How to Help Your Scared Cat! 

Very happy that you exist Jackson! You help so many people and cats.

No wonder Xander freaked out, I’d too if I saw my buddy teleport away

The cats mom is so chill….seems like the cat isnt use to all the noises….plus those are so beautiful cats

Nevermind a scardy cat, I wanna learn how to teach my cat to teleport like Suki! 😂😂😂

I have a scaredy cat as well, same as Xander, he's super affectionate and sweet, but loud noises, me moving too quickly, me walking towards him (!) and he bolts. It makes me so sad. I honestly try to jostle him occasionally and be super kind afterwards, but he's ten years in and not changing. Poor baby.

She really does need to do ASMR, because I was SOOOO relaxed listening to her

"Tape recorder" didn't sound wrong until you pointed it out. You're not that much older than I am.

I'm learning about noise and cats thanks to you. My girl reacts most of the the way I expect her to react. One morning however, she slept through an earthquake!

Makes a lot of sense. I feel like my house is a library sometimes. I talk so quiet and walk quiet and make slow movements constantly. Once anyone with a slightly louder voice or louder presence in general arrives, she's insecure

My new kitten has started to get used to certain noises that initially frightened him. I've found that exposure to these noises helped de-escalate his fear, obviously not to the point of traumatizing him for ones he really doesn't like, but he's begun to relax around my noisy house. (Edit: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! 😄💕)

Next: How to keep an eye on your teleporting cat. 😊

Jackson - thank you from Tasmania. I've always appreciated your advice and recommendations. My beautiful boy died 2 months ago after 17 years of being in my life. Not having a cat around was so painful and I missed him terribly. Two weeks ago I adopted 2 cats - 1 guessed at 5 years, the other 6 months. They have adjusted to each other wonderfully, sleep, eat, wee together. Yes I did say wee together 🙄😁. After burying my much loved cat in the backyard I'm starting to love again. The 2 new boys are a delight. Thank you for helping me ensure my new cats settle in well and happily in their new home.

If you look closely, you can see Suki run across the back of the couch -- pay attention to the reflection from the tv! That's how she "teleported" 😁 timestamp: 1:41

First one here having a little one that hides away when guests arrive 😂😂

Me to the person upstairs - Hey do you think you can stomp around up there MORE so I can record it? Thanks!

Yesss!!! I just rescued a really scared cat and this is perfect!!!

It's weird that the bravest and most daring creatures in existence are so scaredy. Or maybe they are the bravest and most daring because they are scaredy? Beautiful cats she has :)

4:23 desensitization, counter conditioning 5:20 first step: capture the sound 6:40 second step: find his challenge line 7:35 make that sound less mortifying to him 7:46 counter conditioning 11:58 steps list

Happy birthday Jackson! I just wanted to say that you have made such a difference to both me and my cat Monty's life. I knew nothing about cats when I first rescued him last year; I was feeding him dry food, letting him out all night and not playing with him nearly enough. Now he eats a raw food diet, loves his new catio (looking to cat proof the garden when I move out next year!) and goes mad for his 'da bird' toy. Please never stop advocating for cats online and making your videos, you have no idea how much they help people like me.

Found and took in a cat a few weeks ago. Thank you Jackson for your videos. They truly do help me figure out this cat guardianship life

I got a kitty yesterday guyssssss!!!!!! I love him

We also found leaving the living room TV in 24/7 is helpful for the cats. It's a constant noise. They hear all kinds of signs the noise varies and they aren't as "spooked" as they were before. Now the issue is a power outage, they don't like the quiet.

My poor girl are scared of people, if I have company they will hide until they leave then they come out as if nothing happened

She sounds just like an ASMR or guided meditation video. Just 10 minutes of her talking about her cat would put me to sleep, and I mean that in a good way. 😆

Happy birthday Jackson! You've helped my family SO much, thanks to you the quality of life of our 3 furbabies (and ours) have greatly improved! Purrs and kisses from Brazil :3

My cat was The Poster Kitty for Scardy Cat, we got her at 3 months old and wondered what the household was like. Our house was quiet, her hiding place, depending on what she was hiding from, company, noise or a sneeze. We had a room built, addition onto our house, the poor kitty. She would go to the top of the stairs, all you could see of her was the ears and forehead, the funniest part of a cat. She also much like that it took her looking deck door, I set up a perch in the new room, more to see, a cat bed but she never would go in the room as far as the threshold.

Did you just swat at me? Lol. I love your videos a lot, you teach me to become a more conscious cat family member.

When you live in a area where gunshots are fired: My cat: unfazed, not bothered Me: I jump 15 meters in the air

As a person who hopes to welcome a cat into my home one day, these videos are so helpful : )

I have a three year old adopted from a shelter. Everything including he is really chill and then, he freaks out every time someone walks into the room.

Happy Birthday Jackson!! Thanks for spreading your knowledge. There are more happy cats and owners thanks to you!

Kari you have the most soothing, calm voice, what a lucky scardy cat!!!

Didnt know it was your Birthday, if it is then of course, Happy Birthday Cat Daddy you're the best

Happy birthday, Jackson! Thank you for everything you've done 🥰

About 6 years ago I adopted an "estimated 4-year-old" black cat without much of a tail. She had no history whatsoever as her previous owners had died. In the shelter, she was pretty much living on a roof beam and when I brought her home, she stayed under my couch for 2 months. I'm no expert, but I'd say, she was traumatized for all her 9 lives. Now, 6 years later, this fearful cat has turned into a still somewhat shy, but food-motivated cat, that feels safe and loved enough around a small group of servants, to be the furry pain in the butt she is supposed to be. Yeah, Jackson Galaxy and his knowledge helped me a lot in this process and I'm so happy how she turned out.

My cats are afraid of silence!😂. When it is not my family's working hours, at night, if it is just me at home (and I am really quiet), they start howling so loud thinking they are alone. So I turn the tv on for them and make some noise and play a little bit.

Happy Birthday Jackson! 💕 greetings from Armonia and Elizabeth in Mexico

I love these wfh videos. Jackson is the reason I have such a chill little angel living with me. Im a first time cat daddy at the age of 38 and these videos have helped a lot! I would love to see some follow ups to these videos in the future. Thanks for everything Jackson. Slow blinks from Jay and Tilly :)

My name is also Carey, and that first cat, is my Stevie (but she looks like a blue and white Abssinian, with a coat made of mink... Lol) We got her at very traumatized 5 months old. They even told us that we could bring her back, like others already had. But she was precisely what we were looking for, because we knew we had the right home, and the time she would require. We have had her for about a year, now. And although she is 90% better than she was, and has turned into a very happy, wickedly smart girl... given lots of space, time, patience, understanding, and our 11 year old Chester showing her the ropes (now, her best friend)... she still runs and hides at the smallest little thing. However, there are things that no longer bother her at all... like my electric razor. She is so very happy when she it out and about, following me around the house, cuddling, etc... but it must be HER idea. She has to be 100% certain of the routine, or she will not trust it. And it is not only sounds, it is movement. She LOVES my hubby, but he is extremely tall, where as I am only 5 feet tall. Lol. But if he stands up, she runs. Even if I am walking somewhere not normal in our routine, she will run. My greatest concern is, we could never actually catch her. She can climb a wall from floor to ceiling (not exaggerating) and her nails are like razor blades (as she will not allow us to cut them, like we do Chester's). Chester is not afraid of anything at all, and we were hoping that his fearlessness would also catch on with Stevie. It has in ways, but not in others. We have been working with her, little by little. Picking her up and setting her on the ottoman, and letting go, etc. And she gets better each time, stays longer, doesn't fight it... but we worry about the day when she has to go to the vet, or there is a hurricane and we need to pack up and go. We would never get her into a carrier... and with hurricane season nearly here... is there anything else we can do, that we are not already doing, to move her progress along any faster?? And please don't say treats. Her desire for affection will pull her out faster than any treat. Lol

Jackson, i discovered your videos maybe 1-2 months ago, i mustve watched 10-15 hours of your 5min-15 min videos, its entertaining and useful, the entertainment part really is in the little things and you voice, i love it, i watch them sometimes when my signficant other goes to bed, and i make it bonding time with my cat and put in practice the things i learn, i cant believe this is free, thank you very much and your talent at making a videos entertaining and not just useful is not unnoticed

I've been watching your videos from the day I adopted a pure hearted cat. All of your hints, tipps and advises are pure gold. Since 6 years we are living a supreme happy life. Words can't express the love. Being open, we as humans can learn so much from our feline companions. Thank you.

The way the cat jump off the counter was kinda funny I hope your cat calms down and be more chill.

My little one is reactive to sounds such as the SodaStream and doors opening/closing, but she's also highly averse to people other than myself. The only way most of my friends and guests have seen her is through pictures I've taken on my phone. Notably loud or heavy footsteps are incredibly frightening to her.

Happy Birthday, Jackson! These videos are helpful, even to those of us who don't have a cat yet.

I don't understand why there are no comments about hes retro intro?! It's so badass :;D

Much love ❤ my cat is terrified of the sound of plastic bags ... Except the kitty treats --the can hear that package from another room and running. Selective plastic phobia.

The timing on this is perfect! Tomorrow new carpet is being installed and our quarantine boy (adopted before the lockdowns) is TERRIFIED of other people. By other people I mean delivery drivers and the mail man. He has had one interaction with someone entering the house and hid for hours after. Will be recording all the "scary" sounds tomorrow.

Zander: chillin Suki whispers: run Zander: 😬 We just rescued a kitten and she’s getting used to my klutziness. Last night while I was cleaning her base camp, I dropped the entire bowl of dry food, and it went everywhere, and the kitten just sat down and looked at it all. I think she was impressed with my skill level. 😅

Congrats Jackson ❤. Thank you for all the really helpful tips.

her voice was angelic.

I agree. Kari is super chill. I just zoned out when Kari started talking. My brain just said "Ahhhhhhh."

Happy Birthday, Mr Jackson Galaxy! Thank you for this post.

Treats work well for this too. Keep bags of treats all around the house and frequently give the cat a treat or two. Frequently. It gets them to come out of their shell and feel more secure, more taken care of. In some cats it will work miracles after a day or two. I learned about this in another Jackson video.

Jackson I swear you know exactly what challenges I'm currently facing with a cat. I just adopted a new cat about 3 days ago and he's on high alert. He's made a lot of great progress and is definitely desensitized to traffic and outside people sounds but is struggling when people in the house open doors. I'll definitely be using these techniques! Thank you.

Jackson: "so grab your tape recorder" My 34 year old self: *listens but doesn't react* Jackson: "did I just say tape recorder?! wow i aged myself" Me: 👀🤷

Happy birthday Jackson!!! Thank you for all the great work you do, for cats and their human serfs! We’d never have managed to befriend our formerly feral currently only semi-feral floof friends if it weren’t for you! 🙌

This is so helpful for getting my cat used to street sounds - I live in a quiet neighborhood in a big city, so walking to the vet is stressful for her with all the cars and people and she’s not used to it

Jason this is brilliant! I would have never thought about such solutions

Happy Birthday Jackson! 💕

This is now one of my favorite videos! It's interesting in so many ways and Jackson, you have such a good sense of humor. Good luck to Xander in becoming less reactive to random sounds. Awesome teleporter kitty and Mom, yeah, you've got a potential career in hypno-relaxation... This was an information and fun video!

Thank you Jackson for adressing this! I have a family of four cats, one of who, Junior, is highly reactive, unlike her sisters, who are both very cool cats, and their mother is sort of in between. It is nice to know that the reactiveness is a personality trait, not bad behavior, and that I can work with it.

Wow! I had been waiting for this one.

Happy birthday Jackson!!!

Hi Jackson ☺ My girl Mimi past owner did a lot of travelling and Mimi was left alone most of the time. When I got her she was so scared of every little sound. So I would show her where the sound was coming from. This helped her soo much Jackson. Every time it would thunder the poor girl would hide under the bed 😣 but with lots of love and understanding it know longer frightens my little girl 😸 I truly love and enjoy watching your videos 🤗 Jackson you are a blessing too all of the cat lovers out there ❤❤ Keep up the amazing videos my dear friend 👍👍👍Sending you loads of hugs from Mimi & Me 🤗🤗🤗🤗

The way the scaredy-cat we were watching the video came out from under the couch as soon as we started this video, must be your voice!

Happy birthday Jackson! Love your content ❤

Jackson you are amazing and soo helpful. Thank you for all you do.

Lol your so right Jackson very chilled atmosphere ♥️😊

Carrie almost put me to sleep too with her voice 😂 Suki can teleport as well. There's something going on in that house. 🤔🪄✨

Thanks for this! Great video!

Happy birthday Cat Daddy! You’re a cat-saver, hope you have a joy filled celebration, like human catnip

Jackson you the best ❤ i started watching your video before i adopted my cat, to be ready. I learned so much 🐱 i never had cat before. Thank you Tai grow for fantastic cat. He's is king in the house, living his happy kitty life, we are so happy too to can understand cats language. Thank you so much❤❤❤

Can’t even sneeze without freaking out my cat like that

Beautiful timing i have a new 3 yr old rescue and she's having a hard transition poor thing got spayed 48 hrs ago, moved to the main adopt floor then adopted by some strange lady that only got 20 mins to meet her and moved to a new home (its a lot) Fingers crossed.

I'm sure glad you're around Jackson

Happy Birthday Jackson!!

Jackson, we adopted Oreo about two years ago from a veterinarian. 90% of the information we were given turned out to be lies. An example is that she said he was a kitten; our vet said he was 2-3 years old (she could tell from the tarter on his teeth). She never said anything about him being feral: the top of his left ear had been cut off. He has bonded with Jon but, from day one, has been terrified of any female (including me). He is so scared that if any woman walks into a room, he will run and hide. We believe the person who abused him was female, hence the running away. I have done everything I can think of and tried the suggestions from your videos. We are at a loss as to what, if anything, to do next.... Help, please.

This one was right up my alley.

Happy birthday Jackson!

Happy birthday, Jackson! 🎂✨

I agree that Keri (?) is super chill to listen to! Also, I have a wallflower kitty, but thankfully she's totally chill with sounds unless they're very sudden. First time I brought out the vacuum cleaner and started that bad boy? She came up like: whatcha doin'?

Great question great answer this was a really good topic Cat Daddy you nailed it! we love you man!

You are brilliant dude!!!

I just discovered you. This is the second video I saw by you and I love your videos/channel. I even subscribed.

Happy Birthday Jackson! Been a fan a long time! Don't have a cat, but hope to have one in the future.

So glad I saw this, my mango is a good example of this video since spring has sprung and my windows are open the landscapers have started with their mowers he is scared to death and runs away and under the bed. I am going to try this desensitization process you described to see if this works. He is such a sweet boy and I don't want him to be scared I got him and his sister during covid 19 and it has been extremely quiet until now although his sister gets used to noises very quickly, he does not. Hopefully I will have a good news update soon. Thanks Jackson I really needed this video😻

He said tape recorder! I love it thanks for this video.

Happy birthday Jackson! I want to let you know your RU-vid channel has helped me get my first formal education in Pet Psychology. Cats seem to be less focused on when it came to why they do what cats do (if that makes sense). I hope the text books catch up but for now, you have made understanding the complexity of cat behavior easier for me to grasp and apply when interacting and studying my in-laws cats. Oh and it helped me pass a ton of tests ;) PS been teaching shelter cats to high five because of you. It REALLY does make a cat more adoptable and confident!

Thanks Jackson 😽

This technique actually works really well! My Bombay, Daisy, was born a street cat and she was so afraid of men that my male friends almost didn't believe I had a cat. I invited 3 of them over at the same time, sprayed their pant cuffs with catnip, and we all sat very quietly and watched a 2 hour movie. By the end of 2 hours, she had actually revealed herself to them and now, she can actually approach the strange man from Comcast who literally drilled a hole through my outer wall and made ALL of the loud, scary noises. One of my male friends that visits the most has even been permitted to pet her.

thank you!! my cat has exact same issue. you explained great

You always have such great answers for any problems or issues, however, with my cat Lacey, well, if I trained her with treats I would have to give her treats each time she heard a loud noise. She’s so smart. Lol

Thx for the videos they are very helpful

You have taught me so much. I have a scary cat too. I’m honing to try this.

happy birthday Jackson!!!!!!

I think you're right. Mine will freak out about sounds after a prolonged period of silence. If people are sleeping, or out of the house, the cat gets used to things being super quiet, and overreacts hugely to minor noises. Once there's a more busy hustle & bustle for like 10 minutes, the cat is very relaxed about minor sounds. I notice it especially when coming home, or when I've just woken up. I close a cabinet (even softly) after prolonged silence? "freak-out!". If there's routine sounds? no big deal.

So frustrating how RU-vid won’t allow me to check for notifications…. Love love love watching and sharing your videos

Needed this thanks for this Jackson! Ours jumps all the time and hopefully me scaring him (in a god way. He loves hide and Seek) isn't making it worse.

Happy birthday, Jackson!;)

I was gonna say too she should do asmr videos! Such a calm relaxing voice, the purring happy kitty also makes it even better.