My timid cat got startled. Should I comfort her or leave her alone?

So sorry to hear this happened. It is best to ignore her behavior. If you give her any attention you are rewarding an inappropriate behavior. I suggest you leave her be, put some Feliway diffusers in the house (especially in the room she is in) and try to act as normal as possible. You will cause her more stress if you are constantly checking in on her. I suggest you leave the door open to the room and she can come in/out if and when she pleases. I think she is waiting to make sure the dog is not going to return. https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser

Congrats on your new kitten, and thanks for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Kino! Moving into a new home is stressful for a kitten, and it will take time for her to adjust. I would leave her alone for now, allow her to get used to the sights and smells of her new home. When she does come out, praise her and offer her a treat or a toy to play with to show her coming out and interacting is a good thing that will be rewarded. As time passes, she should feel more and more comfortable with coming out, and the treats and toys will make that more enticing as well. Praise her too when she comes out, and you should see over time that she will be calmer and happier in the home. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

When cats get spooked or frightened by something, it often takes them a few days to completely calm down again - so this is not unusual. The best thing to do is leave her alone and give her space. You can try using a Feliway pheromone diffuser and/or a daily calming supplement like Anxitane to help reduce her anxiety, if you want to.

You should not force her to interact. That will backfire as she will be scared. Once she feels comfortable she will come out of the room on her own. You are overthinking the process. My one suggestion would be to try some Feliway diffusers in the house. This may decrease stress levels and make her feel more comfortable. https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/comfort-zone-diffuser-with-feliway-for-cats Hope this helps. Best wishes!

I would recommend giving her more space and time. Offer her lots of treats from afar without expecting any interaction. It sounds like she's warming up, it's just slow going. Some cats take weeks or months to warm up, and some never really want to interact with their humans. It sounds like she's totally normal, just not a social kitty. I hope that helps!

Some cats can just be naturally skittish, however making sure Yin has a place she can relax and settle in may help her feel more comfortable. A high perch she can view people from may make her want to interact a bit more, as well as making sure she has her own access to food, litter, water, etc without the other cats interfering. Pheromone diffusers such as Comfort Zone can also help nervous or stressed cats relax as well. Giving her time and letting her approach you for a treat or pets may also make her more comfortable over time.

If you have ever physically punished your cat, it is possible that your cat has developed a fear of you. On the other hand, you can be the gentlest of cat owners and still have a cat that runs when you try to pet her. Often this behavior is due to poor socialization of the cat when she was a very young kitten. Kittens need to be socialized to human touch between the ages of 2-7 weeks. This is when kittens learn that being held and pet by humans is pleasurable. Kittens that don't receive much early socilization may always be a little skittish around people and not associate petting with a positive experience. Some cats are also just more sensitive to being pet - it doesn't feel good to them; it arouses or irritates them. A cat that doesn't like the way petting feels will run away to avoid the experience. Yet, that same cat may enjoy your company and want to be in the same room with you. You can encourage your cat to come closer for petting by doing the following simple steps: 1) let your cat initiate the interactions, rather than you trying to impose them on your cat; 2) Sit or squat down whenever you would like your cat to approach so that you don't seem as threatening to your cat; 3) Reward your cat's approach with a favorite treat or a tiny bit of canned food; 4) Let your cat smell your hand before you attempt to pet or touch; 5) If your cat is shy about its head being touched, try scritching under the chin or at the base of the tail; 6) Reward your cat for allowing you to touch her. 7) Keep your petting brief and increase as she seems more tolerant. 8) Instead of petting your cat when she approaches, engage her in play with an interactive toy to help build a bond between the two of you. 9) Be patient with your cat and yourself.