So You've Got a Shy Cat?

It's not uncommon; we all either own/ed or know someone with a shy cat. You know the ones. That cat who vanishes as soon as someone comes to the door, or the one who startles at everything. The cat who has green eyes, but all you usually ever see are big black pupils. The one who lives under the bed or in the darkest part of the closet. Because it's so common it's easy to see this as normal cat behavior when really, shyness is not a personality trait but an expression of fear! Whether mild or severe there are many tools and techniques we can use to increase your kitty's confidence and reduce their fear - leading to a less stressed and more social cat. 

Please note: Some videos, resources and infographics linked to this article are centered around or feature dogs. However, these resources and concepts are relevant and can be applied to cats and other pets.

Causes and Triggers

There are many reasons why a cat may be shy or fearful. For some cats, it's just part of their personality due to genetics or lack of socialization during kittenhood. Maybe their mother was also a fearful cat or experienced trauma during her pregnancy. Maybe your shy cat was not exposed to a diversity of new people, animals, things or experiences when they were a kitten, so new things cause them discomfort and fear. For other cats, they may have learned to be shy as a way to protect themselves and stay safe or as a result of experiencing something scary in their past. This can be real trauma or perceived trauma, something that simply startled them or made them uncomfortable for an unknown reason. Something to note: just because an animal is shy or fearful, does not mean they were abused or mistreated.

While it can be helpful to know and understand why your pet is the way they are, it isn't necessary. If you adopted your pet from a shelter, you may not have any information about their background, behavior history or past. If you have recently (within the last three to six months) adopted your shy cat, check out our article on Adopting: Shy and Fearful Cats. Even if you have had your cat since they were a very young kitten, it may be impossible to identify why they are shy or fearful. It's more important to accept your cat for who they are, while not assuming "that is just how they are" and there is nothing you can do to help them gain confidence and courage. Similar to how some people are more shy or anxious than others, some cats are, too. However, that doesn't mean that a shy cat (or person) can't become more comfortable in certain environments, gain confidence, or find ways to decrease fear, stress or anxiety. 

While it may not be relevant to understand what caused your cat to be shy or fearful, it is important to identify and understand what their triggers are. This is because you can't change the past (what caused their fear) but you can prevent contributing to it by exposing them to their triggers. Is your cat frightened by loud noises, other animals, new people, children or novel objects? Do they run and hide very frequently or only in specific situations? If you don't have the answer to these questions, that's okay! There are ways you can learn to identify your cat's triggers by reading their body language, noticing when they are stressed or scared, and investigating what spooked them.

Body Language and Behavior

Cats communicate discomfort, stress and fear through body language and behavior. To better understand your cat's behavior, ask yourself, "What are they trying to achieve? What is the purpose of this behavior?" (For more information on behavior, check out: How Behavior Works - Why Animals Do What They Do.) You can better understand what your cat is feeling by observing their ears, tail, eyes, mouth, body and fur. Ask yourself: Are my cat's ears perked forward or pulled back? Is their tail hanging loose or up and stiff? Are their eyes soft and relaxed or wide and alert? Is their body crouched and stiff or relaxed and loose? Is their fur flat, puffed up or rippling? All these questions can help you notice and identify your cat's body language.

From there, you can interpret these signals to determine what they are trying to communicate and how they feel about a situation. Understanding how your cat is feeling in different environments and scenarios will help you determine what triggers them to feel uncomfortable, stressed or fearful. Knowing your cat's triggers can help you avoid exposing your cat to their triggers and implement positive reinforcement training to desensitize your cat to these things while creating positive associations with them. For more information on positive reinforcement training, see the "Positive Reinforcement and Confidence Building" section below.

Indications that your cat is experiencing relaxation or positive emotions include a soft, relaxed and "neutral" body, narrowed, soft eyes with constricted (small) pupils, a loose low or softly swishing tail and choosing other behaviors while in the presence of a potential trigger (person, animal, sound, object, etc.), such as calmly moving away, grooming, sitting or lying down. Indications that your cat is experiencing stress, overstimulation, fear or other negative emotions include a stiff and alert body, tense facial muscles, showing teeth, wide eyes with dilated (large) pupils, puffed up tail and fur (piloerection), stiff tail vibrating up high or large swishing tail, ears back, and being unable to break focus from a trigger (fixation). Other stress signals and behaviors include swatting and clawing, hissing, yowling, spitting, biting, fleeing, hiding, hard stare and fixation (intent focus) and apparent agitation. It is important to listen to your cat's signals and respect their boundaries, so they don't feel the need to escalate to "louder" forms of communication (i.e. growl, swat or bite).

Consistent hiding, changes to or loss of appetite, litter box issues or changes in elimination habits, medical issues like Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) or Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), sudden disinterest in playing and other changes in your cat's behavior may indicate that they are experiencing high levels of stress and are not comfortable in their current environment. For more information, see the "Signs of Stress" section below. If your cat is showing signs of fear, anxiety, stress or discomfort in response to something or someone, this is a trigger. Either remove the trigger from your cat's space or make a change to the environment to minimize exposure to this trigger (person or thing). For more information, see the "Environmental Management" section below. If it is impossible to remove a trigger from your cat's environment, positive reinforcement training is necessary to help your cat feel more neutral or positive about this trigger. For more in-depth information on cat body language, check out this B&T Lecture: Can You Speak Dog or Cat?

Signs of Stress

Cats can experience fear, anxiety or stress for a wide range of reasons that can vary from loud noises or a new person in their favorite room to an animal walking outside their home or even if they feel ill. By watching your cat's body language, you may see certain behaviors that indicate stress. It's also important to understand that some of these behaviors help them cope and can help them calm down.

• Yawning
• Lip licking
• Freezing
• Blinking
• Grooming
• Looking away (avoidance)
• Hiding
• Vocalizing
• Dilated pupils
• Whiskers twitching
• Tail tucking
• Piloerection (hair standing up)

To learn more about these signals and what they mean, check out our Reading Body Language YouTube playlist.

Keep an eye out for any signs of more severe stress in your cat, including medical issues or sudden changes in behavior. In addition to reading their body language, assess their behavior and physical condition for any potentially serious issues such as:

• Consistent fleeing or hiding.
• Excessive vocalization or extreme change in vocalization habits.
• Signs of extreme fearfulness, aggressive behavior, or being shutdown.
• Changes to or loss of appetite.
• Sudden disinterest in playing and/or scratching, or other changes in behavior.
• Inappropriate elimination, litter box issues, spraying or other changes in elimination habits.
• Decreased grooming, over-grooming, chewing at fur or skin, or other forms of self-harm.
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) triggered by stress, causing your cat to avoid using the litter box or avoid eating/drinking (dehydration).
• Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) or other illnesses triggered by stress or exasperated by stress.
• Other illnesses or medical issues.

Trigger Stacking: The Effect of Stress

When an animal encounters a trigger or experiences a stressful event, their body releases the stress hormone, cortisol. After a stressful event, it takes time for cortisol to decrease and go back down to normal levels. If an animal experiences multiple stressful events or triggers in a short amount of time, cortisol can build up in the body faster than it has time to diminish. The more cortisol that builds up in the body, the longer it takes for an animal to recover from stress, the more on-edge an animal may seem and the more extreme they may react to another trigger. For example, if you get a flat tire on a stress-free, good day you may be a little frustrated and annoyed but will probably recover quickly. But, if you woke up late, skipped breakfast, stubbed your toe, lost your wallet, missed the bus and then got a flat tire, you might react with much more anger or stress. You might cry or scream. You might take out your frustration on the innocent employee at the tire shop. The same goes for our pets; this build-up of stress and cortisol, referred to as "trigger stacking," can push an animal "over-threshold" and beyond their tolerance level.

Imagine a cup of water: each time your pet experiences stress and/or a real or perceived threat (trigger), water (cortisol) is added to the cup. The more triggers they encounter, the more full the cup gets. Eventually, the water will reach the top of the cup (threshold) and the cup will start overflowing (over-threshold). It is important to allow your pet to decompress after a stressful event, to prevent them from becoming trigger stacked and pushed over-threshold. When an animal is pushed over-threshold, they are more likely to react in an extreme way to a seemingly mild trigger or small stimuli. When a cat is stressed and pushed over-threshold they are more likely to hiss, growl, swat or bite. For more information, check out: Trigger Stacking & Stress Hormones.

Tips for Working with Shy Cats

• Provide a safe space: Provide your cat with a safe, small, quiet room or space. This space can be set up with appropriate hiding places, like a cat tree and cozy blankets. Be sure your cat’s space has a litter box within easy reach of the cat, but away from food and water. (For more information on the importance and set up of a "safe space," check out these articles: Cat Confinement in a New Home and Adopting: Shy and Fearful Cats.)
• Pheromone diffusers: Pheromone sprays and diffusers, such as Feliway, mimic cats' pheromones to help cats relax and feel more calm and comfortable. Cats are very sensitive to scent — new, unfamiliar smells and the lack of their own scent in an environment can cause stress and discomfort. Pheromones provide cats with a calming, familiar scent that can reduce signs of stress. 
• Low pressure interactions: Avoid staring, direct eye contact or towering over your cat. Do not pressure or force your new cat to interact or share space with you.
• Quiet is key: Avoid making loud noises and speaking in a deep, harsh or shrill voice. Use calming music or sound dampening to drown out loud noises in the environment. Confine your cat to their quiet, safe space during times when the home is extra noisy (i.e. during a party, when children or other animals are visiting, when vacuuming, etc.).
• Always ask for consent: Avoid pulling or forcing your cat out of hiding or to be held. Wait for your cat to approach you or solicit affection (Watch this video on What Consent Looks Like in Cats).
• Use a soothing voice: Speak softly and calmly (Watch this video on How to Use your Voice as a Training Tool).
• Let your cat have a choice: Allow your cat to choose to approach or interact — or not (Watch this video on Social Pressure and Animal Interactions).
• Strenthen your bond through interactive play! Play fetch or use interactive toys that allow you to play with your cat from a distance — such as a Cat Dancer (a wire with cardboard bits on the end) or wand toys (a stick with a string and a toy tied to the end) — to engage your cat in chasing, grabbing and catching. Present wand toys at a distance and allow your cat to approach and chase the toy, moving the toy away from your cat. If your shy cat is not comfortable with interactive play: don’t force it! Let your cat enjoy solo play until they are ready to play with you. Provide them with ways to play on their own, such as a toy with a ball on a track or scratching post with toys on an elastic cord. Note: always supervise your pets when they are playing with toys that have strings or other things that they could swallow or get tangled up in. 
• Create positive associations: Pair your voice or petting with high-value foods and treats. (Check out this video on Paw Touches to see an example of pairing touch with treats. You can use this same technique for general body handling and petting.)
• Avoid Punishment: Never yell or hit your cat, because this will reinforce their fear and could encourage them to become aggressive. Watch this video on Positive Punishment and why you shouldn't use it, especially with fearful animals. Instead, use Positive Reinforcement and learn how to Stop Unwanted Behavior Without Intimidation. (For more information on positive reinforcement and positive punishment, see the "Positive Reinforcement and Confidence Building" section below.
• Follow their lead: Allow your cat to move at their speed and choose whether or not to interact with people. Read and respond to your cat’s body language to ensure that they feel comfortable (Check out this article: Does Your Pet Not Like To Be Touched?).  Do not force your cat to be pet, especially if they are displaying body language consistent with discomfort, fear or aggression (Check out this article: Study: Letting cats decide when to be petted avoids hostility & increases their affection). When your cat is showing signs of exploration, gradually let them explore the rest of the house. If your cat is showing interest in play, social interaction, or affection engage them while taking frequent breaks to gauge how your cat is feeling and ask for consent to continue.

Environmental Management

Our pets' behavior is functional and depends on the environment, context and conditions around them. Behavior changes depending on what an animal is trying to achieve and what environment they are in. For example, your cat may behave differently when you have friends over for a party, than they would on a day when they are home alone. When your cat is home alone they may be wanting social interaction, so they behave very friendly and outgoing when you finally get home — they are trying to get attention and affection! But, when you have friends over they may be overwhelmed and wanting peace and quiet, so they run and hide — they are trying to feel safe! Additionally, your cat may behave differently when you have familiar friends over, than they would when you have new friends over that your cat has never met. Maybe your cat is already comfortable with your good friends and approaches them for play. But, with your new, unfamiliar friends, your cat may hiss or run away. 

Fear and stress cause an animal to enter a state of "fight or flight." Most animals want to avoid conflict and violence, so they prefer to flee. However, if an animal feels they do not have the option to flee, they will feel the need to fight to protect themselves. This is why it is important to respect your cat's subtle stress signals and give them space before they escalate to fight (as mentioned in the "Body Language and Behavior" section above). If your new cat is showing signs of fight or flight, this does not necessarily mean that they are "aggressive," unfriendly or "anti-social." Try not to ascribe these labels to your shy cat, because their behavior is not something inherent to them. Instead, it is influenced by the world around them. A cat may act "aggressive" or overstimulated in one specific scenario, but this does not mean they are an "aggressive cat" or an "overstimulated cat," and it does not mean they will act aggressive or overstimulated in every scenario.

As pet parents or animal trainers, we can manage and manipulate the environment, in order to modify our pets' behavior. If behavior is functional, we can change the environment to make a certain undesired behavior no longer functional for our pet! For example, if your cat is scratching the couch, we can place a scratching post next to the couch for them to scratch instead. Now your cat no longer needs to scratch the couch. Or if your cat hisses every time the neighbor cat walks by the window, we can move their cat tree to a different location or close the curtains, so they can no longer see the other cat. Now the hissing — a way your cat communicates discomfort towards the other cat — is no longer necessary, because they cannot see each other. Management should always be done before training, because training may not be necessary after the environment is manipulated to address an issue.

Here are ways you can curate your home to create a calming stress-free environment for your shy and fearful cat:

• Create calm and quiet: All pets need somewhere calm and quiet to relax, decompress and sleep. This is especially important and necessary for shy cats. Fearful cats do best in relatively quiet and calm homes, because they are likely unable to relax and rest in a busy, noisy, high stress environment. Furthermore, fearful cats are more easily stressed than confident, social cats. As mentioned in the "Trigger Stacking: The Effect of Stress" section above, the more stress an animal experiences, the longer it takes them to decompress and recover from that stress.
• Privacy and places to hide: Shy or fearful cats are naturally inclined to hide, in order to feel safe and avoid triggers and things that cause them discomfort or stress. However, all cats — despite confidence or stress levels — enjoy hiding sometimes! Offer a variety of hiding options where your cat can hide completely, such as a carrier covered with a towel, a cat tree cubby or a hidey-hole. You can also drape blankets or towels on furniture or cat trees to provide make-shift hiding spots.If you do not provide your cat with appropriate places to hide, they will find or create their own hiding places (i.e. a closet, under a bed, behind or on top of furniture, etc.) that may be undesirable or inconvenient for the people in the home.
• Litter box: Cats need their litter box to be easily accessible and comfortable for them to use. Stress can cause litter box issues or inappropriate elimination, especially for shy, sensitive or fearful cats. Place the litter box somewhere convenient for your cat that is not in a busy, high traffic, or noisy area of the home. For example, if your cat has to pass the children's play room to access their litter box, they may avoid using it when your children have friends over. Some fearful cats may prefer a covered litter box that feel protected and private. While others may feel uncomfortable climbing into a covered litter box. Once you discover your cat's box, litter and location preference, do not change it. Environmental changes are stressful for our pets, and changes in litter box can cause your cat to avoid using their litter box, leading to inappropriate elimination or health complications. (For more information, check out: Litter Box 101.)
• Opportunity for solo play: Although interactive play is a great way to stimulate your cat while bonding with them, some shy or fearful cats prefer solo play. With solo play there isn't any social pressure and your cat is not required to share space with you or another playmate. Furthermore, solo play allows your cat to go at their own pace and have full control over the speed and type of play. 
• Somewhere to scratch:  Scratching is an important cat behavior because it serves many purposes! Not only does it help your cat maintain their nails and extend to stretch their body but it also helps relieve stress or frustration. Scratching is a form of scent communication and is sometimes used as a way to claim their territory, which can help your cat feel more comfortable in a space. Offer at least one surface for your cat to scratch and kneed, however offering multiple scratchers and a variety of different types (vertical scratchers and scratching posts, horizontal scratching mats, angled scratching boards, etc.) is ideal. Offer different scratching textures (carpet, sisal, cardboard, or wood) to discover your cat's preference. A proper scratching surface will be at least one and a half times the length of a cat’s body so they can fully extend their arms to stretch and scratch. For more information on the importance of scratching, check out the article: Scratching: Why Cats Do It.
• Utilize a safe space: A place your cat can be in to avoid exposure to temporary triggers (i.e. guests are coming over, children are visiting, while you're vacuuming, a stray cat is in your front yard, etc.)

Enrichment!

• Mental enrichment: Mental enrichment is anything that works your pet's brain and fulfills their natural species-specific needs. Think: puzzles, brain games, sniffing, foraging, digging, licking, hunting and even training! Mental enrichment is calming, relieves stress and burns energy. For more information and ideas, check out: Feline Enrichment Facebook Group.
• Visual stimulation: Provide a perch near a window where your cat can look outside at birds, bugs and other interesting sights. You can also use a phone, a TV or a tablet device to play “cat videos” to provide visual stimulation. On YouTube, search "Cat TV" to find a plethora of videos made for cats!
• The Cat Prey Sequence in play: In the wild, cats are natural predators, meaning they catch and eat prey (smaller animals). Most cat play consists of games that appeal to natural feline characteristics, such as stalk-and-pounce games that mimic hunting for prey. When playing with our cats, we can appeal to their natural predatory behavior by utilizing the "cat prey sequence" of activities. The cat prey sequence — staring, stalking or chasing, pouncing or grabbing, biting and eating — refers to the order of behaviors cats perform when they catch prey. Interactive play and enrichment activities that allow a cat to complete the entire prey sequence are ideal because they are the most rewarding and fulfilling for the cat.
• Catnip: If your new cat is older than a year, they may have a positive response to catnip, which is an herb that stimulates cats and increases their energy level. Be careful using catnip if your cat is easily overstimulated or overexcited as it can exasperate overstimulation (Check out this article: Overexcited & Energetic Cats).
• Training: Through positive reinforcement training, you can stimulate your cat's brain and work their body all while building their confidence. Training is a great form of mental enrichment!

Positive Reinforcement and Confidence Building

You can help your shy cat build their confidence and form positive associations with you and their home through reward-based, force-free training methods. Positive reinforcement training is the most effective and humane way to teach a cat desired behaviors and can be used to help your cat feel more neutral or positive about situations that make them uncomfortable (For more information, check out: Counter Conditioning and What is desensitization and counter conditioning?). When your cat is exposed to new sights, sounds, people or experiences, praise and reward your cat with treats. This will help them associate new, unfamiliar experiences with good things (treats!) while reinforcing their relaxed, calm behavior. Watch this video on Desensitizing a Kitten to Rain and Thunderstorms to see an example of using treats to create positive associations with new sights and sounds. 

Avoid punishment!

Do not punish your shy cat for hiding, fleeing, hissing, growling, spitting, swatting, or biting. These are signs of fear and stress, and should be listened to and respected. DO NOT yell at your cat, spray them with air or water, tap or smack them, use loud noises to startle or intimidate them, or use any other form of positive punishment. Punishment will only confuse and frighten your cat, increasing their fear and stress, and causing them to create a negative association with you and their new home. Note: when discussing training methods, "positive" refers to adding something to the environment. So, "positive punishment" refers to adding (or doing) something unpleasant that your cat does not like, in order to discourage a behavior. "Positive reinforcement" refers to adding (or doing) something pleasant that your cat likes, in order to strengthen a behavior. For more information on positive reinforcement and positive punishment, check out: Positive Punishment and Positive Reinforcement: Does it Work?

Training Exercises

Treat Drop:

1. Gather high-value treats in a bowl, bag or treat pouch. Or grab a squeezable liquid treat like Churu Lickable Cat Treats. 

2. Slowly and quietly enter your cat's safe space. You don't want to startle or frighten your cat.

3. Speak to your cat in a quiet, calm and soothing voice. Avoid direct eye-contact or staring at your cat. 

4. Turn your body slightly so you are not directly facing your cat. 

5. Locate a spot of the room that is near your cat and in their view, but not too close to them. About 3-6 feet away from your cat. 

6. Slowly bend down and drop a small pile of treats where your cat can see them.

7. Slowly stand back up and walk away.

8. Exit the room. The goal is to simply leave treats for your cat and leave, without pressuring your cat to interact or do anything. This will help them associate your presence with good things. 

9. Wait at least 30 minutes to enter your cat's safe space again. Give them time to get the treats on their own time and go back to relaxing. We want to avoid interrupting your cat's relaxation or startling them by going in and out of their safe room too often. 

10. Repeat. 

Treat Retreat:

1. Gather high-value treats in a bowl, bag or treat pouch. Squeezable liquid treats like Churu Lickable treats won't work for this exercise.

2. Slowly and quietly enter your cat's safe space. You don't want to startle or frighten your cat.

3. Speak to your cat in a quiet, calm and soothing voice. Avoid direct eye-contact or staring at your cat. 

4. Turn your body slightly so you are not directly facing your cat. 

5. Locate a spot of the room that is near your cat and in their view, but not too close to them. About 5-10 feet away from your cat. 

6. Slowly sit down where your cat can see them. If possible, it's best to sit on the floor but a chair or couch works, too.

7. Gently toss a treat towards your cat, aiming for behind your cat. Be careful not to throw the treat at your cat -- don't hit your cat with the treat. The goal is for the treat to land farther away from you, so your cat must retreat to get the treat. We do not want to use the treats to lure your cat to come closer to you, this can make your cat feel pressured, uncomfortable and nervous. We want your cat to eventually want to willingly interact with you, not feel pressured to. This exercise allows your cat to get farther away from you, which will provide your cat a sense of relief and comfort. This helps your cat create a positive association with you by pairing your presence with treats and that feeling of relief.

8. Continue speaking in a calm, soothing tone and avoiding direct eye-contact or staring at your cat. Keep your eyes soft and blink slow. 

9. If your cat does not go for the treat, that's okay. End the exercise with a treat drop and leave the room. Your cat may not be ready to engage in the the Treat Retreat exercise. If your cat does go for the treat, they may decide to maintain their distance or they may approach you for more treats. In either case, continue tossing the treats farther away. 

10. Keep the session short, around 5-10 minutes. End the exercise with a treat drop and exit the room. If your cat follows you and wants to continue to engage, awesome! If not, leave them alone and let them decompress. 

Recommended Reading on Cat Behavior

• Feline Body Language Signals — Stress
• “Cat Sense” by John Bradshaw
• “Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life With Your Cat” by Jackson Galaxy
• “The Trainable Cat: A Practical Guide to Making Life Happier for You and Your Cat” by John Bradshaw and Sarah Ellis

Shy Cat Training Class

San Diego Humane Society offers a live Shy Cat training class over Zoom. This five-week class for owners (we don’t expect your shy cat to attend!) will help you better understand your shy/fearful cat and what makes them different from other cats. You’ll learn exercises to help your cat feel more comfortable and confident in your home, with your presence and with new stimuli (anything they can perceive, hear, smell, see, etc.). This class is designed to move your pet forward each week within your home. Sessions are recorded so you can refer back to the material as needed as you move at your specific cat’s pace. This class is offered every approximately every three months and meets once a week for an hour for five weeks. If this class isn't currently scheduled, join us for one of our other cat classes. Please reach out to us if you have additional questions!

Ask For Help

We understand that being a pet parent can be challenging, but San Diego Humane Society is here to help. We offer numerous options and resources for pet parents in need. 

Here are your options:

1. If your cat has access to the entire home or a large area of the home, confine them to a smaller area of the home, ideally their original safe space. It is possible that your shy cat gained access to the entire home before they were fully comfortable, causing them to become overwhelmed. Confining your shy cat to a smaller area of the home can reduce their fear and stress, and help them feel more confident and comfortable.
2. If you adopted your cat from San Diego Humane Society, you are provided with a cost-free, 1-hour Post Adoption Consultation online over Zoom. One of our Community Animal Trainers will help troubleshoot while providing starting points and next steps for you. Book here: Schedule a Post Adoption Consultation.
3. Enroll in our live online Shy Cat training class over Zoom. This five-week class for owners (we don’t expect your shy cat to attend!) will help you better understand your shy/fearful cat and what makes them different from other cats. You’ll learn exercises to help your cat feel more comfortable and confident in your home, with your presence and with new stimuli (anything they can perceive, hear, smell, see, etc.). This class is designed to move your pet forward each week within your home. Sessions are recorded so you can refer to the material as needed as you move at your specific cat’s pace. Please reach out to us if you have additional questions!
4. Contact our Behavior & Training Helpline, available for all community members, whether you adopted your pet from San Diego Humane Society or not.
5. Book an online Private Lesson (1 hour, online over Zoom), for advice and training exercises from one of our Community Animal Trainers. Open to all community members, these sessions focus on environmental management, troubleshooting and training exercises. 
6. Find a positive reinforcement trainer that can come to your home to assess the situation. Look for a trainer who specializes in fearful cats. Find a trainer here: Local Positive Reinforcement Animal Trainer Directory. For additional help finding a trainer, check out: How To Pick A Trainer 101 and Trainer Danger: How To Find A Trainer Who Won't Harm Your Pet.