# What are your cats scared of the most?



## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Just thought this would be interesting... What are your cats scared of the most?

To my Meatball, it's the thunder. Every time when there is a thunder storm, she runs around the house like a headless chicken :lol:

To my Metoo, it's human sneezing. Hey, I know it's a sudden, and somewhat loud noise, but do you have to act like the sky is falling? :cussing There was once she was eating and I sneezed (sorry but that cannot be held!), she dashed forward, stepping right into her dish, and spreaded her wet food all over the floor :dis


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## Ritzpg (Dec 7, 2010)

Ritz is scared of anything sudden, be it noise or movement. She lived on the streets for the first four to six months of her life. So she is not spooked by garbage collection or sirens. She doesn't like the sound of wind too much, but isn't bothered by wind chimes.
If I suddenly move my foot from the hassock to the floor, then she flinches. Since I adopted her, I tell her where I am, going: "behind you honey"; "moving around you". Helps her.


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

My next door neighbors kids running up the hall stairs, talking/ sometimes yelling loudly. She either buries herself into me if she is on the couch
cuddled up while I'm reading or watching tv or runs and hides in the bedroom closet.


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

it's usually just any sudden movement or noise. and most of the time it's from my husband who will NOT slow down or quiet down no matter how many times i remind him Angel gets spooked by it. so aggravating.

july 4th is coming up and people love their fireworks around here unfortunately so we have yet to see how she reacts to those. don't usually get thunder luckily, but she does run back inside or away from the doors if a big plane goes overhead. (we're right on the flight path, too!) i dread how she'll be when the blue angels fly overhead for their annual show in seattle, though.

other than that, she's a pretty tough cookie.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

MowMow's biggest fear is my ex husband. I have NO idea why. Ryan has never hurt him. If MowMow is in the window and sees him get out of his car, he high tails it into the kitchen cabinet that runs under the bar (his afraid spot). If he hears him talking (even on speaker phone) he runs to his afraid spot. If he is sleeping and Ryan suddenly walks into the apartment he looks panicked and runs to his afraid spot. The minute Ryan leaves or hangs up and I call out "MowMow! It's ok, he's gone!" He comes out and looks around cautiously then goes back to being himself.

Shepherd Book is terrified of cars. I found out the painful way while carrying him out on a walk. He gouged serious ruts into my arms (leaving permanent scars) and flipped out. He is also afraid of dogs but reacts VERY differently with them. He gets all defensive and aggressive. My ex husband has brought his dog over a few times and had to stop (thank goodness since it wasn't very good at being housebroken in MY house) because Shepherd Book would attack the dog. Every time the poor thing moved the slightest bit Book would lunge at it and attack it's face.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

Io hates Roomba. When Rooma's running, Io crouches and stares and hisses and carries on. She doesn't hide, though. It's wierd - we've tried putting he in a different room but she always escapes or cries until we let her out. She hates Roomba but doesn't want to let it out of her sight.



MowMow said:


> MowMow's biggest fear is my ex husband. I have NO idea why. Ryan has never hurt him. If MowMow is in the window and sees him get out of his car, he high tails it into the kitchen cabinet that runs under the bar (his afraid spot). If he hears him talking (even on speaker phone) he runs to his afraid spot. If he is sleeping and Ryan suddenly walks into the apartment he looks panicked and runs to his afraid spot. The minute Ryan leaves or hangs up and I call out "MowMow! It's ok, he's gone!" He comes out and looks around cautiously then goes back to being himself.


My sister's cat Cheshire is very wary around men and general, but there was one particular boyfriend he absolutely hated. We figure he must have looked like someone in Cheshire's past (Marie and I rescued him around a year old... ok let's be honest, we stole him from some people in the neighbourhood because he was always covered in liquor and/or hard candies/lollipops). He loved my partner, and would always be within 3 feet of him the whole time he was with us, but even then Andrew could only get 2-3 pats off before Cheshire would bite him, though he never ever bit me. This boyfriend mentioned above, though, he'd see this man, fluff up, and hide. You'd heard that low rrrrRRRRRrrrrrr from the cupboards. I don't think he ever got over it, but that boyfriend didn't last very long.


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## orrymain (Dec 9, 2011)

Orry is afraid of sudden noises and thunder sends him running under the bed until the storm passes.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Yeah, it's weird. I've always figured he reminded him of someone bad. Either that or I give off enough 'annoyed vibe' when Ryan is around that MowMow picks up on it. Repairmen, cable guys, apartment maintenance guys... any one that comes into the apartment MOwMOw investigates thoroughly and hangs out with. In my old apartment when they fixed the garbage disposal I walked into the kitchen to find the guy under the sink with MowMOw sitting on his chest watching him work..... 

MowMow USED to be terrified of the vacuum cleaner but for some reason since Book got here (who is not afraid of it in the slightest) he deals with it much better and just yells at me when I'm done vacuuming. NO more hiding or running. He just gets up on something high and watches.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

> Since I adopted her, I tell her where I am, going: "behind you honey"; "moving around you". Helps her.


Haha that's very sweet and funny! If it were my cats and if they can talk, they will definitely say "Would you please shut up for a moment!" :lol: But I think Ritz will appreciate that 



> She either buries herself into me if she is on the couch cuddled up while I'm reading


That is so sweet! I wish my cats would do that! I once complained to my mom about this. Why would my cats rather running around than coming to me? Am I not strong enough or reliable enough to protect them? They surely don't have too much confidence in me :-x



> july 4th is coming up and people love their fireworks around here unfortunately so we have yet to see how she reacts to those.


Good luck! My cats actually like fireworks. They can sit by the window for hours watching those 



> MowMow's biggest fear is my ex husband.


Ha ha ha! Oh it's bad to laugh in office but I cannot help... Now THAT is the best one so far! How does your ex feel about it? :lol:



> Io hates Roomba.


Have you seen these videos? 
Show them to Io and tell her what she has missed :lol:


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

I think my cats are most afraid of each other. And other cats whom they decide are dangerous.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Most consistently, it's the dreaded vacuum cleaner and thunder.

When we first got him, Murphy would flinch and be scared at any loud noise. Then I discovered something that really seemed to help. Right before I would turn on my blow dryer, for example, I would say to him, "I'm going to make noise now" in a sing-songy kind of way. After a few times, he wouldn't even flinch at the noise. Then we got a refrigerator with the ice dispenser in the door, which really makes a racket. Now as I'm getting ice I say to him, "I'm going to make noise now," and he doesn't flinch anymore. I think there's something to it -- he knows the tone.


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## Galathiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Sienna is an odd duck ... she was a year old when I got her and does have some idiosyncrasies. She is afraid of plastic bags (when I change out the kitchen garbage can bag she hightails it). Some things it seems she has developed a phobia of .. if strangers come in she hides but will come out for a treat. She used to enjoy playing with a bootlace but now when I get it out she scurries away in a "yikes! scary!" way. However, if I drop things in the kitchen, she doesn't even get up or flinch, unlike my dog who is easily startled now that he's old (12).


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## catinthemirror (Jun 28, 2011)

Those roomba riding cats are cracking me UP! :lol: Those videos are awesome.

I know Sassy is most scared of the vacuum. She's fine with it when it's sitting there doing nothing (she'll even sleep by it), but as soon as a human touches it she knows it's about the come to life and she runs away hissing her little head off :roll: I really wish we could do something to make her less frightened of it, but she's been this way for 14 years.

Moxie isn't frightened of the vacuum. Her biggest fear is strangers. Around my family she's such a confident, affectionate, goofy cat - but around strangers she's really scared. She will come and check them out from a distance but any moves or noises on their part (if they laugh or even just move their arms unexpectedly) Moxie will flinch and take off to hide... I guess this fear of strangers comes from her background as a stray.


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## kty78 (Mar 18, 2012)

The only thing I can think of is riding in the car. They cry the whole time. They don't seem to be afraid of anything else so far.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

yingying said:


> How does your ex feel about it? :lol:


He's a dope. He's convinced if he just holds him and pets him long enough then MowMow will get over his fear. The few times he's tried it I got mad and made him put MowMOw down. He doesn't fight but he gets rigid and and it's like he detaches and goes to his happy place in his mind. So, I don't tell him where MowMOw's afraid spot is so he has NO idea where to find him.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Blacky: Cars. Except when they're turned off, then she sometimes sleeps on their hood...

Blaze: Garbage truck noises, plastic bags, strangers, going anywhere new or even just in his cage at all and he'll pee all over himself. I guess that last one wins.


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## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

Any strangers like repair guys that come into the house. 

They run up to the bedroom. Lily burrows under the comforter on my bed and stays there till the coast is clear (and quiet). Harli doesn't burrow; she comes out after a while and will hang out near me or goes to the other "safe spot" behind the living room couch. (It's pulled out from the wall about 4" so it's a cat highway back there).


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

if we have a thunderstorm at night we find yeti pressed between us in the bed with a worried look on his face.. if a fed-ex or ups truck comes to the house he runs halfway up the stairs (to where the ballasters end and the wall starts)looks around and out at the door while huffing and growling..


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

I guess Io's also afraid of the construction guys jack-hammering the balcony, but I didn't mention it because it scares me too.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

My girls are terrified of possibly *gasp* missing a meal. Or a morsel of something.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

^^^^ i got here too late. i was going to say, "an empty food dish."


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## amelia100 (Mar 12, 2011)

one of mine hates babies. Otherwise, the usual,the vacuum cleaner especially.


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## Leni (Sep 21, 2010)

Vacuum cleaners, their carriers, and my husband's electric shaver. Sherlock is afraid of loud noises (like when the roofers came and hence started his whole urinary issues). And like Marie and Cinderflower said, missing meals. When Sasha was a little younger she was afraid of soda cans for some reason. Brody used to cry when it thundered but he's gotten better.


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## SpellQ (Dec 12, 2010)

Apple wasn't afraid of thunder at all until last summer we had a few strikes close enough that it actually made my medium length hair stand up with the electricity in the air. The associated crack and bang thunder was so loud and upsetting to Apple that now at the first sign of it she starts acting like zombies are coming and we all must prepare and hunker down!

She's also absolutely terrified of all humans other than me and 2 men - one she sees very regularly and the other semi regularly, but he lays down on the floor to talk to her. Otherwise she spends her time huddled under my bed shivering whenever anyone visits. 

Pedro is shy of people at first, but not afraid of them anymore really. There's a few things he's not fond of, but nothing he's really & truly afraid of anymore. He's a pretty brave kitty nowadays.


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

Muffin isn't afraid of anything, really, I can't think of one thing. She's the most bomb proof cat I've ever owned. She walks around with this Garfield-esque expression, eyes half closed, like whatever...

Tiger Lily unfortunately is afraid of Muffin, sometimes my border collie if he's being hyper, and of being picked up.


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

Nothing, would sometimes make life easier if they were though lol 

I vacuum around the kittens daily from birth, they are well socialised, car rides, loud noises...


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

My girls used to be terrified of people. If they heard someone talking in the parking lot, they'd run and hide under the bed. Now that I've moved and people are over here quite often, Cleo has walked up and let two people pet her. Cali has stuck her head out, then walked up to someone. Charlee, though, my rough little tomboy, is the biggest chicken of all.


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## SpellQ (Dec 12, 2010)

lol I just laughed at my two. Zoe & I always lived on busy streets so she was always exposed to traffic noise. She would run and hide anytime a large truck went by or at sirens nearby. She never in her 11 yrs ever got used to traffic noise. Ridiculous. 
Just now a police car came by and as soon as Pedro & Apple heard the siren coming they ran to the window to find out what all the commotion was about!

Zoe's most comical things to be afraid of were rain droplets touching her and wind. OMG she was terrified of wind! There were times I felt bad for her that we live right on the water and there's always a breeze. If I wanted her to get out of my face, telling her and moving her did nothing against her determination, but blowing at her she'd scoot away awfully quickly with a wide eyed "OMG Mommy is turning into the wind!!!" sort of face.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Oh yeah the droplets of rain! The night I met Prince, a horrible stormy night in January, my first sight was of him under the heavy rain, soaking wet, alone and starving, a resigned look on his face. Fast forward a year and a half later, and when we're in the garden downstairs and a couple droplets of rain start falling, he starts crying like crazy, frantically looking for a place to hide, and calling to me desperately like he's drowning. LOL


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## 3furbabies (Dec 7, 2011)

All three of mine are terrified of the vacuum. Well two of them are terrified and the other one just runs away because the other two do lol. Oh and Anna is terrified of plastic bags.. and she was scared of boxes but since I started packing more she likes playing in them with the other girls now.


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

it's funny that a bunch of us here use the old "i'm going to make some noise now" or "I'm right behind you" method. i definitely do these things, too, so that Angel will not be surprised by anything. seems to work! and i always make sure i act like i'm just sleeping or something if there is a loud noise i have no control over. hopefully she'll take that as a sign that it's nothing to be scared of since Mommy isn't. :cat3


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Sinatra: Dogs, plastic bags opening, people wearing shoes

Nutmeg: Nothing until she electrocuted herself on the water fountain. Now she is terrified of it.


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## LaurulFeatherCat (Sep 16, 2011)

Visitors they do not know. Since most of mine are feral resuces, they hide. Of couse most of them come out later and peek at who came in, but initially, they hide.

Yesterday I sat backpack on the floor full of stuff they had never seen before and three of them hissed it and slunk away to hide. Once they realized it contained cans of food, they all came back.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

I posted this in a different thread, but I think Io might be afraid of the printer. :3


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

LOL awesome take! Thanks for sharing!


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Lottie used to be afraid of torches but she is improving a lot. 

Princess Tramp is afraid of strangers.

Ozzy is a wimp and afraid of loads of things.

Jemima pretends to be afraid of nothing.

All of them are very wary of the abandoned mother cat!

None of them are afraid of the poor dog.


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## popace (Feb 22, 2012)

My two are a bit frightened of the sound of the wind blowing through the window frames and travelling of course !


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

It's interesting to see so many cats are afraid of vacuum and plastic bags  Plastic bag is one of my cats favorite toys. They were scared by vacuum for a few times before, but now they realized it's just a big noisy harmless thing and they chase it when I vacuum :lol:



> Nutmeg: Nothing until she electrocuted herself on the water fountain. Now she is terrified of it.


LOL. I didn't know cat can be electrocuted by water fountain...

As of visitors, though my cats are not afraid of them, they do prefer female visitors than males. Whenever there are males visiting, they sit and watch at a distance. It take them a while to put down their guard and approach the male stranger. But if its a female, they will be all over her in a minute


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

yingying said:


> LOL. I didn't know cat can be electrocuted by water fountain...


They can be if they chew on the cords and it electrocutes them...


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Now that's scary. I'm glad your cats are ok! My Metoo chew cords sometimes as well, and I have to spray bitter apple on all exposed cords at home from time to time...


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## sandyrivers (Apr 9, 2012)

Hi,

What terrifies my cats the most is what we call here "Wash The Street", this big loud truck that passes in the street and sprays water and sweeps... 
All my cats immediately go in hiding when this thing comes around.
Any hiding spot is good; under the blankets, in the closet, under the couch, or under my shirt.

The 2nd most terrifying thing is the garbage truck that comes around every Tuesday morning... Same reaction!

When this happens, I make sure to talk to them and reassure them the best I can...
But they know that after this terrifying experience, they will each get a home made treat, and quickly forget about the ordeal!

sandyrivers


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Awww, sandyrivers, you rescued so many cats, you're my hero! I rescued 3, and take care of about 20 downstairs.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Pricess Tramp is afraid of the bin-men coming around (rubbish or re-cycling).

Lottie used to be terrified of torches but is much better now.

Jem won't admit she's afraid of anything.

Oz is basically a coward!


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

Doesn't "electrocute" mean - *death*??? 8O


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

You are right. Sorry, she was shocked by the cord.


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## rightsaidfed (May 31, 2012)

Just the vacuum cleaner...and the laser pointer once it's "caught"

He loves chasing the laser pointer, but if I zone out and the red dot is resting on his paws he freaks out and starts backing up. He picks up the chase again once it starts moving, but if it's on him, he can't get away fast enough.


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## lyle (Oct 28, 2010)

The garage cats: Lawnmowers and cars 
The house cats: Vacuum cleaners


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## KittyKali (May 28, 2012)

Arianwen said:


> Pricess Tramp is afraid of the bin-men coming around (rubbish or re-cycling).


You named your cat tramp? :crying


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Both Alkee and Zuba were door greeters to everyone. Alkee was afraid of nothing initially, but Zuba was even afraid of a timer or microwave beeping would would high tail it out of the kitchen. He got used to it and now doesn't flinch if I drop a pot on the floor. Things changed around the time they were just over a year old when we had extensive renovations done to our our house (2 bathrooms, new flooring, etc.), and then Zuba ran every time he heard the door bell ring. Alkee was fine with that. We just moved 2 months ago, and now _both of them_ run and hide when they hear the doorbell ring (and we've had quite a few workmen coming and going) and hide if they are men until they're gone, but if it's a female Alkee will come out to greet her, Zuba stays hidden under the loveseat. Alkee used to be afraid of thunder but isn't anymore. Zuba has always been afraid of the sound of foil being torn off, or if I shake it----off he goes. It works if I spread some sheets on top of the stove top it keeps him off it. It's funny tho how their fears have changed over their 7 years. They never used to be afraid of a vacuum cleaner, but a new one I got they both hate it....I think it's louder than my old one with a higher pitch.


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## Mhelmandollar (Dec 9, 2011)

I have wood floors so we don't wear shoes in the house. We take them off in the garage and wear socks in the house. If I'm going out somewhere nice I will put nice shoes on in the bedroom right before we leave. Simba is afraid of shoes. He looks down at my feet and runs.


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## 6cats4me (Apr 30, 2011)

F/3 said:


> I have wood floors so we don't wear shoes in the house. We take them off in the garage and wear socks in the house. If I'm going out somewhere nice I will put nice shoes on in the bedroom right before we leave. Simba is afraid of shoes. He looks down at my feet and runs.


I thought my cats were the only ones who had a shoe phobia! I'm barefoot or wearing socks most of the time inside my house but when I do put on dress shoes and 
walk through the house, my cats freak out. They act like my shoes are scary intruders!


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## Mhelmandollar (Dec 9, 2011)

F/3 said:


> I have wood floors so we don't wear shoes in the house. We take them off in the garage and wear socks in the house. If I'm going out somewhere nice I will put nice shoes on in the bedroom right before we leave. Simba is afraid of shoes. He looks down at my feet and runs.


I just found out something else simba doesn't like. Whistling. My girlfriend doesn't like it when I whistle so being the good boyfriend that I am I rarely whistle. Whe was at work today and I started to whistle and right in the middle of simba's breakfast he stopped and ran away. I guess it hurts his ears but I listen to the surround sound pretty lout with action scenes explosions and gunfire and that doesnt bother him. He sleeps in his cat tree 5 feet from the tv or even behind the tv.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

F/3 said:


> I have wood floors so we don't wear shoes in the house. We take them off in the garage and wear socks in the house. If I'm going out somewhere nice I will put nice shoes on in the bedroom right before we leave. Simba is afraid of shoes. He looks down at my feet and runs.


Afraid of shoes... Now that's a good one! :lol: I thought cats don't care about human apparel? My cats don't mind how stupid, or ugly, or rediculous I am dressed rcat


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## Tutubean (Jun 11, 2012)

not getting more food (because this time might be the last time!!!!omg)...

thunder...

being separated from me for a long time (that is, over an hour)...

large bags...

did I mention the food thing?.........:dis


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