Sometimes animals need some time to adjust. You bring a new cat into a new home, a strange enviroment with strange sights, scents, and sounds, then this guy comes out and starts throwing a yoyo. Add to that the fact that everyone probably is petting, calling, feeding, and giving the cat more attention than it has ever had.
Give it some time, don’t yo around the cat for a bit. Then introduce the cat to the yo slowly. Have a yo in your hand when you pet the cat, even go as far as petting the cat with the yoyo. Associate the yo with affection. You could also do things like hold the yoyo, drop the yo and then give the cat a treat.
Just a few ideas that I’d try. (I’ve done similar things with dogs.)
I have 2 cats, and at first they were a little concerned when I started throwing. They got used to it pretty quick - I like to walk the dog on the cats now
If the cat is new to the home, it’s likely to be extra jumpy and nervous for a week or so, maybe longer depending on the cat’s history (one of my cats is a rescued alley cat, and it took her a good 5-6 months to get 100% used to me and my place).
I would leave some yoyos on the ground, by the recliner, so she can investigate it on her own terms. Also maybe hold the yoyo in your hand and get her to play with the string by dangling it around her.
Skitrz has some great ideas. I think dogs generally are better at forming associations between behaviors and rewards (in my experience, its way easier to train dogs than cats), but at the very least it should get her comfortable around it. And yeah I would just give it time, my cats used to flip out when I turned the vacuum on, and while they still don’t like it, they’ve adjusted.
I stayed with a friends family in Ireland and their puppy always used to try and eat my C3 Halo when I was throwing. It was fun to dangle in in front of it’s face, and since the delrin is kinda slippy it could never really get a decent grip on it. =P
What you could try, then, is take the bearing out, and spin it gently on your finger near her. It’d be quieter, and smaller. Might get her used to the sound.
Hmmmm try and clean the bearing? for the noise. However cats have very good hearing so it all depends if I were you just Yoyo from a distance and slowly get closer with the noise so she doesn’t “freak out” per say.
my cat used to be scared but it got better, now I yoyo and he sleeps but when I get the yoyo close to him he’ll run away, it’s funny sometimes. So just yoyo away from your cat and don’t mind it, then eventually it won’t mind you! and don’t keep your used strings around, or yoyos with strings in them, your cat will eat them, I know mine does !