Helping a Cat That Is Afraid of People

A cat calm with family but scared of guests usually missed early socializing. For kittens, expose them to all kinds of people—men, women, children—and reward the meeting so they learn humans are safe. For adult cats, change the people, not the cat: brief visitors ahead of time never to chase or grab, to move naturally and wait for the cat to approach, using a favorite treat to win trust. When the cat does come out, sit or crouch to its level and be patient.