box in there but like you, I felt it was cruel to force them out -- and the shelter that hosted them told me to leave them be and they'd come around on their own time. Now I'm not so sure.
I had to very slowly block the unders and realized my shy fearful calico cat was okay when I was laying down or sitting-she was scared of people standing at their full height. Very slowly I had her acclimate to the rest of the house (even with another not shy dominant cat!). Now she is the sweetest bravest cat ever! Everyone loves her personality and she even goes outside for walks! Definitely worth it-please take the time to do this for your shy wallflower kitty. 😻
This is my cat right now, any tips?
I did exactly this to my new rescue. She was a feral living in a cat population. First she wanted to be under the bed and i ended up removing the legs from my bed. Then she was under the couch so i used tape to block the under of the couch. I placed beds and little cottages in different levels on the bookshelf. First she was so scared she had to see me and she would stare at me eyes wide. But now, after 3 months of getting used to everything, she sits up on her scratching post and looks around like a queen ruling her underlings. She still gets worried and wants to hide a lot, but I see the confident cat appear more frequently. And she has let me even pet her a few times! We're getting there.
💐💐
I got my cat 5 months ago, and after having had him for 2 months, I got to touch him every time when he ate, and after 3 months, I could pet him when he was lying down and was relaxed. Now after 5 months he has come up to me a few times and actually wants to be petted. It has been a slow process, and we still have a long way to go, but it''s going faster than me and my boyfriend expected! He is still very shy tho and often runs away when we approach him (or just have to walk past him). And he still lies under the bed sometimes and always hides there when guests come over.
My one took 2 months to not hide, now is sitting on the window looking out, and then sleeping there. Sleeps on the bed, not under it as well.
Well done it takes a lot of patience with a feral cat. I have 4 siblings living with me right now and momma is fully feral but comes once a day for food. She had two litters of two and after around 7 weeks left them in my garden. I got a small kennel and a big fluffy blanket and fed them. They all sleep in my kitchen now and are almost fully tame. I even got one to sit on my knee and watch tv.
@@born_confused Hopefully you will be able to take her in as well and spay her.
My cat wants me to chase him across the apartment, from the bedroom through the hall to the kitchen and back, about ten times every day. Then he places himself on the sofa and looks very pleased. He didn't do this before the lockdown. We once had a cat whom other kids wanted to put on a plank and send down the river. Daughter saved him and brought him home. It took five years for him to let us come to him from behind and caress his neck and head without suddenly turning and biting the hand. Five years. He was the brightest cat I have ever seen, used "cat sentences", melodious structures of various length to talk to us. He lived to be 16.
Brsljanka N. I play chase with my cat too, he loves it.
I think cats fantasize chases just like kids play cowboys and indians , One of mine deliberately provokes the other cat in to chasing it around the house as a game. Its generally too fast to be caught but if it does it regrets it. Its not a game to the other cat. A previous cat used to claw something to get attention and get ready to run even before i react, it would repeat until i chased it.
I view the "chase" game as my cat being so happy I'm out of bed she wants to give me exercise, but then if I DO run away from her she's like "WTF are you doing? Are you okay?"
@@redf7209 my cats are just as weird. I have two cats and one is definitely a wallflower when people come over and with loud noises and stuff, even when I walk inside with my shoes on she's scared. But she likes to provoke the other cat too but when she gets caught she doens't wanna play anymore and start hissing at my other cat and I really think he doens't understands it he just continues chasing her and she's freaking out more and more. It breaks my heart everytime it happens and that's around one, two times a day.
@@pommiebears I do too 😂
The emergency situation: My partner and I had our first one when we were living in an apartment building and we've taken it very seriously ever since. We have 2 cats, and storage was tight so we had a cat carriers deconstructed in the top corner of the wardrobe. One day when I was not home, the building alarm went off. The cats scattered and my partner, on his own, had to scurry to put the carriers together, find the cats and get out (top floor btw). He couldn't find one of the cats. He was the last one out of the building, and he was beside himself at the thought that he left our cat in the apartment to possibly die. We've taken it very seriously to have emergency plans and prep ever since. It's easy to not think about, that it'll never happen. But that one time is all it takes.
I just adopted a young cat that hid for 3 days and didn’t eat or drink. I followed your advice and has worked beautifully. Today is day 6 and he has emerged for boops and snuggles….happy days ahead
Thank you... my cat has been hiding for 2 days now and I can't find her. Your message gives me hope.
@@kandihoarding7395same -
One thing that we did is we started moving his food bowls. The mojito cat in the house wasn't very pleased but the wallflower saw it as a game and got to explore his surroundings much more. Though he's still skittish he definitely has gained more courage to come out.
I use this technique of moving food and water bowls with my newly adopted cats and it always work so well. I even put them on top of the things or close doors to make them feel encouraged to explore more
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing this.
A request for Jackson's fans: if you leave a comment, it helps him with the KZhead algorithm that gives him a higher placement in the stream. Let's face the truth. We love the Jackson Galaxy channel, and so do our fur children! 😸😸😻😻
3:56 overcoming wallflowerism with environmental enrichment 4:02 block the unders 5:04 cocoons 5:16 caving
I wish I saw this video a few months ago! - We adopted a 'wallflower cat' back in January and she hid under the bed, until we finally blocked off her hiding spots since we've been home in quarantine since March. We weren't sure if it was the right thing to do! Beside our couch, we laid down a comfy 'clamshell' and cat house, complete with a scratching post (which she loves). We've really noticed in the last few weeks that at night while we're watching tv, she'll finally come out and eat her food in front of us, then use her litter (which is a bit more off to the side). She never did this before and always waited until we went to bed and were out of sight. During the day, she sleeps out on an entry bench while we work from home on our computers (we're in a condo, so it's a smaller space) and every day, she stays there a bit longer. As long as we continue to respect her, give her space, talk softly and friendly to her and throw her treats every so often, she seems to slowly trust us more. Thank you for this video! Anymore advice is always welcome, these cats always need our love and trust :)
I have a cat that growls if she hears strangers she can't see talking (and then she runs and hides). She doesn't do this with videos but weirdly she started doing it when I was listening to a conference call on speaker. I'm impressed she's able to differentiate to that degree
Sending love and light to everyone seeing this right now 😘 may your cup run it over with nothing but blessings today and always
Jackson. Your advice over the years has helped my wall flower cat. Now. She is a mojito cat. She was so afraid of guests in the house! I’ve noticed now she will hide but she hides in the room. I got her lots of tunnel things. She loves those. She will hang there now in the middle of the room where as before she would hide under the futon now she comes out when it gets quiet like after we eat and family settles in. I was so proud of her. My stepsister had her baby’s last time and she was soooo sweet to them. This advise really helped!
I know this video is older, however, I recently adopted a 5-7 yr old cat and she is so loving but super skittish and always on guard. I tried the “cocoon method” and WOW! I can not thank you enough. Day 0 she got stuck trying to hide under an end table. Saw your video, got a sac, we are currently on day 5. She is a whole new cat. She is still spooked here and there but she went from hiding to going to her cocoon no matter where it is placed. Tonight was the first time she ventured past the main floor. She doesnt run from my kids anymore. Just overall, thank you!!! I knew she had potential and you helped me make it happen. She came from an extreme hoarding situation and because of you and your advice. She is settling in very well with her new life long family. Thank you for everything.
One of our cats is usually fine just sitting out like the rest, but if he hears a noise (cough, sneeze, door, plastic bags, doesn't have to be loud) he will disappear in a flash. Very easily startled, even by quick movements. I don't know why he is like that. I've had him since very young and he is 10 now. He is even distrustful of treats at first. I can't think of anything traumatic that he has gone through that might explain it, and all of our other 3 cats are not like this. If you have any advice Jackson, I'd welcome it. Thank you for making us all better cat butlers. Light and Love, brother.
ShroomyK I have a 13 year old who is exactly the same way. He's lovely when it's just our family, but the slightest noise, even a knock at the door, sends him running. I have no idea what happened to him before I got him at 5 months old. Whatever it was, he has never gotten over it. PTSD I think.
I've adopted a cat when he was 5 years old that behaved the same way, the vet identified a deep untreated infection on both of his ears and told me he got scared of sounds because it hurt his ears a lot. He was treated for that and only doesn't like loud music now, which we avoid when he's around. My boyfriends cat used to love the sounds of running water and such but suddenly she became very scared of sounds of plain rain and thunder and we still have no idea why, probably one day she say a visual that scared her with the sound of thunder and now started to associate normal things to it.
@@wendytimms4515 one of Your other cats is bullying the cat, probably when you are gone or you mistake a cat being stalked as play, I say this because it happened to us, play was actually 1 cat stalking the other when we thought they where playing until the one cat straight out attacked the other.
??? Was your cat from a shelter?
@@icemule may I ask if you found a solution for this?
I watched Jackson Galaxy on marathon mode before I got my kitten. She's like ten months now and she's all MOJO baby! Thank you JG!
Jackson!!! This helped me SO MUCH! I just adopted an 8 year old Maine Coon cat from my local rescue shelter; and boy is he skittish.. I don’t want to assume, but from the way he was acting in his carrier, the poor thing wasn’t great in small spaces. Oatmeal (that’s his name) refused to leave under my sister’s bed for the whole first day, I had to gently get him out with food and water. He only left to use the litter box or to eat/drink. I was heartbroken. I thought I was doing something wrong and almost broke down because I was about to think I wasn’t doing the right things. So I watched this. As a cat lover I couldn’t give up on my baby Oatmeal. Now, he’s doing amazing!! We started leaving open my door (closing/opening was scaring him), and we introduced him to the whole house including my dog, Bella! He’s doing great! He still goes under the bed sometimes, but now he has no problem walking around and even lets others pet him now too!!
For those who cannot afford to purchase something new for this…you can use a small box with a towel to make it cozy instead. Additionally if you don’t have access to boards to block odd hiding spots, you can also use cardboard pieces.
A litter box on top of the fridge sounds so unhygienic
Yeah that made me gag.
Litter pebbles in the freezer or fridge anyone?? NO THANK YOU PLEASE!!!
Sounds? It is..... We talking shit and piss where you fix your meals.... I'm not okay with that
🤮
I never even heard of that before. SMH!!!
Jackson, when I opened this video I laughed so hard at your t- shirt that I spilled my coffee. Thank you for your wisdom. I have applied it often!
Definitely struggling with my cat... rehomed her from a rescue 3 years ago and she is still scared of anyone who comes into the home, scared of me when I even just get up out of bed, or walk around the flat, or do anything unexpected like cough or sneeze, goes through major setbacks emotionally any time I am away for any length of time. I personally feel like I wasn't given her full history before rehoming or the shelter didn't know, but she almost presents as a cat who has suffered trauma or maltreatment. We've only recently had a breakthrough with her actually chasing a toy that I am moving around, previously she would not play with me at all! It's really tough when you just want to be a good cat parent but you keep unintentionally causing your cat fear every single day :(
That is so sad, three years is a long time when all you want to do is give your cat a hug or cuddle with her. She must have formed some sort of attachment though, if your absence bothers her. Have you tried playing soft music, a Feliway plugin, giving her a treat every time you approach her? I hope you won't give up on her, poor kitty... you're probably right about there being some sort of past trauma. We adopted a neighborhood stray 3 years ago. He loves my husband, but still doesn't trust me at all. I figure he must have had bad experiences with women.
I applaud both of you for all of your dedication & love to your purrry friends. It’s not easy but they are in such great hands being with you! I’m sorry at times you feel set back or failure but you’re not! You are a blessing! You are their world & they love you! Remember too, they like to be up high, reward with treats & don’t hover over them to play, get down on their level. I use spray cat nip on some toys, she loves it! Makes me laugh too! 😻😻😻Best Wishes!
I just adopted my 4.5 year old cat from a rescue. He was found on a prison yard weighing 1.8lbs… and he has lived at the rescue in a small room by himself with no windows ever since. He wasn’t with the general cat population because it seemed to stress him more. It sucks trying to show him affection and him seeming as if he hates it. We are working on it though and hoping in time he will come around. Good luck on your journey. I think we just need to slowly give them time. I try to remember it took 4 years of him developing his now personality I try to realize it could take that long for him to embrace his new life
I AM SHIRAKAHN! I AM A BUTTERFLY! You are also an educational cutie, little star! Thank you for this helpfill video, Jackson!
I once spent 20 minutes looking for one of my cats; upstairs, downstairs, upstairs and downstairs again, even outside just in case. Eventually I found him in the bath, laying on the cool plastic because of the summer heat.
This sounds great! I adopted a terrified cat several years ago that turned out to have been abused. Between years of watching your show and some tips from a big cat rescue (reading to him) he is now slightly shy (mostly around strangers) but doing well. I can't wait to watch this and see what else I can do for him. He's not the one pictured with me, that's his TN(R) "brother." He failed the release.
Just got a very traumatized scared little baby rescue who’s just 6 months old. This video helps a lot with understanding him and how to get him to go out into the world :)
We adopted a cat who was on the streets for two years. For the first month, he was a wallflower and my mom was worried he was a ferrel who would never come out of his shell. Took a bit of work, but he's sleeping right next to me on the bed and is the sweetest boy! We lost our first cat at the beginning of the pandemic, so this little joy has been a blessing!
3 months into providing the third home to a wallflower cat (excluding her original owner or the year she spent at a shelter). My intention is not to give up, but it’s been a discouraging time during lockdown. This video is the glimmer of hope I needed. She’s not going back no matter what though. Thank you.
Hey Jackson Just a quick message from the UK I love my cat and as a cat Guardian who adopted a cat I just want to say how important your videos have been and how happy our cat home is Thank you, keep doing what you do! X
We two adopted cats. We picked them in the shelter because they were both wallflowers and we desperately wanted to help them. When we brought them home they both slept in the middle of our bed the very first night and have been like little dogs following us around all the time, 😊
This video is so validating! My partner and I just bought two sibling kitties (Dipper and Mabel). Both were incredibly shy at first but Dipper confident and food motivated so now he’s a snuggly little bug who thinks he owns the house. However, Mabel has been hiding under the bed for weeks. She leaves the bedroom to use the litter box and eat (thankfully) but when she makes eye contact with us she runs away. Last night, we finally said “that’s it!” And we coaxed her to the edge of the bed picked up up and popped her in the hallway with her brother and shut the bedroom door. She was PISSED at first (even growled and hissed once) but within a matter of minutes she was snuggling us both. It was so sweet! Her brother came and sat next to her which helped as well. I think he’s been waiting for her to come out. He always meows at her to come play. This video is motivating us to dismember our bed frame and to keep on the lookout for little cat huts.
I have a wallflower cat named Jazz that somehow managed to cave himself past two electric garage gates with a broken leg when I found him. I've always had a really strong connection with him, around me he has all of his mojo, but if I'm not around he is the biggest wallflower and a master ninja (I still can't find some of his caves after 6 years!) I've worked on getting him out of his shy and alert shell more as he's very insecure (No closets!!!). I found out that he absolutely adores being brushed, and I've used it both on his physio therapy for that broken leg (which had to have part of the bone cut in surgery), and to promote his confidence by getting him to hang around higher places. He still absolutely cannot tolerate strangers, and he only accepts my lap, but he isn't aggressive. Strangely he improved a lot when we got a second kitten two years ago, who is the polar opposite of him. It's taught him a lot of the things he SHOULD feel comfortable doing (and a lot of the ones he shouldn't...but that's just their nature). patience and letting them lead the scene have been my best friends with this lil' guy, and I don't think getting another cat is the answer for most situations, I just lucked out on mine. Despite him being this massively shy cat, I'll crush any theories that they can't be social and lovable pets, I haven't had a pet I felt as connected to as this one, and I've had quite a few pets by now.
Hi, can I ask for advice on how long you introduced Jazz to the new kitten? I'm trying to introduce my first cat (Baby) to a stray kitten (Cali) I brought back in hopes of socializing my first cat more (she becomes a wallflower cat around strangers and family members who are noisy and havent made a consistent effort to spend time with her). I'm trying to follow all the tips Jackson and other feline websites give on introducing cats. But just yesterday the stray kitten (Cali) got out of the isolation room and chased my first cat (Baby) for about half a min. Baby was near the isolation room because she's curious but hissed when she saw Cali. I managed to stop Cali during the chase before anything bad happened. But I was horrified that that's was their first physical meeting cause I know that cats are single event learners. TL;DR I need encouragement because introducing my 2 cats is taking quite long and I've been having setbacks.
@@lemonsgalore93 um, well, its good that you started that technique, hissing isnt all bad. Its their way of saying "back off". Most of the time they might even slap each other. As long as no bitting or serious attacks happen. If you go in that situation all scared and tense, your older cat is going to feed on that and further cement the idea the kitten is bad. At most act non challant, dont make a big deal out of it if you have to separate them. You can also use toys if theyre too focused on each other to snap their attention to something positive. I know my kitten roddy was a terrible kitten, he bit a lot, he was super invasive and feared nothing. Which pushed my wallflower jazz to assert himself and put him in his place. Sometimes this meant play wrestling or slapping the kitten off his favourite perch. But as long as no serious fighting happens, it should be fine. Cats need ways to establish hierarchies. Might wanna trim ur cats nails every once in a while just in case.
@@LyricaBelachium thanks so much for replying! Sorry, if I can get one more qn in. How did you introduce your kitten to your cat?
I used your advice to help my dad's friend's wallflower cat. We were catsitting for a week and in that week little miss wallflower went from shy and terrified to confident and happy. I'm actually adopting my own wallflower kitten whose coming home this week. I think wallflower cats are my favorite to work with. I love the feeling of helping a shy scared cat get their confidence.
I know this comment is 2 years after the video post. But I'm literally using these instructions today. The world is truly a better place because of Jackson Galaxy. Guy is amazing.
I freaking love that shirt omg
This video is so helpful. I just adopted a Tabby yesterday. This morning I found her hiding in my closet, when I fell asleep last night she was hiding under my bed. I created some hiding spaces for her this morning so she isn't in the closet lol. I turned a cardboard box upside down and leaned it against a wall with her blanket inside and underneath and she also had a hooded bed. Hopefully, when I come home she has eaten (she didn't eat last night :( ) and hopefully she isn't in the closet.
Thank you soooo much this was so incredibly helpful!!!
Thank you Jackson for all the advice!
I’m about to adopt a wallflower cat, and I’m now excited to exercise these tips with her! Thanks so much 🦋🦋
I've had two wallflower cats and, at least in my experience, they open up after a while. I actually sometimes forget that my current cat is *Extremely* shy because he's so sweet and confident with me. Now this pandemic needs to end so we can work on his fear of new people lol
I have a Maine coon cat that I just adopted 2 days ago. I have another cat also. How do I get the Maine coon to like me and my old cat to like him also.
Amazing advice thank you so much!
Your content is so great and helps me so much. Thanks!
Jackson my family and I recently adopted a 1y old cat that use to live with 17 other cats until their owner passed. Frankie is a gorgeous cat but has high anxiety and is definitely a wallflower we are hoping your guidance and videos will help our new addition to our family feel more comfortable and adjust to his surroundings and also help him get along with his new brother Loki. Hope to let you know how things turn out thank you so much for the guidance!!
Thank you so much for the tips! I just adopted a shy siamese and he loves to hide up on a cabinet. I put his bed up there and food (was scared he wasn't eating enough) but I was really worried he was going to learn to live up there. He's extremely friendly nevertheless, loves to pet stroked under his chin. Only been a few days but would love for him to slowly come down.
This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you Mr Galaxy!
Thank you!! This is the best ever!!
Thank you. I've got an extreme wallflower :( it's soooo sad. I adopted her last week. This was so very helpful!
How's it going now? Same situation :)
Thx so much! My sister was yelling at me for covering the hiding places lol. Again thx so much!
Thank you Jackson
Great video, thank you Jackson
I have a British shorthair. She is so awfully cute and we love her but she likes her distance except at night when she’ll climb onto the bed. She will never sit near us during the day or on our lap. She will sit nearby in same room etc.
My ragdoll too! She doesnt like pets or cuddles.
Sounds like one of my cats. But if he’s hungry, he’s all over me!
ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄. Keep him in! Nothing about the outdoors is good for cats, and cats are terrible for the ecosystem...they’re an invasive species. Outdoor cats live an average of 2-5 years, while indoor cats can live 15-20, or more!
@ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄. Think of your cat as a person. You have to learn to understand her language, what she wants, and what she does not, then start a relationship on her terms. It's like the ultimate blind date. Great cat companions come from years of paying attention, paying respect, and a lot of unconditional giving. Kind of like great marriages. If you put in the time, the reward will be beyond your imagination, I promise.
I have a shy cat during the day but she's a different animal at night. I suspect that it could be that my 10 yr old son has gone to bed. He loves her so much he tries to give a little bit too much attention.
I have a wonderful Little wallflower named Loki. When my boyfriend and I first adopted him he spent over 90% of his day under the bed in our room. Unfortunately because of our living situation we can't block off the cave, however I did shrink it. He can only go as far back as we can reach now. That combined with putting his food bowl in our room where he has to interact with us to get it. The first few months we left him alone. Only seeing Loki at his happiest at 3am. Then little by little slowly but surely he is becoming the confident Mojo kitty. (Some parts due to our roomates over confident weirdo Oliver) Still has moments, but he is always checking what we are doing. Telling us its bedtime and coming to cuddle. He wants to be part of everything, even if it is just standing in the doorway and meowing at us. His safe space is our bed, for morning cuddles before breakfast. Sitting under the dinning room table where he can see everyone's activities and make comments. Running around chasing oliver from one end of the house to the other and knocking eachother down the stairs. We are slowly getting him used to being carried and picked up. With short trips and lost of treats. He doesnt like it, but now know we wont hurt or drop him. He is very smart, but just a little skittish. I like to explain it to non cat people by referring to his little habits as Kitty anxiety. He knows humans wont hurt him, but that doesnt stop him from trying to at least sit 6 feet away from you. (Also the only cat I have met who knows his own reflection and uses the mirror to help him clean himself, and shakes off his paws after leaving the litter box. He likes being clean it would seem)
Thank you thank you for this❤️❤️❤️
Thank you this is absolutely the best information!!
I just love it when wallflower cats ‘bloom’ and show you their true purrsonalities!
I need more videos about this my new cat is 13 and a major wallflower. She is under a bed as we speak I blocked it off but not well enough and she mana hard to get under it. This is the 4th time in the last 2 days 😩
Great Intro!! You're the BEST! Ty😻🌹
Awwh this is such a great video, thanks so much for sharing this. It's so important for owners to know how to help their kitties have the best life possible. Thanks for sharing this!
My cat started acting scared of me and everyone. And it’s been so frustrating. You should definitely make more videos with tips on dealing with this issue:)
Did it ever get better?
@@kriss8288 it’s a little better but she’s still seems afraid
@@Wendalster awe we just adopted a kitty and she's very skittish and doesn't trust anyone just looking for ways to help her overcome that.
I spent over an hour looking for and calling my cat yesterday... she was on top of the kitchen cabinet watching me look the whole time thinking "you dummy lol"
Lol💀😂😂
Such a cat thing to do! 😂
Thanks for the tip. I will try this
Thanks for helping, im gonna try :)
Oh yeah I need this!! My hair came down when I was playing with my cat and the hair on his back went up and he ended up hiding behind the couch. 👀 Edit - once he got under the base board of my kitchen counter. I think that's further than wallflower. 😔
I just brought home a super shy 6-month-old kitten from the shelter. Not sure of her history or what made her like this but we are taking all the advice we can get to help bring her out if her “shell”. I will definitely be heading the advise given here! Great video!
How did it go so far?
@@K4113B4113 thanks for asking! She is really coming along! I made this comment three weeks ago. Since then we have blocked all the unders. She also uses her cat carrier as her cave when she feels the need to hide but we keep it in a high traffic area of the home. I also play with her a lot and I’m convinced it’s been very instrumental in helping her build confidence. I can’t tell you how helpful Jackson Galaxy’s videos have been for my cat “Jazzy“ and myself
Thank you so much this is perfect
This is Smoky my Siamese, I appreciate this video thanks Jackson.
“I break cats into cat-egories” PUN ALERT!
When my Son in law comes over one of my cats disappears for the duration of the visit and he still doesn't believe that my cat Duke exists.
Same with my cat, but it’s with everyone she doesn’t know!
Great video - thanks for sharing!
Jackson what an absolute mad man!
I worry about the emergency hiding issue. My cat is not a wallflower, but he did run and hide when the smoke detector went off once and it made me worry about what to do if there actually was an emergency situation. Is there any advice for making an emergency rescue plan that includes pets? I remember practicing as a child, but I don't ever remember it including how to rescue animals.
You need a container for your cat, grab it, put it in there and make your way out. That is the emergency plan.
Worst fear ever,
stick the carrier right near the edge of under the bed and block off the rest so when they get scared they run in their carrier instead and eventually you should be able to move it because they will want to go to their carrier when they're scared now instead of under the bed. if the carrier thing doesn't work try a bed stand that goes down to the ground fully to avoid it all around.
I played loud music alot when my cat was a kitten for like 6 months straight. I wasn't trying to but by doing that I desensitized my cat to loud sounds/noises in general. She doesn't react to loud music or if the tvs loud. At most she does airplane ears and walks off at noises like a smoke detector
Thanks for this! I’ve been dealing with a neurotic, wallflower house panther. Bless her heart, I can get her belly-up beside me in bed. And then she’s trying to cave again...
Thanks for giving us the best way to help our kitties.
Annnd now I will be going out to find a bed like this for our new edition struggling with being a wallflower cat! Thank you Jackson Galaxy!
My cat likes to hang out in my closet sometimes but he's also a very social cat
When some stranger enters the house my cats spend 5 minutes watching, then they behave as if they were friends forever ... all 5. Am I lucky ???
You're very lucky. My cats want nothing to do with guests. The moment the doorbell rings they'll disappear until the guests leave.
Loved the video info is so spot on for my kitten vista thanks
Wow, this video was so awesome! I needed to see this video! Daisy use to hide in the closet a lot. She does come out but I think she still needs help with confidence. She’s a great cat that has been through a lot and I’m proud of her!😺❤️😽
My kitty Pudge always runs when ppl come over and when my 4 yr old daughter is awake. Currently in the process of teaching my daughter how to act around and handle her. Fingers crossed y'all.
MY cat, Jimmy, is so scared. he doesnt really hide like a wallflower, but he always runs away from people
Same with my cat, I honestly believe he has anxiety. He is fine most of the time, but he is still so scared by small noises or anything or anyone that does not love in my house. When we watch baseball he gets scared when we holler out about a call or a home run. We try not to scare him. My poor Castiel. I do not know how to help him.
I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU JACKSON, literally, I have been watching you throughout my childhood and you have taught me everything I know now.
Adorable!
I got a question. My roommate brings me along sometimes when she catsits. There were originally 2 elderly cats, but one of them passed away and the owners got 2 kittens. The other elderly cat absolutely either hates them or is afraid of them. She hides under the same bed while we're there, while the kittens (several months old now, both spayed) are their energetic selves. She's not people shy, my roommate tells me that she used to be super cuddly when the kittens weren't around. But now we have to take the kittens and lock them away for her to even come out and eat! I doubt there's anything I can do to make her feel at ease since i don't live there, but what do you think? I'd hate for the poor dear to spend the rest of her life under a bed.
Maybe feed them together every day, but on separate sides of a baby gate? You'd have to keep them from jumping it, but if they just get used to sharing space, it'd be a start?
@@hannibalcase1100 the kittens are a lot older now, and from what I've heard they all get along much better now. The elderly cat doesn't hide as much anymore now that the kittens aren't as rowdy!
oh hey! i love your animations, didn’t expect to see you here!
Depends a lot on the individual cat. My girlfriend and I had an older cat given to us with 13 other cats in the house and 3 Chihuahuas, plus numerous roommates. No proper introductions were made. It's been 2 weeks, he doesn't hide, still hisses at the energetic kittens but he's doing well. I noticed him drinking water from the bowl with his back exposed to the open expanse of the kitchen. The dogs don't seem to bother him any longer, but he didn't like them at first.
@Lauren Hatch Tbh sounds like they didn't "Introduce" the cats at all. The elderly cat well animal in general needs to be the one "established" in their territory when the new ones introduced. Unless they aggressive with intruders then its obvi a different approach. But kinda just sounds like cat don't want none of that energy. I had a dog who was just lazy he liked to lounge around. When he was introduced to puppies he was a BABY he whelped cried ecetera till he found a spot that they just left him alone at lol
I have a rescue cat that we adopted 3 weeks ago. She is 5 years old and is under the bed all day! She is coming out slowly but as soon as she heres a noise, back under. She does adventure out at night though...progress?
Yes, progress! I adopted a 3 yr old 4 months ago that did the same thing. Now she's great except for when strangers come over. Then she hides behind the couch for a bit. I entice her to come out with a couple treats and her fav cat nip toy. And when she does come out we just let her do her thing and dont bombard her. If she wants to approach people she can. If she doesn't that's okay too. As long as she knows she doesn't have to feel scared and she gets her reward for coming out. It took mine about a month to get acclimated to my whole apartment. She was in just my room for the first week - mostly under the bed and would do most of the exploring at night. They're nocturnal after all. After that she would check out one room and run back to my room. Then the next room then mine. Etc. It was funny. Now she's totally comfy and confident (with the strangers exception) sleeps with me and all. Hang in there. Be patient. There will be milestones every week. Reward progress. It will be so worth it.
I’ve been spending more time with my cat and doing what you’ve said in your how to make your cat love you video and we are getting so much closer thank you SO MUCH!
Thank you so much for your videos, Jackson. Your dedication to help us understand our beloved felines is so much appreciated! Bless you!
Just got a feral kittens who, thanks to your very good advice came around to cuddles & sleeping on the bed in only 3 days! Thank you ❣️