my rescued cat is terrified of me?

Question

i'va had a cat for 4 years now who does not trust me at all. out of my six family members she only trusts my dad. whenever i try to go near her, no matter how gentle and calmly i approach her she runs away and hides. when my dad gets home from work she's runs to him and stays by his side the entire time he is around. she is so scared that she will only eat if my dad is there to take her to her bowl. occasionally is she is lying on my dads bed i can sneak up and brush and pet her, but as soon as she realizes its me or anyone else besides my dad she once again runs and hides. i should add that we found her as a kitten near death in our front yard, it seems like she was attacked either by another animal or even a human but we're not sure. while we were all there while we were helping her my dad was the one who physically picked her up and put her in the car to bring her to vet. so why is she so scared all the time? help????

Mass · Answer

Animals remember and suffer from trauma and PTSD just as we do. Are you perhaps a girl and is your dad the only male in the family? It could be something related to the people who abused it. Whether you are similar to the people the cat was abused by gender or appearance, age etc. 
I've had a similar dog but no experience with cats. The dog was scared of my dad because according to the vet it could be that the dog was abused by someone of similar build or appearance and gender age etc as my dad. The dog eventually came around but it took its time, even then it's interactions with my dad was always hesitant and defensive, like it expected my dad to lash out at any moment. It was tragic :(
To earn the trust of such an animal takes patience, time and action. So be near it and let it come to you. In this case you need to let the cat deal with it  and you can't do much until it deems you are safe and that you are not going to hurt it.  Maybe look up some ideas on how to earn the trust of such a cat because I've never had a cat and i don't know much about that area. 
When we first rescued my dog, it was still quite curious by nature so it still approached and sniffed around my dad even though as soon as my dad moved or the dog realized its been found out it would flinch and run away.

Carrie · Answer

I had a rescue like that, this one found as a kitten, starving and injured, behind a bowling alley.  I was the one who fed her, cleaned up after her, did everything...and every time I came near, she either bolted or attacked.  She'd sit with my mother for hours and hours, completely at peace, but couldn't stand me.  And like you, this was incredibly frustrating.

I wish I could say that the cat will calm down and come to you, but mine never did.  I just came to accept it, because really, what can you do?  It's not like you're going to get rid of the cat just because it doesn't love you as much as you'd wish.  Just keep trying, though, and maybe the cat will surprise you one day.

Gert · Answer

She's your dad's cat.  We have one like that.  She's a Havana Brown and very stand-offish.  Sometimes she'll sit near you and let you pet her, but you can't approach her and you can NEVER pick her up.

Anonymous · Answer

maybe ur ugly

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my rescued cat is terrified of me?

4 Answers