Have you ever approached a cat, made her take one look at you, and then watched her flee in the opposite direction? You’re not lonely at all.
If it’s your pet, and she just does it sometimes – particularly if she’s touching, tapping, or even whacking you with her paw before fleeing – you’re probably dealing with a playful “catch me if you can” dare: a trap to get you to play.
Your cat is probably running away from you because it doesn’t like being petted, picked up, or anything else it feels you’ll do to it if you get close enough.
If you make a move toward a cat, it will almost certainly flee if it suspects that whatever comes out of you next will be unpleasant.
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Probable Reasons Behind Cat Running Away From You
1. Instinct Tells To Run
Domesticated cats are descended from feral cats, though some of their characteristics can still be seen in house cats.
In the wild, cats used to prey and larger predators used to kill them. As a result, their action is manipulated by an unconscious fear reflex.
This instinct is most likely the cause of your cat’s aversion to you.
If you’ve just rescued a cat, you’ll want to give it some time to adapt to your presence.
2. Personal Time
Every cat has a distinct personality, and you can anticipate how it would act in a given situation.
While your cat is likely to be a sociable and polite feline, some cats will enjoy some alone time.
If you handle the cat at the wrong time, it will flee as soon as you begin approaching it. In this case, it’s best to leave them some space to allow them to take in their surroundings.
You will speed up the process by making their personal environment more comfortable.
3. Trauma!
Uncomfortable behaviour in cats may be triggered by past stress. If you’ve rescued a cat from a sanctuary, you’ll want to inquire if it was mistreated in its former home.
Approaching the cat to pet it may be causing the terror.
The only way to solve this dilemma is to give the cat ample time to heal from the previous trauma.
Your cat may lick your eyes to show affection!
4. Worst Social Skills
Since the breeder or caretaker did not adequately train the animal, it might be running away from you.
The kittens should be exposed to human contact as soon as they are two to seven weeks old, according to the breeder.
If they are given this training at a young age, they may have a positive attitude toward humans as they get older.
You can work on their bad socialisation problems later in life, so you’ll need to be careful with them while you get them used to being around you.
5. Irritated By Noise
Another explanation may be the noises you make when you approach the animal. You must ensure that you do not make any unnatural or harsh noises in their vicinity.
Cats dislike noisy noises, which might explain why they are fleeing from you.
It’s quite likely that your cat’s memory isn’t good enough for him to feel safe around you. You should, however, allow them enough time in this regard.
6. Too Much Well Treatment
For cats, too much happiness can be dangerous.
For instance, if a new friend arrives with a bunch of things and you are overjoyed (laughing, yelling), or if a new kid is born into your family, this may cause a shift in how they feel.
The fact that this fuzzy creature has been the object of focus for a long time has been second nature to them.
As a result, they are affected by the abrupt transition! They sense that they are being ignored and begin to flee.
Leaving your cat in complete darkness can cause trauma and he may run away from you!
What To Do If Your Cat Is Trying To Get Away From You?
Take your time, like I did, to follow the easy steps below if you love your cat and want it to stop running away from you.
1. Gain Back Trust
First and foremost, ensure that reciprocal confidence is created. Holding your cat for the majority of the time does not imply that you have established confidence.
Many people have a misunderstanding on this. It’s a resounding NO!
As a result, there’s no need to keep them all the time to show them how much you do. If you do so, cats will pick up on it and learn to stop you in any case.
They have the ability to pick up on trends without your knowledge.
Break up your cat instead of catching it any time you get to see them! Enable your pet to approach you on his or her own.
2. Under Control
It’s easy to note that cats are naturally straightforward animals, so don’t over-complicate them.
If they believe you are using the same tactic for the same goal, they will get bored of you and ignore you. Allow them to make their own decisions.
Allow them to do whatever they wish. You are re-establishing confidence and demonstrating true affection in this manner. Allowing them to sit on your lap is as easy as that.
Each cat, like us humans, has its own distinct personality. Yet there seems to be only one constant, and that is the need to be in command.
3. Train For Interaction
Make every effort to teach your cat to be fine as you approach. Repetition is needed to get your cat to trust him next to him.
Approach the cat while he or she is occupied with something else, such as sleeping or feeding. Simply serve the bowl of food and keep standing next to it while serving their meal.
Enable them to approach and feed. Simply reverse the procedure until your cat is used to it. During nap time, you should do the same thing.
Simply sit or stand beside him and do nothing; as you can note, he will fall asleep again. A minute or two will suffice, and then you may depart.
When you repeat these steps, your cat will be happy, assuming that you will just sit or stand beside him and be interested in what they are doing.
When you approach your pet, teach it to be happy with you. In this term, you will set two primary goals.
First and foremost, make sure they realize that approaching them does not imply that you are bothering them. Second, the fact that you are approaching means that something really positive is about to happen.
Allow your pet to sniff your hand so that he or she will identify you based on your scent. One way to get rid of a cat’s shyness is to scratch its chin. Finally, be careful with both your pet and yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my cat suddenly running away from me?
Cats are known to be fiercely defensive. They form a structure between themselves. This characteristic, which is linked to territoriality, can contribute to another cause for the cat to flee from you as the owner. Your cat may be fleeing because it is searching for a house that you have taken away from it when you moved.
Why does my cat run away from me when I try to pet her?
This behaviour is often the result of the cat’s bad socialisation as a kitten. Some cats are simply more susceptible to being pet; it does not feel comfortable to them, and it arouses or irritates them. A cat who dislikes the sensation of being pet will flee to escape the feeling.
What does it mean when a cat turns away from you?
They’re just saying that they love you and want to look after you by showing their backs to you. When they’re faced away from you, they’re both on the lookout for threat that could attack you, as well as catching prey for you, ensuring that both of you succeed.
Why does my cat reach his paw out to me?
When snuggling with you in bed or on the sofa, some cats will stretch out a paw to you. Holding their paw out to you while they’re still spending time with you affectionately is yet another indication that they like your company and want to be next to you.
Final Words
If you’re a new pet parent and your cat runs away any time you want to pet or catch her, don’t be alarmed. It will take a little time and determination to win over your pet.
It’s possible that she only needs some space and alone time, and it’s all down to her instincts as both prey and predator.
Whatever the case may be, make sure your pet cat is well-cared for, and she will begin to adapt to your caring gestures in due time.
Let us know about what you got to say about your cat’s weird behaviour in the comments section below.
