Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Moonlight on May 04, 2009, 13:31:23 PM

Title: Head shy kitten
Post by: Moonlight on May 04, 2009, 13:31:23 PM
We've had our kittens just over a week now, they have settled in fantastically  but we've noticed that Finn is head shy. He is fine if he comes to you to be stroked or if he can't see your hand when you start to stroke him him, he'll let you stroke all his head but if you go to stroke the top of his head while in front of him he backs away  :scared:, I take it that this isn't normal behaviour as Izzy doesn't do it.

I wondered if my daughters had done something that could have caused it but he's like it with everyone :(

Is there anything we can do to help him?

 :help:
Title: Re: Head shy kitten
Post by: The Duchess on May 04, 2009, 16:15:05 PM
my Cosmo was head shy (and dabby with it) when he was younger but he has largely grown out of it as he's gotten more confident with us and "his" territory i.e. our flat and garden.  Might be something to do with being a dominant boy cat or just a different purrsonality from his much gentler sister.

I've always just put it down to lack of confidence, which can be overcome with time and respect!  Now when he dabs, he usually  :innocent: keeps his claws in...
Title: Re: Head shy kitten
Post by: Kay and Penny on May 04, 2009, 17:11:51 PM
my guess would be that he doesn't yet associate the sight of a hand with the pleasurable experience of being stroked

Title: Re: Head shy kitten
Post by: moiramassey on May 07, 2009, 06:46:50 AM
Flynn has always been head shy if the hand comes from the front of his head, fine it it comes up over his back. Once you're there, he loves a head scratch as much as any of my other cats. You just get used to approaching him in the right way.