How do I ease my cat’s anxiety over ceiling fans?

by Jeremy
(Houston)

When we moved a few months ago, I realized my cat was deathly afraid of the ceiling fans at the new place. I did as much research as I could and incorporated as much positive playtime with her around ceiling fans to the point that she’s typically comfortable enough to lounge around the living room and bedroom now.

Even a few months later, however, she still frequently looks up at the ceiling fan, cowers and runs around a corner. I can get her to play in the living room, and she even sleeps in the living room once in a while, but I’m worried she has this looming fear in the back of her mind that causes her to occasionally look up and remind herself of the ceiling fan.

She also never lets me pick her up under the ceiling fan even though she’s fine with me picking her up anywhere where the fan isn’t visible.

I just don’t want her to be living in fear. Is there anything else I can do to help her feel comfortable where she lives?

It’s a rental and I can’t remove the fans, and it’s not practical for me to go buy a fan to put on the ground to let her sniff and become comfortable with.