Cat behavior plays a large role in a cat’s chances of finding a forever home, the friendliest cats tend to be those who are adopted first. As unfair as 
that might seem, shy cats often take longer to find forever homes.
Anne Klein, owner of Backdoor Friends Cat Shoppe in Farmington Hills, MI and board member of Backdoor Friends Purebred Cat Rescue has some tips for those who adopt shy cats:
- Provide a quiet, pleasant confined space such as a bedroom
- Provide a cat tree or some other place for shy cats to hide
- Be patient. Don’t force a shy cat to be sociable – it’ll happen on the shy cat’s own terms.
- Be consistent with time spent with shy cats, including routine feeding and litter box cleaning times
- Provide treats during each visit so the shy cats associates you with something nice
- Let a shy cat “just be”
Klein states that as shy cats become acclimated to their new surroundings, their tails will be up and they’ll approach you. At that point, it might be a good idea to leave the door open so the shy cat may explore.
Shy cats, like their younger or older counterparts, are just as capable of providing loving companionship if given a chance by somebody who’s willing to take them in and work with them. Gems in the rough waiting to shine, shy cats are out there. How about giving a shy cat or two a chance?
Photo Source: Backdoor Friends Cat Rescue
Written by Stephanie Newman
Stephanie is author of the blog, The Musings Of A Crazy Cat Lady, and a freelance writer whose work regularly appears on Examiner.com. Stephanie’s work has been featured on Catster and in print in Natural Awakenings Pet – east Michigan and the Oakland Press newspaper. She’s a professional member of the Cat Writers’ Association, Inc. and a member of Pet Professionals for Pet Adoption.
