Cat dislikes husband

[STavernier]

We adopted a 2 yr cat from shelter. Have had him over a year. He seems to strongly dislike my husband. Runs away when he sees him. We have tried giving him treats-which he'll take but as soon as food gone, he runs under couch, etc. What can we do to make him like my husband? We know his original owner was a man so suspect abuse.

[jenky]

try ignoring him, but doing the long blink thing if the cat looks at him - a few days of this finally won round my neighbours old cat who used to hiss and growl a lot. I'm sure he'll come round.

[WendyS]

You're probably right that previous abuse by a man is an issue.  You could try building up your cat's confidence by letting your husband be the only person who feeds him.  That way, hunger might gradually help him overcome his fear.  Does your husband perhaps have a loud voice or boisterous manner which the cat might find intimidating?     If the sole feeding arrangement doesn't work over a period of time, maybe it might be kinder to rehome him with a sole woman owner, however painful it might be.  I sympathise with you  It must be frustrating to have adopted a cat wanting to give him lots of love and discover he responds like this. But like humans, animals too can be victims of their previous circumstances and develop an automatic response to circumstances they find threatening.  Good Luck.  Keep us posted.

[Clare A]

I think WendyS's suggestion eminently sensible. Animals take to or against people for all manner of reasons, so I hope your husband doesn't feel too bad, STavernier. A dog we know (an Airedale terrier) wouldn't take to my partner, no matter how friendly the overtures when we met at the bus stop. We narrowed it down, with the help of the dog's owner, to the fact that Hendrix had been abused by a former owner with a drink problem. Because we almost always saw Hendrix after the pub, he associated the smell of beer and a male voice with an impending kicking.

My friend Ian has a nice little West Highland white terrier, Riley. The dog was all over me this evening, until a friend of Ian's came along on a motorbike. Although Riley knows the man ('Its Mike!'), he couldn't stand the sight of him in his leathers and helmet. Must've looked like an alien!