| How to Know if Your Cat Is Afraid of Something Posted: 11 Oct 2021 05:00 PM PDT Cats can be afraid of many things, from loud noises and thunder to strangers and children. If you think your cat is afraid of something, look at its body language and behavior, as that will typically tell you.[1] Sometimes, fearful cats will also turn aggressive, as they don't know another way to deal with their fear. They may also run away or freeze. Once you notice the signs of fear, try to help your cat deal with it by avoiding triggers and encouraging good behavior. [Edit]Watching Your Cat's Body Language - Look for dilated eyes. When your cat is afraid, its pupils are likely to get large.[2] That means its eye will look mostly black as the pupil fills it. Your cat is trying to see everything it possibly can because it is afraid, and eye dilation helps it do that.[3]
- You've probably noticed the same reaction in humans. When you're watching a horror flick, your eyes "go wide"--dilate--at the scary parts!
- Dilated eyes can also be a sign that your cat is excited, so don't assume this means your cat is afraid. Instead, check the rest of your cat's body language to determine if the cat is afraid or excited. Additionally, it's helpful to consider the current environment.
- Check if your cat's ears are flattened. Typically, if your cat is a little afraid, or at least on alert, its ears will be turned to the side. However, if your cat is feeling very threatened or scared, it will flatten its ears out completely, often to the side.[4][5]
- This posture is different from aggression, where your cat turns its ears back like its ready to attack something.
- Note whether your cat is wrapping its tail around its body. If your cat is scared, it may try to tuck itself in around its own body.[6] That means it may wrap its tail around itself or tuck it under its body completely.[7]
- This action is likely self-comforting in part.
- Their tail may also be curled forward.[8]
- See if your cat is crouching low. If your cat is scared, it may take a defensive position with its body crouched low to the ground. The cat will seem tense and ready to move at any moment with its feet under it, not relaxed and laid out flat.[9][10]
- In this position, it may lower its head, too.
- If standing, your cat's back end will be lower to the ground than the front. Also, their head will be lowered toward the ground.[11]
- Your cat may also be laying on their belly or sitting.[12]
[Edit]Watching for Fear to Turn to Aggression - Notice if your cat's hair is bristling. If a cat is upset and afraid, it tries to make itself look bigger by fluffing out. That way, it can scare away whatever it's afraid of. You may notice its hair sticking out on end, for instance, with the whole body puffed up.[13][14]
- In addition, the cat's tail will likely puff up with the rest of its body.[15] In that case, it may stick straight up or out to make the cat look bigger. It may also swish back and forth.
- Watch for an arched back. An arched back is a sure sign your cat is feeling fearful and aggressive. The arch makes them appear bigger to whatever it is its facing in an attempt to scare it off. The arched back and bristling fur usually happen at the same time.[16]
- If you're not sure what an arched back looks like, think of a depiction of a scary Halloween cat with an arched back.
- Look for bared teeth and hissing. When your cat is getting aggressive, it may start showing its teeth. That's meant to tell you its feeling threatened and it may attack. When it opens its mouth to show its teeth, it may also make a hissing sound at you.[17][18]
- Hissing is warning sound that's saying "Back off!"
- Your cat's whiskers will also be held back against their face.[19]
- Be ready for swatting, biting, and scratching. When your cat's behavior turns aggressive, you could be hurt in the fray. Your cat may intentionally or unintentionally bite you or scratch you, as a way to show you it can defend itself against whatever is scaring it.[20]
- It may bite or scratch at other animals and things, too, such as a dog or the vacuum cleaner.
[Edit]Paying Attention to Your Cat's Behavior - Look for loss of bladder and bowel control. If your cat is truly frightened out of its wits, it may defecate or urinate where it is. You may see this happen when you carry your cat in a carrier, for instance, on the way to the veterinarian; your cat may use the bathroom simply because it's frightened.[21]
- Your cat may do this at home, too, particularly if its afraid of another cat, as it may not want to use the same litter box as the other cat.
- See if your cat seems frozen in place. While flight or fight are 2 of the normal responses to something your cat is scared of, "freeze" is another response. Think of a deer in the headlights; it's frozen in place because it's afraid. Sometimes, this happens to your cat, too, when it's afraid.[22]
- Your cat may become statue-like, frozen in a scared position.
- Notice if it runs away. Your cat is employing the "flight" part of the flight-or-fight response. When faced with a scary situation, your cat's main options are to fight the issue or to run away from it. You may notice it shows other signs of fear and then runs off, for instance.[23]
- If your cat disappears as soon as it hears the vacuum, you can be sure its afraid of it!
- Pay attention if your cat hides all the time. A cat who hides away under the bed or in closets is afraid of being out around its humans or of something in your house. That is not necessarily your fault, as some cats are just more fearful than others. Still, you should take note of this behavior so you can try to find ways to deal with it if you can.[24]
[Edit]Helping Your Cat - Leave a hiding cat where it is. If your cat is eating, drinking, and using the bathroom, let it stay in its hiding place for the moment, as long as it is otherwise healthy. Dragging a fearful cat out from its hiding place will only make matters worse. You can still encourage it to come out with a calm voice and treats, but you shouldn't yank it out of its hiding place. [25]
- If possible, place its food, water, and litter box closer to its hiding place. That way, it won't have as far to go to get what it needs.
- Ignore an aggressively fearful cat. If the cat turns aggressive on you, your best bet is to act as if the cat isn't being aggressive. That is, the cat wants you to be afraid and retreat, so if you do, it's learned that aggressive behavior gets the result it wants. Instead, hold your ground, but don't try to approach the cat.[26]
- Also, don't try to pet or console the cat, as that could result in you being hurt.
- Avoid fear triggers when possible. Of course, you can't avoid everything that makes your cat afraid. Many cats are afraid of the vet, but your cat will likely still need to go. On the other hand, if you know your cat doesn't like children, give it a chance to hide when a child comes over. Avoiding these triggers will help your cat be less fearful.[27]
- Don't intentionally antagonize your cat. For instance, if you find out your cat doesn't like canned air, don't keep spraying the air at it!
- Teach your cat to not fear other triggers. With other triggers, try using food to help your cat understand there's nothing to be afraid. For instance, if your cat is afraid of the vacuum cleaner, show your cat the vacuum from across the room and then put it away. If your cat doesn't react aggressively, give it a treat and praise it for good behavior.[28]
- If your cat is aggressive, try repeating the process over time until your cat shows less aggression.
- Encourage a shy cat to come out with play. Sit in the room with the shy cat and bring a fishing-type toy.[29] Try to entice the cat out by moving the toy around, getting the cat's attention. It may want to come out and play. If it does, try not to make any sudden movements.[30]
- Over time, the cat will begin to associate the fun time with you and may work up to hanging out with you more.
- Introduce strangers slowly to shy cats. If your cat isn't fond of being out and about when friends come over, try working with a single person to help increase your cat's interest. Have the person sit still in a room. Encourage the cat to come into the room with a toy or treats and slowly move it toward the new person. If your cat gets upset, let it go back to the other room, though you can encourage it to come out again with treats or a toy.[31]
- Repeat these sessions, and over time, your cat may become used to having strangers around and even approach one.
- Try a pheromone spray or plug-in to help a cat that's always anxious. These products provide similar pheromones to natural ones your cat produces, and it may help soothe an anxiety-ridden cat. You simply spray the air or plug the product into the wall, and it will release pheromones for your cat.[32]
- You can find these online or at most pet stores.
- Take your cat to the veterinarian if it suddenly starts acting fearful. Sudden changes in cat behavior can indicate other issues, such as an underlying health issue. If you notice a dramatic change, it's always good to have your cat checked out to make sure nothing else is wrong.
- Make note of any other symptoms you notice, such as a change in eating or bathroom habits.
- Pheromones sprays and plug-ins can also help if you're trying to introduce 2 new cats to each other.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Post a Picture with Music on Facebook Posted: 11 Oct 2021 09:00 AM PDT Ever wanted to add a little something to your posts on Facebook? This wikiHow will teach you how to add music to either your story or news feed post on Facebook using your Android or iOS phone or tablet. You can't use your computer to create these posts nor can you listen to news feed posts with music. [Edit]Adding Music to a Story - Open Facebook. This app icon looks like a white lowercase "f" on a blue background. You'll find it on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching.
- Tap the tile. It's at the top of your news feed featuring your profile picture.
- Tap . You'll see this tile with a music note on it at the top of your screen. You might have to drag the tiles with "Aa" to the right.
- Tap a song to select it. If you want to preview a song before selecting it, tap the play icon to the right. To show a song's lyrics, select a song with the "Lyrics" label.
- The song will start playing to show you want your story will look like.
- Drag the slider left or right to play a different section of the song. The popularly used segments of the song are marked with stars, and you can tap them to select that portion of the song.
- You can only use up to 15 seconds of a song.
- Tap to select the display options. "Aa" will display the lyrics (if there are any), the following icons are different format and layout options using the song's album cover and the artists' name.
- Tap the color wheel at the top of your screen to change the font color.
- Tap . It's in the top right corner of your screen.
- Edit your story. Use the icons on the right side of your screen and the drawer at the bottom of your screen to further edit your story. You can add stickers (with a location pin, a poll, or GIF), text, doodles, filters, and more.
- Use the drawer at the bottom of your screen to select a colored background or one of your photos in the gallery. Once you're done, tap the x to close the background selection.
- Tap . It's in the lower right corner of your screen and will share your story with your friends.[1]
[Edit]Adding Music to a Post - Open Facebook. This app icon looks like a white lowercase "f" on a blue background. You'll find it on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching.
- Tap the "What's on your mind" text field. Doing this will open a "Create Post" window.
- Tap . You may have to scroll down the menu to find this next to an orange music note.
- Tap a song to select it. If you want to preview a song before selecting it, tap the play icon to the right.
- Create your post. A 30-second preview of the song will appear in your post, under whatever you want to write.
- You can't add a picture to the post since the music preview contains the picture of the song's album cover.
- Tap . The post with the music will be added to your news feed. If others want to listen to the song preview, they will need to tap the play icon in the lower right corner of the album cover.
- People using a computer will be prompted to use the Facebook app for Android, iPhone, or iPad to listen to the song.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Respond to One Word Texts from Guys Posted: 11 Oct 2021 01:00 AM PDT There are few things more frustrating than pouring your heart out to a guy over text, only to have him respond with the dreaded "K." Luckily, if your dude tends to clam up over text, there are things you can do to help bring him out of his shell. Read on for our tips on how to handle a dry texter. [Edit]Avoid making assumptions. - It can be really hard to pick up on tone over text. When you're texting, you can't hear a guy's tone of voice or see his facial expressions and body language. That means it can be really easy to misinterpret text messages, especially short ones.[1] Before you assume that those dry texts mean he's bored, upset, or being passive-aggressive, think about other possibilities. For example, it's possible that:
- He doesn't like texting or isn't used to it
- He's busy or distracted
- He doesn't realize that his short texts could come off as rude
- He wants to chat, but he isn't sure what to say
[Edit]Ask him what's up. - When in doubt, it's a good idea to clear the air. If his one-word texts seem a little different from his usual style, you might worry that something's bothering him. Instead of jumping to conclusions or trying to guess what's on his mind, just ask him what's going on.[2]
- Say something like, "Hey, you seem kind of quiet today. Is everything ok?" Or, "Is now a good time to chat? If you're busy, we can talk later."
[Edit]Try changing the subject. - He might be bored or unsure of what to say. Or, it's possible that the topic you've been talking about is sensitive for him. Whatever the reason, if it seems like he's clamming up all of a sudden, sometimes changing the subject can help. Say something to make the transition to a new topic feel more natural.[3]
- For instance, "Oh hey, I just remembered something I've been meaning to ask you about." Or, "This is a bit of a change of subject, but how was that Netflix documentary you watched last night?"
[Edit]Ask him some open-ended questions. - These tend to require longer answers. If you tend to ask a lot of "yes" or "no" questions, the dude you're chatting with might not realize you're looking for something a little more substantial. The same goes if you're just telling him things without actually inviting him to respond in some way. Try to get the conversation flowing by asking questions that start with who, what, where, when, why, or how.[4]
- For instance, instead of just saying, "Did you have a good day?" try something like, "How was work today?" or "So, what have you been up to this weekend?"
- If you tell him something, follow up with a question. For example, you might say something like, "That snowstorm was crazy last night, we must have gotten at least 10 inches up here. How much did you get?"
[Edit]Switch to a phone conversation. - Texting might not be his style. Sometimes you just need to switch up how you communicate. If he has trouble opening up over text, ask if he wants to take it to voice. You could also suggest video chat, or even meeting up to talk in person.[5]
- For instance, say something like, "I'd love to hear how your big presentation went today. Is this a good time to call?"
[Edit]Give him space if he's busy. - He might be chattier later on. If you're getting a bunch of one-word answers, it could be because he's multi-tasking. You can always ask him if it's a good time to chat. If he says no, take a rain check and try again later.
- For instance, say something like, "Seems like you're busy right now. TTYL?"
- It's totally normal for people to want space from texting sometimes. Even if he's not busy, he might just need a break from texting or want some time to himself.[6]
[Edit]Tell him if his dry texts bother you. - He might not realize how they come across. If you have a good vibe with the guy in general, but his short texts drive you up the wall, it might help to let him know how you feel. Keep it chill and try not to make it sound accusatory, so he's less likely to feel hurt or defensive.[7]
- For example, say something like, "Hey, I love chatting with you, but I'm not sure how to feel when you send a lot of one-word answers. Sometimes I wonder if you're bored or upset with me."
- Try suggesting a solution, like, "Hey, just let me know if you're not in the mood to talk," or "We can do FaceTime if you prefer."
[Edit]Let him start the conversation sometimes. - Slow down if you feel like you're doing all the work. Just like in a face-to-face conversation, things can get unbalanced if one person is a lot more talkative than the other. If you tend to send a lot of long, chatty texts, it's possible that he might just feel a bit overwhelmed. Try slowing it down or stopping for a bit and see if he makes a move to get the convo going again.[8]
[Edit]Chat about serious stuff in person. - Heavy conversations are always trickier over text. For one thing, it's a lot easier to misunderstand each other than if you're talking face-to-face or even over the phone. If you have something important or difficult to discuss, give him a call or ask if he can meet up—that way, you're more likely to have a productive conversation instead of getting a lot of frustrating one-word answers.[9]
- For instance, if you need to talk to him about where the relationship is going, or open up about a tough situation that you're dealing with, don't try to connect with him over text.
[Edit]Move on if you just can't seem to connect. - Sometimes, one-word texts can be a red flag. If you've noticed that the dry texts are becoming more of a pattern—especially if he's taking longer and longer to answer you—then it could be that he's losing interest.[10] If you just can't seem to get a conversation going, and if you're not connecting in other ways (like over the phone or in person), then it might be time to let him go.
[Edit]References |
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