How to help my rescue cat settle in better?
I got a cat from a rescue centre yesterday.She is clearly terrified and hasn't come out from behind the washing machine yet! Well,she must have at some point because her food is going and she has used her litter tray.I know she has the potential to be a great cat,she was calm and affectionate at the shelter. I have done the basics like just leaving her alone and not hassling her but the poor thing is still cowering! No point trying to lure her out with a trail of dry food,she has no teeth. How long can I expect the transition period to last and how can I boost her confidence? There are no other pets in the house and the kids know to keep things calm and quiet.
Public Comments
1. Don't leave the cat alone. Get the cat involved in activities like sitting and quietly watching tv. Pet the ca whenever you can, show alot of affection.Cats adapt quickly, if you leave it alone all it will know is to stay away.
2. Be patient, your cat is still adjusting and as long as you're feeding it and it feels like you're no threat, it will learn to trust you. Maybe it likes washing machines.
3. Patience is the key. If she was friendly and affectionate when you met her, that will come through eventually. She is eating and using the litter box, so she'll come around eventually on her own. Leave her alone and in a few days she may venture out a bit more. I'd say she'll be making some progress in the next few days but a vet friend of mine told me that it takes a cat a year to fully acclimate to a new home. I adopted a cat last year and he was fine in a couple weeks but it did take about a year for him to fully have the program down.
4. Sounds like you are doing everything right. Most cats take a long time to feel safe and comfortable in a new environment. It is a very frightening and upsetting experience to lose a former home, spend time in a shelter cage and then move again to another home.
You can get a bottle of Rescue Remedy from the health foods store for $18. You just shake the bottle well and put three to four drops on the fur between her ears. I realise you can't do that right now and putting the drops on a small cloth and putting the cloth where she is hiding out will help her just as much. You should "refresh" the drops four or five times a day, always talking to her softly in an encouraging and loving tone (I'm sure you do that anyway).
The RR will her overcome her fears and trauma from the past abandonment, being caged and adjusting to her new home.
Good luck! I do hope you will use the RR. She will adjust eventually I am sure. The RR will just make it easier on her emotionally.
5. The reason your new adoptee was so calm at the shelter was because she was caged, and caging her is the very best way to introduce her to your home as well, provided you can lay hands on her to put her in a cage. If you can beg, borrow or buy a cage, do. You will only need it for a week or two. If not, then put her in a small room. Or a very large, hard-sided carrier, one for a huge dog. Put a small potty, a nice bed of fluffy rags, food and water in it. If it is a cage, drape the sides, back and top with a sheet or blanket, so that only the side where the door is is visible. Put the cage in the family room or the kitchen, wherever there is lots of activity. Let her watch your activity and grow accustomed to your rhythms and routines, your sights and sounds and smells, as well as the smell of your home. Let her know that every, single time that cage door opens, something good is coming in that door for her, food, a neat catnip toy, a feather, an earscratching.
And every time you put food in, call her name, then set down the food, and if she will let you stroke her, do. She must make the association between you, her name and love. You get the picture.
When she starts coming to the front of the cage, you are winning the battle. You will know when it is time to let her out, because she will want to come out and explore. But be sure you have a relationship with her, that you have won her trust, that she is happy to see you, that there is a bond, before you turn her loose in her new territory. And try to have nice things for her in the main rooms you want her to haunt. A nice cache of toys here, a scratching post there, and walk with her through the rooms as she explores. Actually introduce things to her, as though she were a houseguest: "Oh, Fluffy, here are some TOYS! (Hold them up, roll them around) Let her know this is HER territory and that she is very welcome here. But first establish trust and a relationship.
You gave her too much at once, and she reacted in a way that is not abnormal. It was just too much to process at once, and she has had bad experiences, so she took the fraidycat way out.
Don't worry. She'll come around.
6. take her to a spare bedroom or somewhere that you can be in there just you and her even a closet or bathroom where she can begin a bonding with you....brush her, pet her , kiss her...once you have her in the small area you can slowly introduce her to a larger area...while you have her in the small area feed her some soft food and give her water...good luck im sure she wiil be fine in no time
7. First of all, KUDOS to you for rescuing the cat. Your cat will come around on her own time, she has to feel secure in her surroundings. I too have a cat that was the same way, he was timid and scared and hid in all sorts of places. After awhile he came around but it was not instantaneously. He would venture out in the middle of the night when everything was quiet. Finally he began to appear in during the day. Now he lays on the arm of the chair with me and loves to be petted and brushed. Just be patient. Believe me it was worth the wait, and it will be for you too.
8. we adopted our cat Tolouze a month ago, on his first day with us he stayed under the table watching us, he would come out for cat treats and then go back, on his first night with us i did wake up to find him jammed between me and my hubby fast asleep...but when awake he was still very very wary..he was only interested in me and where i was...on his second day he went missing for 4 hours..he was hiding in our bedroom and only a tin of tuna brought him out...now he walks around like he owns the place, he plays with us all..he cries and scratches to go in my kids room if the door is shut ..he is unbeleivably nosey, as to be in on everything thats going on....your cat will come round hun, just settling in period, chill out and watch the change once he/she is used to you all...Tolouze even plays with and follows my very loud 10 yr old son
9. What you need to do is treat it like a child. You can't just let her cowle behind the washing machine; you have to pick her up and make her feel comfortable - you are her new family, and she needs to feel welcome. Pick her up, scratch her head and under her chin and on the nose; literally, talk to her like a baby. Let her sleep on your bed at nights, she needs to feel the warmth of your family to feel accepted. I rescued my cat, and everyone absolutely loves him, he literally is the coolest cat around. Very affectionate with other animals and people, which is rare, cuz cats are very territorial. But these are the things that I did, and now my cat is loved by all, and won't leave us alone!!!! Sometimes it's annoying, but he's best friend, but I'm still wondering how he's going to take a Syberian Husky in the house...this is gonna take some work!
10. you nedd to show affection and love to it
