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My cat, Pip. We got him in september of 2014. He was lively, playful, brave, and hyper. My brother is a very mean guy. He sees amusement in other's pain and fear, and enjoys teasing me until i break down and cry for his own sick amusement. He does love the cats, but I think he broke one of our cats, Pip. As you can see, he used to be so happy and lively. How did he change?

Somewhere in 2015, my brother thought it would be funny to 'spook' Pip. Randomly jumping out at him, making loud noises, sneaking up on him, just being mean to him and doing everything he can to scare the cat. Quickly, Pip became very skittish, fearful, timid, and overall not at all what he used to be. He's still hyper, but uses it on the wrong things, such as running and jumping at the smallest of sounds, and begging for treats. He's not the same. It's been about a year and he's still this way.

I don't know if we can ever get the old Pip back, or if my brother scared him so bad he's forever broken. Either way, i really want help with this because Pip used to be so fun and happy. Now he's probably afraid of his own shadow.

Help, please?

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  • Is your brother still living with you?
    – mhwombat
    Commented Nov 16, 2016 at 22:39
  • Yes, he is. I don't think he really understands what he did to poor Pipper. in his mind, it was all in good fun. Not in Pip's.
    – booty tornado
    Commented Nov 16, 2016 at 23:24
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    Outside of getting rid of the brother... Get the cat out of that household, and re-home it with someone who has the patience and skills to convince it that most humans are humane. Yours is not currently a household a cat can live in.
    – keshlam
    Commented Nov 17, 2016 at 0:14
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    If your brother loves cats, he better learn how to treat them properly. If he treats them badly: NO CAT! I am sorry if that means no cat in the family, but it would be unfair to the cats to keep them around your brother unless he learns to be better to them!
    – Layna
    Commented Nov 17, 2016 at 8:55
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    I'd suggest that if the family clearly understood that your brothers behaviour has traumatised the cat, they should enforce more appropriate behaviour in your brother. Seriously - cruelty to animals is inacceptable - in particular when that animal is so dependent on you for its wellbeing and survival and does not have a choice. Honestly you'll all be doing your brother a favour by tempering his actions now.
    – andrewbuilder
    Commented Nov 17, 2016 at 9:02

1 Answer 1

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First deal with the source of your problems and discipline your brother, ensure that he will not continue to treat the cat with the same behavior. After you are absolutely certain he will not mistreat your family pet anymore you can start focusing on Pip more.

You'll want to give him more attention than usual and stay communicative. Always be positive when you are interacting and give him treats liberally throughout the day. If your brother is up to it and you trust that he has matured you can attempt to change how Pip views him by letting him give treats to the pet and start developing a positive relationship with Pip.

Your cat is not going to change over night, just like she did not develop anxiety over night, however with time and consistent positivity throughout her interaction with the family you will eventually have a happy family cat again.

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