Help Your Shy and Scared Cat Gain Confidence!

[@heytherejenn]

My husband and I adopted a wallflower kitten a year ago. She was 4 months old and seemed like a normal friendly kitten in the shelter. When we brought her home, she became a wallflower, and it was impossible to get her from hiding under the bed or running away from us or any sound. There were nights when I would tear up, feeling sorry for her and thinking there was nothing we could do. Thank goodness I came upon Jackson's videos and followed all his advice. My husband and I spent months putting in the work, and I can say that our wallflower cat is now confident. I don't think she'll ever be a full-blown mojito cat, but that's ok because it's not her personality lol. If you're reading this and you have a kitten/cat that is scared of everything, and it seems like it's impossible to help them, I promise you it is not. It just takes a lot of work and repetition, don't give up on them. Anyways, thank you Jackson for all your videos! You helped a little kitten grow into a 1-year-old confident, playful cat.

[@BQ900]

My kitty so spoiled she stayed up all night playing with her new toy. Now she is watching bird films! Living La Vida Loca!🤣🤣🤣🐈‍⬛❤

[@firewilson8056]

Remember she is still a baby

[@firewilson8056]

You may be surprised when she discovers the perfect toy that has so much of her attention she forgets to be scared

[@bobbertee5945]

Thank u for this reply, wife and i just adopted a 10 year old female who just seems very nervous, we have 2 other cats too. As of today she is in our spare bedroom, with the door open all day everyday for her to roam if she wants but she just sits on the bed all day, our other cats are very well mannered and sometimes come in the room and lay on the bed with her, not close, but they are on the bed together. My issue is she just doesnt come out of the room, she will play a little with the birdie on the stick thing and she purrs when u pet her, just no movement from her, we have had her for a month now, she is healthy and has no issues with eating. We have a very quiet house, she also chirps whenever we walk into the room on occasion, which is where i believe is why the foster named her Cricket, we just want her to come out and roam the house and sit with us....... help!!

[@claudettejones2971]

@@bobbertee5945 a

[@SquishyLeviathan]

I have a precious little rescue cat named Sweet Potato, she was so scared of everything when I first adopted her and I cried so many nights because i couldn't get her out from under my bed for days. Me and my roommate started playing with her at the edge of the bed with toys, and placing treats and water just at the rim of the bed, every day we inched her a little further out from under the bed. but every time we got her out she would sprint back under once she realized what was happening. One night I was asleep in my bed and woke up to some weight on my feet, I looked up and saw two little eyes in the darkness staring at me so I carefully switched on the light and she didn't run away, she just laid there and let me pet her and she purred up a storm. I burst out crying because it was so amazing that she finally stopped hiding from me. She's still skittish but she's never hid under the bed for long after that, she's getting more and more confident every day and she's even starting to get closer and more curious of loud things like dishwashers and dryers LOL She's such a perfect cat, so sweet and loving and she adores people. Honestly, nothing is more rewarding than owning a wallflower cat and getting them to be more confident.

[@SwanBelmont]

Day 1 with my traumatised foster cat who won’t leave his carrier. Watching all Jacksons’ videos so I can give him the best care possible!

[@Rachel-uq1bn]

Cat owners like you are the best

[@pokaay3163]

how’s it going?

[@SwanBelmont]

@@pokaay3163 Amazing. He wakes us up in the morning by bunking his head into our hands demanding pets & cuddles! It’s been so incredibly rewarding earning his trust 🤍

[@pokaay3163]

@@SwanBelmont that’s adorable, and awesome that you could achieve this in just a couple months. you must be a great owner for that cat

[@katiegorman9729]

Can I ask what the best method was to help you let them trust you??? I’m in the same position as your og comment rn

[@pocketpixie]

I've spent the last 2.5 years making it easy for my timid wallflower to hide away 😭 realizing now, I've made her world so much smaller. Thank goodness I found this site 🙏

[@KimtheBakedPotato]

Everything I've read up to this point was allow my kitty to hide and just keep her comfortable. Now I think I've made her so anxious about everything

[@StephanieLynn3117]

My boy Kyo is a wallflower. He loved under the bed and closets. I slowly started keeping the closet doors closed and barricading under the bed with pillows. He began to go on top of the bed to sleep and hang out! We got another cat, Tohru, which is definitely a mojito cat. After some time, I really think our mojito cat taught our wallflower confidence through play. He even mimics some of the behaviors of the mojito cat! He's come such a long way! ❤

[@drama_king_august7974]

i just need to compliment you on the names, i love fruits basket!

[@Jennilynne]

​@@drama_king_august7974I was just about to do the same, lol

[@sheerfunforcats2791]

🐱💖

[@erikaannette7397]

Are you a fruits basket fan hahaha

[@snowfoxxie]

Jackson Galaxy- man of ultimate empathy. I mean the way he just understands cats is so amazing. “Cats aren’t dogs” indeed they are creatures of beautiful complexity. I’m an animal lover but boy do I love cats! 🥰🥰🥰 thank you for inspiring me to play with my cat more! He is certainly happier thanks to you!

[@gunnergunnersen79]

friendship whith a cat = you are friends whith an wild animal

[@sheerfunforcats2791]

🐱❤️🐱

[@lisabelle7553]

My boy is the ultimate wallflower! I've never owned a kitty like this prior to this little guy. Just hearing a delivery person at the door needing a signature can be enough to send him into hiding for the entire day. We've had him 3 years now and he has been spoiled and babied and leads a life of luxury, and he still scitters across any room like he is being chased with an axe. The good news is that he makes a little progress every year. He loves me, my husband and my MIL. He loves to be brushed, and he loves to play. There's hope!

[@donnabaardsen5372]

I highly recommend catnip spray from Walmart, getting a screened in cat backpack for walks, and car rides. Also doing what Jackson recommends: blocking anything the cats can hide under. My girl, Babette, a Siamese mix, was adopted at four months as a feral barn kitten, and is now four years old. She was also traumatized by a vet at around five months old. So she's a Wallflower with trust issues. I've done/used these things, and she's much better 😸

[@sheerfunforcats2791]

❤🐱❤️

[@Nikki0417]

I adopted the quintessential wallflower a couple of years ago. Took her about a month before she felt brave enough to leave my room/base camp at night, another 2 months before she left base camp during the day, and 5 more months for her to start begging me to open the door every night so she could hang out in the living room by herself. In fact, right now, she's sitting in the living room enjoying having the couch to herself. 🤣

[@sheerfunforcats2791]

❤❤🐱

[@toffeessister]

One of the ways we desensitized our wallflower is that her sister is a mojito! If Maisie explores first and it’s safe, Lou knows she’s good to come out. ❤

[@susancohen4462]

I fostered and then ended up adopting a feral kitten. She hissed any time I was in the same room. She wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t leave her carrier and then her little corner behind the litter box. The first few nights she howled. All your advice is spot on and I did all the things you recommend but two things made the critical difference. 1. The wand toy! It was the only thing that brought her out from the corner even before she’d eat when I was anywhere nearby. 2. I brought in a second foster kitten (yes she’s mine too now). That gave her the guidance how to live with humans and even to enjoy their company.

[@kukalakana]

Tim is a wallflower 🥺 But i am *so* proud of him for every step he makes in the right direction.

[@donnavorce8856]

My wallflower now invites me to play by climbing her giant cat tree. Her toy of choice is a big wool sock. Watching her lovely personality come out has been a joy. And she's so much happier now. Thanks Jackson for your helpful suggestions! Cheers

[@sheerfunforcats2791]

❤😸

[@marywatkins9438]

So adorable! ❤

[@mariap4828]

You’re such a beautiful person Jackson. So patient with the animals.

[@sheerfunforcats2791]

❤🐱

[@jnmsks6052]

I had a wallflower cat before who was so afraid when anyone (other than my mom) came to the house. She didn't act that way otherwise. She would find the worst places to hide sometimes, too, so I'm glad you mentioned blocking off certain areas. The ability of a wallflower to find ridiculous hiding places is legendary. Unfortunately, she passed nearly 9 years ago now, and I have an older fluffy ginger who is getting shy with her old age (she's almost 14) and a sassy 9 year old torbie who is a mojito cat, even greeting all the kids on Halloween.

[@terrievans3844]

I am currently fostering a cat who is a complete wallflower!!! She lived in a cage for 6 years! Her entire life! I'm trying so hard to help her! It's definitely a challenge but she deserves a loving home

[@sc5421]

🙏🏽🩷🩷🩷

[@Charuchii]

I despirately need to watch this. My cat already was kind of shy and seemed lonely, so I got a kitten. At first they got along great but now I feel like my kitten is really trying to hog me, even going as far as chasing my cat away. I try to find small moments with my cat to give him attention, but it's really hard and he always seems kind of on edge. He also really has a lot of difficulty playing, tho he does on occasion play with my kitten and seems to have a blast then. He's a sweetheart and I try to include him as much as possible but he just distances himself a lot

[@mariaforsell9995]

I got a 8 months old kitten for my senior this spring and know exactly what you mean. So I got the kittens sister as well a few week later. They bonded at once and my senior could go back to her cozy lazy life. Get another kitten, its great and not much more work.

[@mariaalexa7226]

Well... a kitten isn't really appropiate for a senior cat, if u have a senior cat u get a senior cat friend for it. If u are 40 years old u wouldn't preffer talking with a 3 year old,right?

[@mariaforsell9995]

@@mariaalexa7226 when I adopted the kitten I didn't know how old she was until I had her in the tranportationbox. But what do you know about that story? Nothing.

[@mariaalexa7226]

@@mariaforsell9995 It's also what Jackson Galaxy recommends. If u have a senior cat u get a senior cat,if u have a kitten u get a kitten. I wasn't talking about your story in particular. I am saying it's what experts recommend

[@Hydraina]

@@mariaalexa7226 yes but he does also say; if you have a senior cat (and you adopt kittens) then adopting two kittens is far better than one because they match each other energetically and aren't always bothering the adult cat. However, I dont think the problem asked by this commenter would necessarily be solved by getting another kitten. The problem is that the kitten is sort of being an attention hog to the owner and pushing the other cat away-- which might be a slightly "Napoleon" tendency. To the person who originally posted the comment, maybe getting another kitten to "balance' the current one would help, but I can't be sure. This might be a good question to ask Jackson Galaxy personally by sending in a video of the question you have and showing the problem. However, I can reccomened that you go through some of Jackson's channel and see if he's already answered any questions someone else had in a similar scenario, or watch a video on Napoleon cats/socializing cats who live together, maybe.

[@user-wj3yr7xr2f]

Another cat I looked after, hid under the bed for almost 2 weeks. Not because she was afraid, rather because she was angry about being left in a new place. She finally came out while I was meditating. That became her routine, to sleep on my lap while doing my morning meditation. Smoked salmon helped too.. 😉

[@ina4849]

This was a good video. My previous boy of 19 years was the king of mojito cats. He was so friendly to everyone that he even ran towards children to get pets when we were walking outside. He passed away a year ago. I now have a kitten and he was super shy in the beginning. I’ve been patient with him and getting to know him and everyday he gets a little more courage. Top tip is time. Be patient with a wallflower and eventually you’ll see results. ❤️

[@AssertiveAngel]

I have a wallflower too and I get SO EXCITED when she's brave enough to push it further! Sometimes she won't... and I just bring it to her. But at least she's trying!

[@sheerfunforcats2791]

❤😸

[@marywatkins9438]

Agreed. This strategy worked wonders for for my much older porch kitty.

[@animegrl145]

I have an old possible feral cat that I've found a year ago on our front porch. She's come a long way but i want to continue giving her the confidence to come out more and not run away Watching your videos have helped so much, so can't wait to watch this :)

[@Su-jk5ve]

3:00 I legitimately thought when I read “you're the problem” I thought you meant that we don't/didn't socialize them a lot in there lives and I know that my fault because I don't like socializing with people and being an introvert is nurture and nature. Since I didn’t socialized my cat I actually nurtured his unsociable behavior

[@inferioradventurechannel]

Gotta say, I LOVE the mental image I'm getting of Uncle Sam climbing down the chimney to distribute cat treats...THIS, my friends, is the true spirit of these United States of Meowica!!!

[@sciencenotstigma9534]

That looks just like my wallflower, Asia. She was traumatized before I adopted her, and still hides under the sofa far too often. I have always been good with cats, and am surprised she isn’t doing better by now. Must watch!

[@donnabaardsen5372]

My girl of four, Babette, was traumatized by a vet! I changed the vets immediately to a group 100 percent trustworthy. It took me a year to regain her trust, and she's still skittish, but much better. My way is lots of praise, cuddles, and very carefully desensitizing her: a screened cat backpack so she sees and meets other people and animals, a cat stroller will be used in the spring. We play together, but she's trained to not expect me to play after 12 a.m. Also, I buy catnip spray from Walmart, and spray her things before putting her in/on them. Remember, he says here to block all places where she can hide/go under. That way she's forced to be around the things and people that frighten her. She can keep her distance but is still out there😸

[@OGJbug]

I learned everything about cat's from Jackson. My current rescue was shy for a minute. He meets everyone at the door with drink's now. I don't know how you couldn't play. That's the best part ☺️ Thank you Jackson

[@FarradMuseumofTruth]

I have a Bengal from Russia. He flew in quite young. Thank you for this. I know not what he seen in Russia, but I have helped him overcome so much. I love you Radu ♥

[@spangelicious837]

My girl was a wallflower when I got her last year. Your videos helped a lot in not just getting her out in the open, but owning the place and bonding with my other cat. All within a month!

[@cactus.3157]

My first cat was a semi wallflower. Only came out for me but hid for everyone else. She’s 8 now and just the most confident friendly cat ever. We got another cat recently and she is a stereotypical wall flower. She was rescued from a hoarder. I’ve been watching everything I can to try and help her❤ thanks for the advice

[@yasmeen6790]

I love how much you love cats! I had a cat for 21 years, but I keep learning so much and in such a fun way. Thank you ❣

[@LazyIRanch]

How on Earth did I manage to adopt one of each archetype!? My Mojito cat, Houdini, is watching Jackson with me right now, blocking my larger monitor so I have to watch my Chromebook screen. He's softly patting Jackson's face (I think he's intrigued by his beautiful facial hair), then he saw the kitty slinking behind the guitar and became interested in what she's up to... now he's bored so he's leaping in the air, trying to pull the chain on my ceiling fan light... he will succeed even though he has to jump 3 feet. I attached a large button at the end so he has something to grab. If he ever met Jackson, he would ask for cuddles, and an autograph! He would also share his favorite toy with him. Our Napoleon Cat, Maverick, is now napping in the luxurious, snuggly bed I made for our Wallflower girl. He's had a busy morning of terrorizing Houdini. Maverick had Houdini cornered and was smacking him in the head, claws out until I rescued Houdini from that predicament and brought him back to my room where he's safe. Maverick was adopted from a family who were afraid of him. He brought a live rattlesnake inside through the cat flap so he could play with it in the living room. The family was expecting a new baby, so Maverick had to go! I had a problem with mice in my house, so I was happy to take him. No cat flap here, so he's indoors only. Don't want rattlers in my house! Meanwhile, Luna, our little black void who seems to hate everyone except my son (the guy who literally rescued her after some predator bit her tail off!) is in her usual spot, hiding under some blankets right next to my son who is playing video games. She also likes our big fluffy border collie, Joey, and the feeling is mutual. She plays with his tail, and he protects her from the other two cats (she hates both male cats). I named Joey after the character from "Friends" because he's a handsome doofus, very lovable, and a "How YOU doing?" kind of guy. I've been single for years, living with my adult, disabled son on 20 acres of mountain wilderness, off-grid solar powered, with no neighbors for a mile. People ask me how I can bear the loneliness! I tell them that I have a house and land filled with friends! 3 Cats, Joey Dog, a parrot who talks and whistles tunes, 9 adorable goats who were all born here, and 9 friendly chickens. I also have a family of ravens I've been feeding for 8 years, the most recent 2 offspring are quite friendly and never fail to demand breakfast every morning by coming to my bedroom window and cawing! Their dad, Igor, was a fledgling I raised 8 years ago who was rejected by his family because his beak was slightly deformed. I turned him loose when he could fly, but he chose to stick around for years. He used to bring me gifts, lots of interesting things! He and his mate have left and gone elsewhere, leaving their kids to enjoy the easy life here. They don't bring gifts (yet) but then it took 3-4 years for Igor to start doing that. Igor brought machine parts, tools, china doll arms (weird!) and keys. Maybe I can train these new birds to bring jewelry and cash! LOL Sorry, looks like I got carried away again and wrote another essay. Oh well, I love talking and hearing about our animal families. I need to get outdoor cameras so I can make videos about these ravens!

[@user-de9te1kc2q]

What a great life😊

[@LazyIRanch]

@@user-de9te1kc2q It was my dream since childhood to live far away from the city (I grew up in Dallas, our street was a literal highway. I always hated it). I've always loved animals but found most people to not be trustworthy. When I was a teen, I found an old book from the 1800s at a flea market, "Ramona". It's fiction, but all the locations were real. It was set in S. California and was a tragic love story that brought attention to how horribly the native tribes of California were cheated out of their lands and often murdered. The book was considered the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" of the day, but for native people. When I was 40, I left Texas and moved to SoCal (I brought that book with me!). I started seeing the names of the characters everywhere, and when I re-read the book I realized we lived close to Ramona and Alessandro's last home, and the author described where on this particular mountain it was located, it was practically a map! I talked my then husband into driving up there to find that valley with the ancient oak trees... we found it! It became my favorite place to go on weekends. Then one day I found an old "for sale" sign on a 20 acre lot, called the owners, and to my surprise was told it could be mine for $15,000 because they had tried selling it for more but buyers always made problems. I had some money from inheritance, so I paid cash before they could change their minds! It was a lot of work making it a home, but worth it to me. This place is my heart. My husband left years ago as he missed the city (and having liquor stores nearby). It does get lonely since I have no close neighbors, I guess that's why I write waaaay too much!

[@wingabouts]

You have a wonderful, full life! I'm widowed 15 years, I fill my days with 4 grandkids, 2 cats, a dog, a garden, painting and writing projects. I don't have time to be lonely! I thank the good Lord daily for the wonderful life He's blessed me with. 💞 Merry Christmas to you and your son. 🎄

[@EmmaVB82]

@@LazyIRanch Your animal family sounds amazing, and I love the story of how you found your home! 😍 As someone who frequently also gets carried away writing long comments, I mostly wanted to say I read and enjoyed these! I was going to write more, but my cats distracted me wanting to play “chase the mouse” (involving their favourite wand toy with a more-substantial-than-feathers fluffy mouse-shape they can grab hold of, on a leather cord, with a bounty of half a dozen leather tails at the end!) and now we’re all tired and it’s time for bed 🤣

[@brigittes.8989]

@@LazyIRanch It's so lovely to read you Lazyl, I absolutely imagine what you are writing about. My life in some points seems similar to yours, though the place I live in isn't as isolated as yours (we don't get that easily here in Bavaria). You have a cute and loveable animal family, keep caring about them the way you do! I feel a bit less lonely with mine, now that I know somebody across the Atlantic appreciates nature and animals in this way, too

[@jaded_balrog]

Thank you for this video! I just adopted a sweet baby that had a feral momma. She was up for adoption for almost a year because she was shy. I decided I'm up for the challenge and adopted her last Friday. I've slowly been blocking off the unders because she's more shy than I thought. I got her some lil cocoons and am slowly trying to do exposure therapy for her to get her comfortable with me and being "in the open" with the safety of a cocoon bed. Hoping to help her spread her wings!

[@clairec.2383]

Your videos helped me with my wallflower, Freya, so much! We got her 6 months ago. She went from hiding on top of the microwave and under the bed and couch, to strutting around the apartment. Blocking the unders, introducing her to one room at a time, play time, and lots of treat brought her around to being such a sweet and sassy CONFIDENT lady. We're getting a kitten next week, 4 months old. We think she'd like company, especially since she was a mom before we adopted her

[@edwardallenthree]

I like this division better than tree/bush. My cats are all fond of bushes, literal and figurative, and sometimes even in the middle of the room, i.e. the cardboard box, but even my meekest cat isn't a wallflower.

[@wyliecoyote3247]

My sweet wallflower was trapped at 14 weeks with her siblings, and came to me as a foster. She was not eating with her siblings at the shelter and . For her first 24 hours with me, she hid in the litter box- not moving or eating. It was 3 months before she would move in front of me. I had ssooo much to learn about gaining her trust. Thank you for your videos. I only hand fed her, removed all furniture, thus hiding places, from her bedroom. Slept in the spare room with her until she started to explore, only at night…. And then she started to play! Slowly trusting me more. Adopted now, living with my two other foster fails. I celebrate each new step as she lets me know she gaining confidence in life! Maeve is still a shy girl, but makes progress every day. ❤

[@Stlouisbartending]

Slept in the room! Yes, that’s what you do.

[@SkyeMakeup1]

Hi Jackson! I have two kittens that are 8 months old, they were born feral and your videos have really helped me so much. My female cat is a very special little girl and it took us a long time to start earning her trust. She WAS a wallflower but ever since we started following your tips and tricks, she is now a fully social and very cuddly kitty! Thank you for everything you do. It really made a huge difference for us and our relationships with our kittens.

[@jenniferlawrence2988]

We have the most scared and shy cat we've ever had in a family of generational cat owners. We have barn cats and house cats and we've seen it all but this one is a real challenge. Keep her in your prayers everyone, she came from a rescue and something terrible must have happened for her to be as scared as she is. We can pet her and play with her now but it's a very slow process.

[@angelabradford2983]

This video is exactly what I needed as well! We adopted two rescue kitties boys at about a year old and I don’t think they were regularly exposed to people in those first few weeks like you said. They lived in a “cat room” with several other cats at the foster’s house. One of the brothers has warmed up to us and is a greeter and rubs on our legs every morning and let’s us pet him just fine. Now the other brother is very skiddish and won’t let us pet him unless we are feeding him his jackpot treat of the purée tubes. He doesn’t hide as much as he used to so there is some progress. We just need to be more consistent with play time I know. He does like to play! Thank you for the encouragement!

[@ediemeagher7401]

I have a wallflower cat too. He was only kitten in litter that was bottle fed. His fear is noise and began with someone overusing the doorbell. Soon even the furnace running would set him off growling with low body while running under the bed. I did catify my home and adopted the most confident kitten for him (male orange tabby). I stayed out of their interactions. He spend hours watching the kitten but eventually my wallflower calmed down. He still stands back watching from the doorway with company but eventually he joins the group. He a much happier & confident cat.

[@silviagasparini6193]

My ex-ferals in the early times felt reassured when I gave them right of way in narrow places, e.g. doorways (stopping and/or stepping back to let them pass first). I guess cats inside a house with humans for the first time feel like pedestrians in a busy parking lot for 16-wheelers! Also, very loud purrs seem to be a form of begging by a cat who's unsure or in need, while contentment seems to be expressed by softer purrs. What do you think?

[@donnabaardsen5372]

My girls' purrs are, yes, louder when she wants or needs something, and softer when she's content. So I agree with your observation 😸

[@KristenK78]

I have indeed heard cats don’t just purr when happy, but also to self-soothe.

[@chicane7752]

Ah! This is such a great thread! I adopted a little girl who was 5 mo old at the time from a rescue group. Her bio said “She will purr as soon as she sees you”. She purred right away when I held her. As we were leaving the foster off- handedly mentioned she had been a stray before they caught her. They knew her birthdate but she was somehow separated from her family and a neighbor called cat rescue. 16:30 I don’t know how long she was a stray. After we got home she was very skittish. I noticed she would purr when cornered or if we caught her and she couldn’t get away, but the purr was loud and didn’t seem like a contented purr. It was very confusing as I’d always thought (been told) purring was a sign of happiness, and her’s was more of a survival mechanism (“If I purr they won’t hurt me”😢). Your comment makes SO much sense.

[@nuclearlo0ve]

Blocking the unders saved my feral adoptees life. She completely changed and actually CUDDLES now. We have a little play tunnel she can go to if she gets overwhelmed but no more bed hiding. Soo thankful for you Jackson!

[@ArwenLune]

My old lady cat arrived as a severely undersocialised youngster and never quite caught up, always stayed wary of touch she didn't initiate, but in her own way she was as confident as I think she could be: she never disappeared and always greeted people from the cat tree, loudly demanding they come over and let her sniff their hands. And she did indeed always join the human conversation circle by finding a nice spot on the mantle so she could be part of things without visitors touching her. I often wondered if there was something I could do to make her more comfortable, but maybe this was just the best version of herself she could be.

[@candicemartin2839]

I love Jackson Galaxy! This video helped me with a cat I was given by a trap neuter release group volunteer. She was surrendered to them. I've had her for 3 years now. Looking back I now realize that she was a very abused cat. She hid behind the toilet with her face down on the floor when I first got her. When maintenance comes unannounced while I'm at work she will bury herself under my mattress topper nearly suffocating herself once because it took forever to find her. It took about two years to fully help her come out of her shell. Even now she is still hitting new milestones. She now tolerates her sister's and comes running to the front door when she hears my voice announcing I'm home. Don't be discouraged if it takes much longer than expected for these tips to work. Your sweet wallflower might be an abused kitty like mine ❤

[@donnabaardsen5372]

My cat is a very skittish Wallflower. She's always on high alert and afraid of everything. She's a Siamese mix, Babette, and four years old. I adopted her at four months old. I'm carefully trying to desensitize her, but I think it's her nature to be so high strung. I have a screened backpack cat carrier. Once we get going she's ok. Same with car rides. However, in the beginning she cries as if going to her death. We love each other dearly, and she's so sweet just as she is, but even with me she's jumpy. For example, if I pick up something/move too quickly, turn lights on later or earlier, any changes, she's like "What's going on?" She also hides from everyone except for me. Because of this she has emotionally caused cystitis, which now requires very expensive food. I'm doing everything possible to help her. Including playing, so she can hunt and catch. Her attention span is short, so this is off and on throughout the day. She is trained to not expect me to play after 12 am though 😸

[@hxt2017]

I've seen my wallflower gain confidence and it makes us both so happy! She is blooming!

[@LouleyK]

Jackson helped me to help 2 very scaredy wallflowers and it was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done, thankyou Mr Galaxy!!

[@wendyn7991]

This upcoming week I’ll have had my wallflower cat for 8 years! She’s made a lot of progress and had more than a few setbacks but she is definitely my favorite girl.

[@bernardoisaac497]

I wish I had your videos two years ago when I adopted my little wallflower. She's now way more confident but it was a very long proccess of offering food, taking care of her, finding her safe slightly out of the comfort zone space and now, we finally can play safely, but definitely I'll use your tips to help her to get used to my family

[@PawsmeowTV]

Thanks, Jackson Galaxy. I've taken in two timid kittens - one who had a close call with a car due to his quiet nature, and another who was discarded in a parking lot and is fearful of loud sounds.

[@LJ-he9qn]

It's been several weeks and our eight year old Boris and five month old Bonnie have settled well into the role of Master and Apprentice. Bonnie will launch herself at Boris, and he will easily trounce her, yet never use claws, and doesn't even really bite, its amazing. Also he is less other-people-shy since he has been watching her be super social. We have been taking them both to the back yard, with little Bonnie in harness because she has zero fear. Now we only use the garage to get outside because there are two doors, two obstacles kitten must sneak past to get out. We call it Two Factor Catification. Your videos are marvelous. Thank you❤

[@Chere1962]

Thank you forever Jackson you have taught me so many ideas for my cats I was just a dog person then I adopted a cat and didn’t know what to do then I found you and now here I am knowing what, how to help my cat be happy. He’s the king 👑 of the house 🎉

[@sheerfunforcats2791]

❤🐱

[@karencallesoe1799]

I adopted a feral kitten that has come so far, but she’s easily spooked and still gets that feral look in her eyes when new people are around - working on her confidence

[@ohmyshescute]

It all works, I'm so grateful. I was clueless before I discovered you and now all cats love me, because I finally understand them. Thank you so much. Also in the name of Max, who was a polish street cat, scared of everything and with your methods he now knows of mojo. 💙

[@sally3559]

Your videos on wallflowers helped me and my rescue cat soo much. She was scared of every little noise and movement and would run straight back under the bed. We made amazing progress. What a confident little fur ball I have by now, chasing toys and insects around the apartment. Thank you ❤🐈‍⬛

[@ezgivarol5782]

My first foster kitten was definitely a mojito cat. Super social, sassy. I got her when she was 3 weeks old, even then she was like that, she didn’t like to be touched, she was fine on her own most of the time. Now I’m fostering my second kitten a two month old boy, super clingy, shy, and super snuggly. I love them as they are, they are like people, they come with their own personalities.

[@sewinlove_co]

My tortie definitely has the 'tude, and she's a Covid kitty so she wasn't socialized very well. She's slowly coming out of her shell and showing that famous tortie attitude to everyone who comes over. Thanks for the tips!

[@adventurekitty101]

My cat is the same.

[@MeritOfBeauty]

Thank you Jackson! I have a new kitten and resident 10 year old. The introduction is going fairly well, but now it looks like old cat is scared of the kitten. I’ve been watching your videos every night since three weeks 😄 they give me hope, good tips and confidence for next day ❤

[@perfect.weather5933]

I just adopted two kittens yesterday and they are wallflowers good thing I came across this video

[@rlemoin]

I just adopted a cat today, she is a wallflower for sure. the foster mom and I actually talked about you Jackson, thank you so much for doing what you do we all really appreciate it, and R.I.P Alex

[@Carole2Kittens]

I have a poster child mojito. She is the greeter, chaperone, and supervisor of all the people who enter her realm. Her brother isn't a complete scardy cat but is very timid. He hides when people come, but lately he will venture out if the guest is here long enough. He seems to want to be sure they are a friend to me. He doesn't want people to touch him except for his chosen friend Cathy. He has always loved her from the get go. She is a special needs ❤ person and he adores her.

[@christineg8151]

I have a wallflower who seems to also have some significant vision issues. It means playing is challenging, because she can't see the movement of the toys easily. Our other cats all wear bells, so adding bells to toys just makes her startle at the sound of the toys. She's made great progress over the last decade, but it really has taken most of a decade to get her to hang out with the rest of the household during daylight hours.

[@cathyconey3273]

Need this! Keeping my 3 year old from hiding under the couch not just when scared now! Couch blockers don’t work

[@donnabaardsen5372]

@@bebenut123 The goal is actually for them to not have any place to hide. Jackson shows alternatives in this video. I don't have an enclosed cat tree because it's just another hiding place; don't have/use anything that encourages hiding and antisocial behavior. Which Jackson says here. Use other things that encourage being around people, even if the cat doesn't want to socialize. That way they're not hiding, but still have distance.

[@rhonddalesley]

I personally think that it should be done through gradual training over time. My cat was very confident and social when she came to me but started running for the hills whenever someone comes to the door or I have guests, she’s okay with people she knows which I expect but anyone new and she’s gone behind the sofa. I have anxiety myself and know that if someone suddenly nailed my bedroom door shut so I couldn’t de stress in my quiet, calm, safe space I’d need to medicate myself. She’s getting better gradually and I don’t need a door bell, I have found that talking to people on the phone using the loudspeaker helps because she recognises their voice but it’s still out of context when that voice is attached to a body she doesn’t recognise which must be confusing and somewhat frightening all the same.

[@kelliowens8501]

I have all 3 types and my wallflower has risen to the challenge within 3 days! She's so fun to watch play with me and the other 2! Love you Jackson!

[@lifeisgood3995]

I added two kittens to my home 7 months ago, a brother/sister pair. They spent the first week under the furniture except to eat. They both gained confidence to rule the roost but the girl remained distant. I came across a video showing how to give a cat a massage down their spine. After a few of these she started coming to me and would lay down for her rub down. Now she even lets me kiss her and sleeps next to me, with her brother, every night. I’ve never had cats before and I’m so happy I’ve had the opportunity to experience life with them!

[@Sinestrab]

I've had cats my whole life but always raised them with parents. I've just adopted a 7 week old little girl called Phoebe with my partner and your videos has helped so much. She's an inside cat whos harness training and i never knew cats could be so loving and incredible. Where thinking of adopting a second cat so Phoebe can have a buddy. Thank you so much, Phoebe says thank you too xx

[@lillypieisme]

I’m on day 3 with my sweet baby Blossom and I’m so glad I found your video!! I covered the under parts of my bed (but she still found a way to get down there) and I’ve been trying to get her to get used to leaving my room. I hope she becomes a confident queen soon! 🤍

[@The_Temple]

Listened to your book ‘Cat Daddy’ - loved it!

[@ashleeellis2361]

We adopted a 7 month old rescue today. She lived in a colony until she was around 6 months old so can be very timid (despite being friendly and beautiful natured). So I really appreciate this video and hope these tips help me to settle her into her forever home ❤

[@susanhawkins7435]

That was great! I have a BS in Psychology but it was 42 yrs ago ! Thanks for reminding me about principles of psychology

[@heatherchua6319]

Just adopted two precious black cat brothers from what I am told was a traumatising 8 weeks in the shelter. They are absolutely withdrawn and huddled in their cage. Just bought a couple of wands so hopefully they'll build their confidence!

[@kimkay2196]

My cat took 3 months to trust me she was born wild be patient they will leave the cage

[@TheTigresswarrior]

I tend to pick they shy/wallflower cats when I adopt, because i can relate to them, and thus help them get out of their shell. I got my parents wallflower cat to come out and be around people eventually. I would go to him everytime i visited my parents and he eventually came out and hung out with everyone, including the dogs.

[@emilymarshall1297]

Just got a kitty 2 weeks ago! I love her so much she’s been shy but has been warming up a lot! She is definitely a wallflower but we work on it everyday❤️❤️❤️ Thank you so much for making your videos I’ve been watching for the past few months trying to learn everything my baby needs and is definitely gaining her cat mojo 😸😸

[@elliestarrco]

My beautiful feline son is as loving and shy as you can imagine, he has his specially spots all around the home where he can go hide and no one will ever be the wiser that he is there, he used to live in a home with 3 other female cats so he was always secluded until I got him. After setting up all his stuff around the home, he has become less shy but still hides and runs away whenever someone visits. He loves my direct family and the person that had him before I adopted him at 4months old but everyone else is like a Lion to him

[@mackthisarrowhearth295]

His retracktable pocketsized fishing pole is a god-send in affectiveness, and you can just carry it with you all the time.

[@dachannien]

Hi, Jackson! I hope you'll talk in more detail about Napoleon cats sometime. We have a full-on Mojito cat as well as a tortie who wants to be a Mojito, but she's bullied by our third cat, a grumpy old Napoleon who feels insecure about everything and takes it out on our tortie. Aside from that, they are all three super sweethearts to us humans.

[@HollyOly]

Another tip for the Santa Clause jackpot is for Santa to toss the treat across the room so Wallflower gets both a treat AND distance from the scary hooman. Food reward AND functional reward. I personally pair it with the cue, “get it!“ before tossing, but that’s not necessary. Gradually increase the criteria for the reward to one step at a time approaching Santa.

[@WittyKitten]

My cat doesn't fit the term wallflower as it's explained in the video but she is very jumpy. She gets scared by everyday noises that she hears 24/7 or me just walking slightly faster or heavier, etc. From what I was told by the rescue, she was found as a stray kitten alone with no mother or siblings and it took a long time for her to come out of her shell. She's made a ton of progress but I wish there was a way to help her not feel so nervous

[@donnavorce8856]

Play with her. Be the jackpot person Jackson suggested. Then play with her some more. Bet it'll help a lot.

[@minioner5080]

I’ve recently got two cats (girls),one is already comfortable in our home,the other was a wallflower,(constantly hiding behind furniture) we just left her hoping she would come out of her shell,but wasn’t really working,until I broke out the toy on a stick,and now she’s out and bout everywhere,and even now sleeps in her bed and doesn’t get up and run away if you walk past her,she’s definitely settling in now

[@AL-gh2zz]

Hahahah the kitten on the back of the bus 😂 this was so helpful. My kitty so scared of my new apartment

[@bedazzlejuju]

My anxiety torti is an EXTREME wallflower and I have so much guilt. She’s such a sweetheart. She’s starting to suffer from stress related alopecia. I want to fix it, help her. 😢

[@freddielind5282]

I owe you a BIG thank you! Dewy is an inside/outside cat. Her mama was killed in the trailer court at 4 weeks old. My husband passed (he wanted her) and we moved from a house & yard to apartment. Yeah Dewy lived under the bed! I found YOU years ago my hero! I got her a huge cat tree, cat wall in my bedroom & I put her tree in front of the big windows. I also put a cat wall in the livingroom. I put cat TV up outside both rooms & she's a bird watcher! She's never ever really liked people except for the small babies. After 7 years we moved back to a big house with a roomate. Her wall is in the garage now as she loves it out there. She comes in the house. It's taken 18 months for her to go to the roomate! Now she asks him for treats, & let's him pet her. So THANK YOU Jackson for giving me the information & tools I needed to make her a happy 🙀 over the years! I belive Dewy is living her best life! Dewy has run off every stray in the neighborhood, my neighbors love her! She's a mouse, shrew, mole catching fool. When we moved here there was a tiny kitten (we call her turtle) Dewy has made a friend! She has not run turtle off. Turtle comes in the garage & they play, sleep,eat together. I have warming houses for both cats in garage & outside.

[@drivenbysuccess6022]

Thank you so much my newly adopted wallflower is now coming out an asking for pets and playing with toys in the center room

[@legitlyspelunking]

My torby kitty is something of a mix between a mojito and wallflower. Apprehensive at first but warms up pretty quick and is very giving with her love 🥰

[@bextc32]

We have a covid cat (got from spca prior to covid but prime socialisation time was when we were in lockdown) so this is great to encourage us to work on his fear of doorbells. Thanks!

[@helenwest8099]

Moo

[@TheMidnightBandit]

Jackson, you are an absolutely brilliant individual. Your videos are like the Donut Media of cat videos. You are absolutely amazing! Thanks for all of the great content! As a first time cat owner (a senior tortoise shell cat named Petra), your videos have been invaluable to our happiness! Wishing you even more success in the years to come!!!

[@edcostes535]

The indeed thing is so effective. My dorm room has pillows and such blocking them so it’s ugly af but my cat has become so much more relaxed in more open spaces it’s so worth it

[@susansaoirse2797]

So glad I found you. I have 4 cats, including 1 Wallflower and a Mojito who decided to live here. Now there's also my son's cat, a definite Napoleon, who's recently joined us. He's been awful to all of them really, but mostly to the Wallflower. Just these 2 videos have given me so much insight into why they are the way they are and how I can help them both. I have a plan now. Thank you so much for the help and the hope.

[@Stlouisbartending]

Wallflower will still retain their core when feeling unsafe so good communication too

[@rachelcarter2443]

I did all of this and my Bijou is am amazing distinguished citizen. I would add also that the wall flower can easily be ignored and I have to intentionally seek her out and give her attention in a way that works for her cool and aloof preferences.

[@viktorija4485]

Jackson, I have a deaf cat. A white one, of course.😉 Could you please make a video on this subject? Thank you for all the tips, they are very helpful, thank you! Happy holidays, greetings from Slovenia from a regular viewer!

[@tonchido]

Blue eyed,of course?

[@donnabaardsen5372]

My former girl, Sox, was all white, with a pink nose, ears, and gold/yellow eyes. She wasn't deaf, common in white cats; however, white cats are very susceptible to cancer. Specifically, the one she developed at 17: squamous cell carcinoma of the jaw. So very sad for us. She lived two and a half more months after diagnosis, and we had to put her to sleep. Though I have a new precious girl, Babette, adopted at four months old and is now four years old, 20 years later, she is still greatly missed. Be on the lookout for this cancer in your white fur baby 🐱❤️

[@Nikki-mx5my]

I would love a video on deaf cats. I have had my deaf boy for many years.

[@Geraldine.kittens.cats.48]

hi all kitty pawrents. thank you for loving kitties! i have recently adopted my baby girl Styla's daddy. a feral all his life, recently neutered - yeah - and learning to not swat but to play with toys. he is such a gentle guy and meows softly when chatting. loves to come for gently soft tickles. teaching him that toys exist and not needing to swat anymore took about a week. i never pushed him - he always came to me. i would site on our rug and play with my other cats first so he could see what the object was - used different toys - so he could see its a fun thing and not a threat thing as well as seeing HOW the others kitties play with the toy. before, he used to swat my hand even when holding a wand or shoelace. he has learned that the end of the toy is the fun part and no swatting required :) he loves catching soft toys. he starts playing with toys on his own now which is great cos he recognises what toys are and he can have some fun with them. very sweet loving boy - he wants to say hello to all the other kitties and make friends but hasnt played with anyone yet. patience and love - then all kitties will show who they really are - cats are made with love and ARE love !

[@holaCarolina]

I came for my cat and got life advise for myself. Thank you❤

[@lizstokes9091]

Tortitude 🤣 yup I got one of those. Sweet, loving, cuddly, playful...until someone else comes in the house and she's gone!

[@InsertFacerollHere]

Hi Jackson! Thank you so much for putting out so much information about kitties. I just rescued my first cat; she was one of many cats (about 6-12mo) that were abandoned where I work recently. I've only had dogs my whole life and now I'm binging your videos to learn how to take the dog colored glasses off while I get to know my cat Shinx! We set up her basecamp (bed, crate, litter box, scatcher box, water, toy mice) in a quiet en suite bathroom. We feed her twice a day and when I'm home to supervise, I open the door so she has access to the whole office and her bathroom. It's been about 1 week and she is warming up slowly, but still not interested in exploring, playing or treats when I'm around. On the bright side she went from hiding under the toilet to chilling in her counter-top bed. Yesterday she reached out to sniff me when I came in, and ate some of her food while I was in the adjacent room. The only information I'm really having trouble finding is like.. a timeline on what to expect for a cat to adjust to a new home? Like they say that dogs take 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to learn routine, and 3 months to get comfortable. What's a normal timeline for a rescue cat to settle into a new home, and some behaviors to expect during that time? When should I start being worried about things like her not being interested in play, or continuing to hide? How do I know I can start introducing her to my dogs (currently staying somewhere else) and is it normal that she just kinda yells a lot? I don't speak cat yet, but if I did a bad lip reading I'd say she's going "WHERE IS EVERYBODY?!?!"

[@Claire_Multipassion_Creative]

Thanks Jackson! Great tips. As an introvert I was taking notes for myself lol 😂 Happy Holidays Cat Nation!!!! 💚💚💚

[@Zackifrass]

I have a super wallflower cat that I rescued when he was 4 months old and was abused so he's so scared of other people that aren't me but we've been slowly giving him more people to learn that it's okay and they give him treats so thank you very much for this.

[@nightpanther1527]

Great video, I adopted 2 kittens - brother and sister. Boy kitten had some issues with his eyes at first so he wasn't great at playing/hunting and he was a bit shy. Eye drops from the vet helped and now he's a Napoleon and the girl kitten is a wall flower - she loves lounging on the back of the couch against the wall and she's anxious when people come over :/

[@JL-gq6tu]

Thank you Jackson! I am very grateful for these contents.

[@Futurebound_jpg]

I have one cat who is literally the most Mojito cat to ever exist, and another one that is the shyest wallflower 😂 my cat Fae will rub and climb all over guests the second they come in, and demand to be held, screeching at them for attention! when I take her out for walks on a harness, she runs up to strangers, and does the same thing! My other cat, Amber, can’t even go outside because she gets SO scared of every little loud noise even in her own house, and will scramble to hide. 😂 I love them both equally, and I think they make each other’s lives so much better. Fae really needed a companion because she is SO social and gets lonely when left by herself! And Amber needed a confident older cat to show her the ropes, the shelter REQUIRED her to be adopted to someone with a confident older cat to bond her to!!! I said “sounds like the perfect job for Fae” and theyve been inseparable since. It works out, often! Their differences makes caring for them easier. For example, I only have to take one of the cats out and I don’t have to try and wrangle to two leashed cats at a time, because only one of them likes to go outside. Fae I only have to kick one of my cats off the counters because she is confident enough to defy rules that I’ve already set in place and trained. Whereas my timid cat will actually listen when i teach her not to do something 😂 Amber One cat begs for affection and is demanding about it, screaming at you and clawing her way into your arms 😂 Fae The other cat is just as affectionate but typically leaves you alone. But if you walk up and pet her she will never walk away, she will sit there and purr for hours enjoying every moment. Amber My confident cat tries to claw me when i brush her teeth. Fae My nervous cat just freezes and lets me do it quickly and without having to roughly restrain her! Amber. They’re equally difficult and equally enjoyable. Love them to bits

[@kg-Whatthehelliseventhat]

Literally

[@caryd67]

Shortly after the passing of my little girl Bitsy, I was presented with a new kitten from some friends. This kitten was born in a barn, and 100% feral. How did I turn things around and earn her trust and love? Simple. I played with her. And also Churu. Lots of Churu. That stuff is an amazing tool.

[@jchambers5668]

Sooooo great! I love this video! I do understand, too, this takes some investment of time and consistency. It'so worth it!

[@HonesTeaBeauTea]

Aweee I didnt know what a wallflower was ♡ my kitten wasnt but she went through a traumatizing to her experience and now she is. Im working with her hours each day. I comfort and challange. I let her be in her closet or my bathroom during the day when its more loud. I close the closet and let her only have the bathroom. Then I close the bath. I do it slowly. I love her too much

[@IgorEngelen1974]

Nice summary. I certainly remember the sitting down. Couple of other things I used to do was have a huge cattree with hiding spaces. small boxes all over the place so she didn’t have to run back to 1 particular place to get shelter. I also used to create paths of snack to get my kitten out of rooms/hiding spaces. and then there’s the toys and playing ofc, very short sessions in the beginning.