I was wondering, why my cat run away from me. Do you?
The answer is very simple. Your cat does not TRUST you all of the ways! Even if the cat knows and loves you, they still run away because it is the trust that is lacking, which is very simple for such a simple creature.
According to Dr. Erica Irish, Cat Language is A Ubiquitous and Complex Form of Communication Being a pet owner you really need to understand your feline body language and behaviors and triggers about trust and distrust towards their owners.
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So Can You Now Tell Why The Cat Runs Away From You? I Do!
There are other reasons why cats run away from their owners based on some research, even if full trust had been established.
Reason # 1: Feline is in Heat
Seasonally speaking, Felines are known to be sexually aggressive and active.
They can easily sense if there are other cats around.
And we are talking about during the mating season. And with this cat run away from you.
Reason # 2: A Hunting Spirit by Nature
By genetic heritage, cats are hunters by heart. Even though they have been domesticated, still, the hunting instinct is very much alive within them.
By nature, cats need to hunt for prey. So, this is one reason why cats run away from their owners.
Reason # 3: Territorial Underworld
Another reason why sometimes cats run away is the territorial matter. Cats are so-called very territorial. They develop a system amongst each other.
Related to being territorial, this trait can lead to another reason why the cat runs away from you as the owner.
The moment you moved to another place, your cat may be running away because it is looking for a home that you took away. Most of the people who moved out take time to address this kind of problem.
They make sure that, they take their cats to their new home or place a few or more times and let them roam around the area or premises so they can get acquainted and familiarize the new place. This is quite serious so you need to be patient.
Reason # 4: Joy versus Fear
Too much joy can be threatened for cats. For example, a new friend arrived bringing a lot of stuff, and you are so happy( laughing, yelling) or maybe a new baby is born from your family, this could bring change in the way they feel.
The fact that this furry friend is the center of attention for a long period, and they are used to it.
And so, with the sudden change, they feel that! They feel neglected, so they start running away.
Reason # 5: New Home, Sweet-Home
Your love is not enough as they can feel, that is why they started to run away from you. As maybe they have found someone more loving and caring than you are.
It is by nature that cats love to be pampered and easily accept love from someone whom they feel as if they are truly loved. And they feel that they have found another new home.
Reason # 6: A Dominant Cat
Some dominant cat forces your Feline to run away could also be another reason. Kicking your cat out from that area by an existing dominant cat makes your cat run away.
This could probably happen when the Felines fight each other, and the winner takes the power to be dominant in that area, and the loser simply runs away.
You need to do something about this, by protecting your cat from the existing dominant one.
Maybe the best thing that you can do is to keep your cat inside your house for a while. You can also install motion sensor sprinklers to help frighten this dominant cat away.
Reason # 7: Mistreatment Hurts
The way you treated your cat can tell a lot about why they run away. Mistreatment does hurt them. Even if it is not intentional, still they hurt. Like the way you play with them sometimes hurts them.
So this is another reason. Sometimes another member of the family does. It might feel a little bit strange, to interrogate everyone at home to make sure that your cat is not being mistreated, but you may have to do this for the sake of your pet.
Reason # 8: Poor Socialization
Poor socialization when the cat was still a kitten is another factor that contributes to the list of reasons why cats run away from you.
As much as possible, allow kittens to socialize during their 2-7 weeks old.
How Can You Stop Your Cat From Running Away From You?
If you love your cat and you want your cat to stop running from you, take your time to follow the following simple steps as I did.
1. Build Mutual Trust
First and foremost, make sure to build mutual trust. Holding your cat most of the time does not mean you have built trust.
Many have misconceptions about this. It is a big NO! Therefore, there’s no need to hold them all the time to make them feel that you love them.
If you do so, cats learn that, and they will learn to avoid you either way. They can learn patterns without your notice.
Instead, of holding your cat every time you want to see them, split it up! Just allow your cat to come over to you on their own.
2. Make it Simple
Very simple to remember, cats are very simple creatures by nature, so never complicate them.
If they feel that you are applying the same strategy for the same purpose, they might feel tired, and they will avoid you. Give them the freedom of choice.
Let them do what they want on their own. In this way, you are rebuilding trust and in such a way you are showing them, great love. As simple as allowing them to be in your lap.
3. Be In Control
Same with us humans, each cat has its personality. But only one seems to be the same and consistent and that is to feel in control.
4. Reward your Cat
Rewarding strategy is one of the best ways to apply. Walk up to your cat and see to it you offer something to eat ( catnip) as a reward.
Eventually, your cat will learn to let you come near on the off chance that will give them the idea that something good will happen.
5. Trick for Content for Interaction
Do your best to train your cat to be okay every time you come near. Do this repeatedly by getting your cat to initially trust next to him.
Workaround your cat, approach when he or she is busy with something else such as while sleeping or eating. When serving their dinner, simply serve the food bowl and stand right next to it.
And allow them to get near and eat. Just repeat the entire process, until your cat gets used to it. The same can be done during nap time.
Simply sit or stand beside him, do nothing, as you will observe he will just go back to sleep. A minute or two is good enough and then leave.
The moment you do these things all over again, in the end, your cat will be contented, believing that you will just sit or stand beside him and will be interested in what they do. Train your cat to be content with you after you come near.
You will be setting two basic purposes in this term. First, let them understand at the end that your coming near does not mean annoying. Second, your coming near means something really good things will happen.
6. Train Cats to be okay with you coming near
Let your cat smell your hand, in such a way, that he or she will be able to recognize you through your smell.
Scritching the cat’s chin is one way to eliminate the cat’s shyness. And lastly, be patient with your cat and with yourself as well.
How Can You Convince Your Cat? Is It By Doing The Above-Mentioned Steps?
Very easy, simply walk up to him or her slowly and in a very nice way, then you can mix things up when you decide to go nearby.
But for the next few weeks, do some intervals and make sure to do different things. Have a variety of actions so there would be no repetition. Again;
- Just go near or simply stand beside your cat.
- Offer your cat something to sniff and walk up to your cat.
- While your cat is sleeping or eating go up with him or her and stroke gently.
Finding your missing cat is a stressful one. But remember the reason why you put ant extra effort to do so, and that is because you love your cat much. It is very true as I have been there myself. Like humans, I have learned that cats have distinct personalities as well.
So better be careful in dealing with them. Make sure, you are also aware of the different behaviors of this creature, and be able to get learned.
Treating them well and just is the most important thing to do for trust to build, so that cat will not run away but instead will come closer to you.
In Summary
To deviate from this kind of stress, dealing with an unending search for your missing cat, you need to follow all the information mentioned above.
An additional suggestion is by using the animal tracker which can help you monitor your cat’s location, behaviors, and activities.
In this way, you are well assured that your cat is in good condition and you don’t need to ask the same question “ Why does my cat run away from me?”