Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In the Strange Behavior forum about a year ago, I posted about Chessie's fear of visitors coming into my townhouse.

This past Saturday night, a friend of mine spent the night at my place. Chessie initially started hissing and then took off to hide. I checked on him a couple times during the night, and he was hiding in a different spot each time but was otherwise okay.

Sunday morning, I went to give Chessie his heart medicine, but I couldn't find him anywhere. We began looking everywhere, even checking all of the closets that had been closed when we turned in for the night. I then noticed some hair hanging out of the cupboards above my countertops. I opened the doors, and he was curled up inside. I could tell by his eyes that he was scared. At the same time, I knew I needed to get him out of the cupboard since he's not allowed in there at all. I went to lift him out of the cupboard, and he went nuts. That's when I realized I should have put a shirt on before even attempting to move him since I now have claw marks across my chest and stomach. He jumped out of my hands and took off, hiding until my friend left.

While I understand that he has a fear of visitors, is there anything at all that can be done to calm him down when I have company over? I obviously can't just never have anybody stop in to visit since my family does come to my place from time to time.

What is interesting to note is what happened last December. My parents came by one afternoon, and while we were in the living room, I heard my dad tell my mom to look over at the kitchen doorway. There was Chessie, stopped in midwalk looking at them. My mom said hi to him, and he bolted back to the kitchen. So at that time, he did seem to want to come into the same room as the company I had and then chickened out.
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Chessie and Casey Jones relaxing together.

Hi There,

I think the very best thing you can do for Chessie is confine him in a room when you have company if it is at all possible. If not, then perhaps your vet can prescribe an anti-anxiety drug for Chessie. There are several different drugs available, however, with his heart problem, you would have to be extra careful with the dose. Chessie's fear of visitors is going to be a lifelong thing, I'm afraid.

If you find yourself having to move him again when he is frightened, try talking to him quietly while putting a thick towel, or even a small bathroom rug, over him. Be sure to cover his head, as this will help him to relax a little. Pick him up very gently even if he is somewhere he isn't allowed. If you are upset with him, things will only get worse. He will panic and you will be more likely to get hurt.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Well, unfortunately, confining him to a room is not an option. In both the bedroom and my office, he has the potential of getting into things if left unsupervised, which is why the doors to those rooms are usually left closed unless I'm in there. Same with my basement.

In a week, I'm taking him back to the pet hospital where he's getting his 6-month heart check, and I'll be asking them there what they might recommend.

The thing I got to thinking about last night is what do I do if I ever meet somebody and we decide to move in together? He's obviously going to have to learn to accept our new member of the household.

When I moved him Sunday morning, I now know that I should have at least worn a shirt to protect myself. If I have to do that again, I will try using a towel to cover him. When I did move him, I was being very gentle and trying to coax him out of the cupboard. Of course, without using a towel, he was free to try swinging his legs around. Thankfully, the cuts in my chest and stomach are fading quickly.
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Chessie and Casey Jones relaxing together.

Hi Again,

Since isolating Chessie isn't an option, I recommend you ask your vet if he can have a drug known as clomipramine. The brand name is Clomicalm.

I have 2 cats on this medication for various behavior issues and it works very well for them.

As far as possibly meeting that special someone, hopefully Chessie will be able to adjust as time goes on. Clomicalm is an excellent anti-anxiety drug and Chessie might be more social while on it.

Good to hear that your wounds are healing quickly. I know how painful those scratches can be!

Take care,
PHKitkat