The key facts

  • Cats' fear of appliances is linked to acute hearing, wariness of the new, and negative experiences, including deliberately scaring them with a vacuum cleaner
  • Stress can worsen existing illnesses and lead to aggression — scratches and bites
  • Advice: let the cat explore the appliance, turn it on briefly and from a distance, and if it gets scared, switch it off and try again later

Why cats are afraid of household appliances

Unfamiliar sounds, wariness of new objects, and unpleasant memories can cause a cat to fear household appliances. Veterinary doctor, feline specialist, and zoopsychologist Angelina Sirotina told Moskva 24 about this; a brief summary of her words is provided by Gazeta.Ru.

Negative experience and consequences for health

According to the specialist, cats are usually wary of unfamiliar things and prefer to first observe them from a distance. Because of their acute hearing, loud or previously unheard sounds can frighten them. The most difficult situation, Sirotina said, is casesin which the fear became entrenched due to a negative experience: 'For example, if someone previously deliberately scared the pet with a vacuum cleaner as a joke.' Such actions, she emphasizes, undermine the animal's trust in humans and reinforce the fear.

How to get a pet used to appliances

The veterinarian warns that prolonged stress can worsen existing illnesses and, in some cases, contribute to the development of health problems. A frightened cat may react sharply and scratch or bite its owner. To help a pet get used to a new appliance, the expert advises giving it the opportunity to calmly explore it: leave the device on the floor, turn it on at first only briefly and from a distance. If the cat gets scared, it is better to switch the device off and try again later, gradually accustoming the animal to the sound. Earlier, Gazeta.Ru notes, the zoopsychologist already gave advice on choosing a name for a pet.