Everything I use and trust for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/
Living with cats has taught me something deeper than just personality differences.
Some cats love to climb.
Some cats love to hide in cozy spaces.
And for a long time, I thought those differences meant confidence vs. fear.
But what I’ve learned is this:
Both tree dwellers and bush dwellers can be confident —
they just express it differently.
And the real shift happens when a cat moves into fear…
into what I now understand as an “anti-dweller” state.
In this Diary of a Cat Mom podcast episode, I share what that looks like, and how I learned to support my kitty Maxie through it.
What You’ll Learn in this Cat Podcast Episode
- The difference between tree dwellers, bush dwellers, and fearful states
- Why hiding doesn’t always mean personality — it can mean fear
- How confident cats express themselves differently
- What happens when a cat shifts into survival mode
- How to support a fearful or sensitive cat without overwhelming them
- How your presence affects your cat’s sense of safety
Timestamps & Chapters
00:00 Tree dwellers, bush dwellers, and anti-dwellers
00:40 What confident cats actually look like
01:40 Bush dwellers vs. tree dwellers (same confidence, different expression)
02:40 What fear looks like: the “anti-dweller” state
03:30 Maxie’s story and the challenge of care
04:30 Understanding fear, mistrust, and sensitivity
05:20 How I changed my approach
06:00 Creating calm before interaction
06:30 Final reflections
About the Diary of a Cat Mom
Diary of a Cat Mom is a quiet, personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments, emotions, and experiences from life with cats.
This space is meant for connection, comfort, and companionship. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom and is not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, it’s always best to consult your trusted veterinarian.
Most of all, please remember:
You’re not alone on this journey. We’re learning, loving, and growing together — one paw print at a time.