How Feline Nurses Build Trust with Fearful Cats

Listening to body language

For Shannan, safety begins with choice. She spends time having calm, uneventful interactions, often just saying hello or giving a gentle pat without it leading to any treatment. These moments show the cat that not every approach will end in restraint or discomfort. As she explains, “allowing them to give and remove their consent for things as often as they like without forcing any interaction faster than they’re comfortable with” helps reduce fear and build trust. Letting the cat lead each interaction is what helps them start to feel safe.

Reading body language is central to her approach. She pays close attention to how cats respond to sound, touch and movement, noticing whether they look away, hide or stare with wide eyes at an oncoming hand. Each of these small responses helps her judge how ready they are for communication and how to proceed safely. By recognising these cues, she can tailor her handling to the individual cat and prevent unnecessary stress.

The perfect environment

When asked about working with a particularly anxious or fearful cat, Shelley talks about a lovely big boy who arrived after already visiting two other clinics that day. By the time he reached CSS, he wanted no handling at all and reacted to every attempt at care. Our environment was pivotal in helping him calm down. “We are so lucky in our cat-only hospital that we have a quiet place to allow them to settle and adjust,” Shelley says. With privacy, a covered cage, a hiding box and a small dose of gabapentin, his fear began to fade. Within a day, the same cat was relaxed, affectionate and rolling over for belly rubs.

To gauge patient comfort, Shelley pays close attention to the smallest details. She uses the ‘grimace scale’, which requires reading facial and body cues that reveal how a cat feels. Ear angle, muzzle tension, eye shape, tail position and vocal sounds all tell part of the story. The outcome will guide how she adjusts her handling and environment to keep each patient calm.

Cats are still one of the most misunderstood patients in veterinary care. Their quiet nature can be misread as indifference, and their defensive behaviour often hides fear or pain. In a busy hospital, it takes training, patience and empathy to interpret and respond in a way that helps them feel secure.

For Shannan, feline nursing is a skill that goes far beyond the science. “Our job requires extensive communication skills, both direct and indirect, as well as the ability to read subtle cues and think critically,” she says. Years of experience have taught her that caring for anxious cats involves educating others, advocating for the patient and deciphering what each cat is trying to communicate.

Shelley encourages her peers to see anxious cats differently. “They are not aggressive. They are not spiteful,” she says. To her, fear is often mistaken for bad behaviour, when it’s simply a cat trying to protect itself. With time and the right approach, even the most afraid patients can become affectionate and cooperative.

The feline internal medicine specialists at CSS are supported by a dedicated team of feline nurses who understand that communicating with cats takes observation, respect for boundaries and the ability to adapt care to meet both their emotional and medical needs.

To find out more about our experienced feline nursing team or the services available at Cat Specialist Services, contact us today.

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