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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To keep new cat shut away

27 replies

AverageHuman · 29/07/2020 12:47

So we have a new cat adopted from overseas where they have a tonne of strays. All the stuff it’s doing is totally normal (hiding, keeping me awake at night, flying up the chimney, getting wedged in floorboard holes..).
Since seeing her escapades we have her shut in the playroom and shes been hiding in there. Its been a week since she arrived now and I decided to get a big crate so she can be downstairs with us but not get lost in the house.
She totally freaked and scratched me and DH to bitS when I tried to put her in it.
Should I Just Block the holes then let her have free run of the house? I feel like I may have to But I’m not sure I can cope with not knowing where she is hiding at all times, whether shes even alive, or managed to escape, or whether she will Still eat and drink blah blah blah.
I’m finding it all more stressful than a newborn baby! At least they don't go anywhere for a few months!

OP posts:
DaenarysStormborn · 29/07/2020 12:51

Wait until she's comfortable in her small room before trying anything. I know it's hard - we hard two kittens last summer and it was so tempting to let them out...but let her get adjusted to the smells of your house first. Also get any vet work, flea treatments and everything including spaying done before she comes into contact with your other rooms and soft furnishings.

Start by using fabrics like blankets in her room that can then be moved around the house. As she begins to explore 1 room at a time, the smells will calm her. Just don't rush - the fact that she is crawling into holes shows she is terrified with her new surroundings.

Nottherealslimshady · 29/07/2020 12:52

Make your house safe and let her have run of the house. You cant put the poor thing in a cage. You need to let her hide until she's ready to come out. I think you should ring the rescue you got her from for advice, they shouldn't have just left you to it, you need to be helping her with her anxiety.

dementedpixie · 29/07/2020 12:52

No you can't enclose a cat in a cage. You should cat proof any dangerous areas and let her explore and suss out her new environment

Stompythedinosaur · 29/07/2020 12:54

I think keeping her in a room until she is more confident is OK, but a cage seems too much. Let her hide until she wants to come out. Maybe try a feliway plug in to reduce her stress?

BoingBoingyBoing · 29/07/2020 12:56

No, you can't force a cat into a cage.

If you can't cope with a cat being a cat you should get a dog.

hula008 · 29/07/2020 12:57

Block the holes and let her explore!

SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing · 29/07/2020 12:58

Why are you putting her in a cage? It's totally normal to confine a cat to one room initially, to help them settle in, and then gradually let her discover the rest of the house. Don't move her, no wonder she scratched you.

Board off the chimney, block any holes, and make the room cat proof. Make sure everything it needs is in that room. Go in there and quietly spend time with her frequently, but let her come to you when she's ready, don't try to pick her up.

caringcarer · 29/07/2020 13:05

If you rescued her she will be used to her freedom. Don't put her in a cage, she will hate it. Plug in a Felaway. Put food out and leave her to settle in. She will want to be outside and after a few months it would be cruel not to let her out. Get her vaccinated and neutered first. Get her a radiator bed for when it is cold. This cat will never be the cuddly stay at home pet. When you let her out she may well run away as she is used to.her freedom.

Thelnebriati · 29/07/2020 13:09

What advice did the rescue give you about settling her in?

Original poster
AverageHuman · 29/07/2020 13:18

Thank you.. We have the Feliway plugged in for a few days, its good. I read on an excellent cat expert site called Messy Beasts About the crate Idea, they recommended for More longer term anxious cats to get used to the surroundings in a safe space. But to be fair shes already getting more relaxed than the first day when she crawled in a hole. Hope we are not back to square one now after today :-(

The rescue place has got all her health stuff done already so shes good to go. They gave us some advice from her foster carer but even there she lived in a warehouse so has never been in a home.

The only reason I permitted a cat was that it would be more independent than a dog so that all good. I’m Just uber safety conscious. I feel I may need to Just block any hazards I can see, give it a couple of days Till she calms again and then let her have more freedom.

OP posts:
SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing · 29/07/2020 13:19

I've just adopted a cat and have all the settling in advice that they've emailed. I can send you that if that's any use?

MadCatLady71 · 29/07/2020 13:20

She should be confined to one comfy room for a week or so until she feels totally at home there - with litter, food and water. Don’t worry if she chooses to spend loads of time under the bed or on top of the bookcase. Try to spend some time in there yourself, talking to her and just hanging out (not forcing her to be petted, wait for her to come to you).

Then let her venture out at her own pace - just leave the door open and let her explore the rest of the house.

Crates are best kept for training puppies, not cats.

Congratulations on your new family member!

Original poster
AverageHuman · 29/07/2020 13:27

@SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing yes please! Should I message you my address?

@MadCatLady71 thank you. thats exactly what we’ve been doing and making progress.. should have just continued with that dammit

OP posts:
Regulus · 29/07/2020 13:34

All the things you mentioned are typical cat behavior ime, one spent so much time on the ledge inside the chimney we ended up calling him Claus. Just get her to understand that the rattle of the dreamies packet is worth coming out of hiding for.

purplewolfie · 29/07/2020 13:37

Make sure the cat can't see the crate as it will continue to freak her out.

dementedpixie · 29/07/2020 13:38

We put our dreamies in a lidded tub. Makes a louder noise and brings the cats running

Original poster
AverageHuman · 29/07/2020 13:43

To be fair she doesn’t come for anything. Yet. Will try Dreamies!

I have been petting her while she hides away. The vet said we need to encourage her to become part of the family. She purrs like mad when I do but she won’t come out except when we are not in the room.

OP posts:
dontgobaconmyheart · 29/07/2020 13:47

No crate OP, it isn't right, and to be honest I'd have thought that assessing the house for hazards/holes would have been something that should have been done anyway, if you were getting a pet. I'd get proper advice from a vet, speak with the cats foster carer and take googled advice only from places such as cats protection.

She needs to chill out and then explore at her own pace. The climbing and hiding etc is all normal. I'm sure she'll get there. Try to keep the house quiet where you can. Any banging or sudden noises tend to upset things.

Definitely try to get her accustomed to your general presence and voice. I'm sure she'll come around. The cat is better off being given to a rescue than being kept in a crate.

Original poster
AverageHuman · 29/07/2020 14:38

@dontgobaconmyheart I know You’d think so right haha but didnt even know hole was there till she found it, had cats as a kid but never had chimneys with a cat before and never heard of it happening (till I googled ‘cat up chimney’ and found it happens a lot!)..

The cat is not better off in a rescue than being settled into her new home, your opinion is just getting silly 😂 I’m always disappointed when someone who may have some good advice ruins the opportunity by not reading the posts properly and blowing it all out of proportion. Especially as anything actually useful they say will be ignored. I don’t care Coz I don’t worry about not being perfect but some people will just not ask for advice again which is worse for all involved.

OP posts:
HardAsSnails · 29/07/2020 14:43

Definitely keep her in one room with everything she needs, make sure she has some elevated spots to observe from.

Go visit and just sit and read or watch TV or whatever, ignore her completely unless she comes to you. Don't pet her when she's hiding. Don't look at her either!

Fanacapan · 29/07/2020 14:47

I had 2 rescue kittens and they were in a crate for a few weeks at first, to keep them safe more than anything. It was a large dog crate, they had their bed food and litter tray in there. They were let out frequently but kept in at night, then we wedged the door open and let them come and go as they wanted. It was mostly because we had dogs and just wanted them all to be safe while they got used to each other. Also to stop the dogs eating their food (and poo!).

Felifox · 29/07/2020 14:51

I rehomed two kittens born in a car park so they were semi feral. They'd never been handled and we shut them in a huge cage first night but they got out and hid. We left them in the kitchen for about three weeks before gradually letting them round the house. After about 3 months they started coming upstairs to sleep next to me. The one I have left is nearly 19 and he goes everywhere with me. He's very talkative and he likes going outside in my large garden. If he's trapped by another cat I can hear him call me to go to get him.

Original poster
AverageHuman · 29/07/2020 14:52

Thank you.
I won’t be back on here for a few days will update then if anything changes!

OP posts:
Original poster
AverageHuman · 29/07/2020 14:55

Thanks both.
Ours is probably semi feral also having spent a year as a stray. She’s lovely though and definitely likes humans so I hope in time she will be happy too :-)

OP posts:
DarkMintChocolate · 29/07/2020 15:01

My family took in 2 strays, when I was a child. First, we put food and a bed for them in the shed, as one was pregnant. Then we put the food in the kitchen - they looked up at the ceiling in absolute terror the first time! It took about a year to convert them into the soppiest house cats ever!

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