Some are afraid and some are not. I think it has more to do with the personality traits of each individual animal rather than past experiences.

Like this morning he was asleep on the part of my bed that he claimed for himself. But as soon as the thunder started he got up and moved over to me and layer against my stomach. Than when I got up to use the restroom he started meowing like I was doing the or St things on earth. I asked the vet but the vets all say cats are odd so who knows. So I always figured it had to do with his time as a stray

and offer them what assurance I could that they would be OK.

My current cat - Atticus - wouldn't budge during a storm that had me diving under bed.

Because deep voices scared it

and seems to make them feel secure. Great for 4th of July fireworks also!

Some of them are afraid of storms and most are afraid of the vacuum cleaner and the dreaded car ride. Two of them will run to find a blanket to hide under when they hear the vacuum. My youngest and biggest cat is so afraid of the vacuum that before I start I take him into the bedroom and cover him with a blanket. As our cats got older they seemed to wise up about the vacuum.

I think you're right about your cat probably learning how to cope when he was a stray by meowing.

Patches my oldest has decided that she wants to be held or be on me as I sleep 24/7. She never bonded with the other cats and when my Ex left with almost half our brood he took mostly all the oldest cats with him and those were the only cats that Patches was comfortable being around.

My cat only really needs to be held during storms other than that he has claimed a pillow on the opposite side of the bed from myself as his. The weird thing is that the vacuum doesn't bother him neither do fireworks. That's why I figured it was left over from being a stray and having to find a place to get out of the weather.

Patches was supposed to go with my Ex. She was his cat when we met. But his new place only allowed 5 cats and she was left to me. The only issue is how long it takes to type on a keyboard with one arm holding her in place. She refuses to lay on my lap.

We have a quiet street now, but when our son had them they were on busy streets with plenty of sirens and things. Then they had a baby and the cats really hated that!

Anyway, now they are here and happy, except when they hear a siren on TV, or the sound of a baby crying, or kids yelling. Then they bolt out of the room--and this is five full years later!

They were also freaked out by thunder storms until they got used to them. We have them in the Midwest but where they came from, the did not.

I would just ignore it, or offer some petting and playtime as if to say "it's no big deal".

and I am certain it is post traumatic stress. I give him a ton
of firm holding and firm massage when he gets into a crying
jag and it almost always calms him.

This kitty was found very tiny lost alone on the street in
a big city. Broken tip of tail. So loving, but in a near-constant
state of alarm.

He was living but malnourished with the tip of his ear missing.

Since I wrote the previous post, I have been thinking about my own little guy and wondering how he got his little tail busted.. it's as if the tip was caught in a big heavy door.

I'm sure all mammals respond the same way to trauma. There is a "freeze" response which creates a survival network in the brain. This network of panic-response is automatically triggered whenever the creature perceives a threat to survival, even if it isn't real. Like I said, my kitty is in a near-constant state of alarm and needs a lot of holding. (I would too. I mean, I do!)

So sweet that somehow the kitty found you, and found safety.

If kitty was neutered when you found him, it's possible he was part of a spay and release program. I have heard they will clip the ear, and then release back into the wild (at least here in NM.)



They also have thundershirts for cats. I've heard they're great for nervous animals.

I'm really sorry about your cat it pains me to see any animals distressed. The last few years I've been involved with some animal programs that really changed my mind on alot of things. I use to work butchering I quit that job cause I couldn't take my emotions toward it anymore and within the last year I've cut my meat intake to twice a week and working on eliminating it completely.

When the fireworks start after a football game, Molly makes a beeline for my lap.

The best one was a few years ago when the Blue ngels did a flyover before the game. They went over out house about eight feet above our roof. Molly was in my lap at the time and as they approached she became more and more alarmed. When they went over she dug her claws into my legs on her way under the sofa. She was gone in about 0.002 seconds. I was inclined to be about one second behind her.

Well, okay, they were probably higher than eight feet above my roof.

All my dogs have been afraid in storms, but this is the first kitteh who's fearful. Firecrackers and other bang-bang during holidays don't faze her, though.