If you notice your feline friend suddenly acting very strange and completely reluctant to enter your room, then you are probably dealing with a scared cat. This behavior is even more common in kittens as compared to cats because they are very sensitive creatures. So if you notice your cats’ efforts to avoid your room, don’t worry. But to understand this, let’s see why your cat is suddenly scared of your room.
This article will help you figure out why your cat is behaving this way, as well as what you can do to fix it.
Why is your cat may suddenly be scared of your room
We know that cats can be super sensitive and take the smallest of unusual things to heart sometimes. This can be anything from having a new pet, a new bed, or maybe even a large portrait of your loved one.
Every cat has a different reason for being scared, some may have heard or seen something unusual, which is why they may avoid going near the room altogether.
Either way, this is not something to worry about and as the owner of your cat, it is your responsibility to look into your cats’ behaviour patterns to see why it’s acting this way.
Once you do this, you can slowly condition your cat in various ways to get used to entering your room again without fear.
We have mentioned these ways later in the article.
Why do cats behave this way?
There can be many reasons as to why a cat can behave this way. One of the most common reasons is anxiety or stress, in hidden forms, such as if they are spooked by any object in the room.
This can cause a lot of fear to slowly turn into stress whenever the cat passes by or goes close to the door.
Cats can behave this way when they have had a tough childhood, or if they have trust issues. They can also have fear of something, maybe it’s the other cats at home or something within the room itself.
One way you can spot the signs of the cat growing to fear a room is to look at its body posture. A scared cat will have large eyes and dilated pupils, and its head will be held low.
When you see these signs whenever you take it near the room, it means it is scared of the room.
Reasons why cats get scared
Meeting with someone unfamiliar
This is a very common scenario. Ask yourself this: how many times have you seen your cat shying away from someone new?
It probably tries its best to hide away from the person and avoid their touch at all times, until it gets comfortable.
So if your cat is suddenly getting scared of your room after you’ve had a guest over, then chances are it’s the guest’s presence in the specific room that made your cat fearful.
New objects
Similar to having new guests over, rearranging something or buying something new for your room can also cause such a reaction in your cat.
There is a possibility that your cat was so used to the previous set-up of the room, that after the changes it had a hard time adjusting and started avoiding it completely.
Hence, if you’ve recently bought a new lamp, rocking chair, or even a funky holding cup for your stationery, this may be the reason for your cat’s hesitance.
Bad experiences in the room
Everyone loves well-trained cats, but they can be naughty sometimes too. Some owners use negative reinforcement to discipline their cat (not recommended), and as obvious as it is, this can be a traumatizing experience for your cat.
While punishment and beating can cause harm to your cat, it can also be a major reason why your cat is traumatized by the room itself, where the action took place.
These types of experiences are hard to heal cats from, and it may take a much longer time to make your cat get used to the respective room again.
Empty room
If you’ve just shifted into a new apartment or room, and are yet to fill it up with your belongings, your cat can feel uneasy.
It may seem like an unusual reason to mention, but it’s true. Cats are creatures who like to hide, it makes them feel secure.
Wide-open spaces can be overwhelming for them, and they may choose to stay away from the room because of this very reason.
If you find this the reason for their fear, try to make the room comfortable for them so they forget their fear.
Weird Smells
Did you know that cats can smell 14 times better than humans? (Source: Paws Chicago)
This also means they are 14 times more likely to smell something fishy in your room before you do. A slightly unusual odor can get your cat to start avoiding your room.
Therefore, if you get hints of any type of smell, eliminate it before trying to get your cat accustomed to the room again.
Unusual noises
Cats can hear very high-pitched sounds as well, and it is possible that at some point they could have heard something from the room.
It may not necessarily be a high-pitched noise, maybe something you played on your computer that scared your cat away, or it could be something like a high-speed fan.
Older cats may be less likely to face this problem because as cats grow old, their hearing declines, so this is more common in younger cats.
This kind of experience can be tough to pinpoint in some cases, but if you make your cat comfortable, it will get used to the room again soon.
Seen something unusual
Cats can see better in darkness than us humans, so by chance if your cat hasn’t slept too well at night, it could have seen something that triggered its fear.
While there is no way to know what exactly happened, you will just have to estimate the fear and help your cat work through it.
Conflict with another cat
Cats are usually very social and loving. But, if you own more than one cat, chances are that your cats can get competitive with each other and cause resentment.
Kittens and young cats are more likely to be a victim of this behavior. Sometimes, an older cat can’t stop the younger cat from entering the room because of jealousy.
In this case, you will see the younger cat fearing the older one any time it’s around it, and when you see this behavior, it’s time for you to jump in.
How to get your cat to come to your room again
Now that you know the reasons why your cat could suddenly be scared of your room, how can you fix this?
Step 1: Finding the cause
Firstly, take some time to observe your cat for a few days, especially its behavior when you walk into the room or when it is trespassing the room from afar.
Try to figure out what is scaring it. Is it something you recently bought and placed in the room, or does the room have some sort of smell?
These questions will help you figure out the reason (if it is obvious enough), and look into it appropriately.
Step 2: Eliminating the fear
Time for action! Your cat will be very reluctant to enter the room, so now that you have learned about its fear, you can try showing it that there is nothing to worry about.
For example: if it is scared of something under the bed, then you can lift the sheets and show it that there is nothing there.
Moreover, if you aren’t able to find the reason for its fear, don’t worry.
You can try playing with it around the house and slowly and subconsciously let it near the room so that it knows that the room is safe.
Most cats loosen up this way, and it’s because of this method.
Also, as a bonus, you can give treats to your cat after playtime. This will help your cat be assured that the whole house is safe, and there is no harm anywhere.
It is important to go with the flow and not try to force our cat into the room; give it the time it needs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you find your cat suddenly scared of the room, don’t worry about it.
This is very common and happens to many cats throughout their lifetime.
The good news is that you can use different techniques to condition your cat so that it slowly starts letting go of the fear.
Figure out the cause of the fear, and then engage your cat in different activities so it gets comfy with the room again.
Lastly, don’t forget, cats are sensitive, so don’t force them to do something they don’t want to or you may traumatize them.
If you tried all of the methods mentioned above, try mentioning this to your vet the next time you visit and get a check-up for your cat. A veterinarian something to assist you better in this case.