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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Please help, new cat seems traumatised!!!

72 replies

Daisycat22 · 04/05/2014 12:04

So, I brought home my new cat on Friday from a rescue centre and things have not gone so well since!

He is a young cat who was found wandering and taken to the cat rescue centre (so no history know). He had been there just over a week when I saw him and really liked him.

When I met him he was a little hesitant but let my son and I stroke him and he seemed OK with this.

So I bring him home Friday and basically I haven't seen him since!....He is in one room with all his toys, litter box and food and he has just been hiding behind the sofa since he got here. I've generally left him alone but he seems to be absolutely terrified!.....he is wedged right in the narrowest end of the sofa facing the wall and just stays in that position all day. He comes out at night to eat (very little) and that's it!!

He has not made a sound, but seems rigid with fear and his breathing is very fast like he's panicking.

I'm wandering if he is feral and never been in a home before (he's under a year old)....I've had lots of cats in the past and never experienced this level of fear before.....any advice??

OP posts:

ThistledownAndCobweb · 06/05/2014 18:15

Lovely news, I love that moment when curiosity wins through and they start to venture out.
Then you have to pretend not to be excited, and just play it cool whereas inside you're uber excited.

soaccidentprone · 06/05/2014 18:30

We had a cat which we took in after a relative died. She disappeared completely upstairs. Couldn't find her anywhere, but knew she was hiding somewhere. Eventually located her in the saggy hessian underneath ds1's old bed.

Another cat I had, when we moved, did the same thing. We eventually found him in the hollow bit you sometimes get at the back of a chest of drawers. He lived to 19 and was very happy.

He will come round eventually. Just carry on being patient. and give him lots of places he can hide ie in boxes, behind curtains, in cupboards etc.

You could also try sprinkling a small amount of dried valerian on the floor. Cats love it, but is rather pungent

soaccidentprone · 07/05/2014 08:25

try this

LoopyLa · 07/05/2014 11:58

Nice one soaccidentprone!

LoopyLa · 08/05/2014 21:00

How's your cat doing Daisycat?

Friedbrain · 08/05/2014 21:27

How's your cat??

gobbin · 08/05/2014 23:02

When he is happy to come out in the open part of the room confidently, to get him to come to you try kneeling down and just hold your arm out pointing your index finger. He may not approach for days, but do it every day for a bit and eventually he'll approach your finger-end to sniff it. Just let him but don't go for any other contact. Don't attempt to pick him up at all, esp from above. Cats see your finger end as another cat's nose which they come to greet.

Do this for a few days and gradually move on to stroking the side of his mouth/face with the side of your finger. A few days later move onto stroking his side with the side of your finger. Don't rush it, keep calm and quiet as you are currently doing.

We had kittens (and mum) like your boy and it took two weeks from 'under the sofa' to 'side stroking'. You can see pics on my profile of our daft lap cats now!

I got this tip from a cat psychology site as our kits wouldn't come near us, they were spot-welded to their mum. Daft as it may sound it worked, and I haven't had the crouching finger-end trick fail with any new cat I've met since.

Original poster

Daisycat22 · 09/05/2014 09:49

Well......he still hasn't come out (in daylight hours anyway!)

He is still behind the sofa and there seems to be no sign of him coming out anytime soon.

He eats and uses his litter tray at night. I have tried ignoring him, tempting him with treats, talking to him and he won't budge....I feel a bit despondent to be honest .......how long can he seriously carry on like this?....he can't be happy wedged behind the sofa, the gap is quite small behind there

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 09/05/2014 10:14

He could go on like this for a couple of weeks anyway, Daisy, if my experience is anything to go by. Try not to become despondent. He may always have been a bit tentative.

If it's any consolation, once Seniorboy came out of his mountain fastness and decided to re-bond, he converted with a great thump and is back to being a one-woman cat - although I think a little more sociable generally than when he lived with my mother. It just takes some cats a little longer to relax.

One thing I found with him is that he likes a telly or some low volume but fairly constant noise source on in the room. Maybe it's what he was used to as a kit or maybe it acts as white noise or is generally comforting. I don't know- but it certainly seemed to ease him when he had his little stroke a year or two back. Might be worth a try with your boy if you can put up with it during the day/evening for a little.

Stay strong. Remember, if he's eating and using his tray he's not real unhappy but just adjusting. (A cat who was seriously unhappy would likely just hunch up and wither away completely.)

Come and moan at us if you feel low - it will all be worth it when he finally does decide to join the household. (Worth it much more than if he was an easy conquest, probably!)

Jenda · 09/05/2014 20:09

He'll come round eventually Im sure. We rehomed a 3 year old cat two years ago and he immediately got under the bed and stay put. He was scared of all noises, people and due to having been shut outside in a previous home was terrified to leave the house for months. It took lots of dreamies and patience but he is a different cat now. Goes in and out as he pleases, brings in several mice a week , calls out to us when we get home so we know where to find him and give him some attention, he also loves people being here and will lie belly up on the rug and bathe in social blissfulness! (although touch his tummy and you die). Even now people comment on how much more confident he seems everytime they come round and he will sit on anyones lap. Infact, he's snuggled up on mine right now. I never ever thought he would be this chilled and I hope this rambling essay will reassure you a little

OTheHugeManatee · 09/05/2014 20:31

Don't lose hope, OP. He's just taking time to adjust. He's eating and using the litter box and will come out and socialise in his own sweet time.

Our rescue cats were feral kittens and mostly hid for ages. A year on, they sleep on the bed, chat to us constantly, demand endless tummy tickles, and wait by the back door for DH to come out at dusk and patrol the garden with them. Cat whispering takes patience but bringing a shy one round is amazingly rewarding.

Did you get the Feliway? When we moved house it made a huge difference.

PigletJohn · 09/05/2014 20:34

if you leave him a person-scented woolly jumper or vest, I wonder if he would gain confidence?

YeGodsAndLittleFishes · 09/05/2014 20:40

Yes, a soft fleecy blamket to lie on the same colour as his fur might be popular.

YeCat likes dried chicken treats called thrive. She will do anything for them.

cozietoesie · 10/05/2014 10:40

Did he have a a good night?

Original poster

Daisycat22 · 10/05/2014 17:15

Hi, thanks for all your replies and support.

He came out last night as usual and he obviously had a good time judging by the mess he had made in the room!

He's eating and using his litter tray as normal but he's still behind the sofa . I did sleep in an old t-shirt last night and put that behind the sofa and he's sitting very near to it, so hopefully that will help.

I'll just carry on as I have been, I realise the poor little thing must be terrified of us and in time he'll realise we're not going to hurt him.......I just have to be patient

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 10/05/2014 17:27

Hopefully, the T shirt will help (good idea that one PigletJohn) although you do realize that that will likely make him a real one-woman cat?

I think you're right though - patience, hard though it is. I should repeat though that when these stand-offish types finally give in, they usually (in my experience) give in completely - to one person. Hope you're ready for a shadow?

Keep us up to date with what's happening.

PestoSunnyissimos · 10/05/2014 18:04

Just keep going about your daily life. Our rescue boy here took a whole month before he finally ventured out from under my bed.

LoopyLa · 11/05/2014 17:10

How's your puss today Daisycat?

Original poster

Daisycat22 · 12/05/2014 16:31

Update:

Yesterday evening around 8pm he came from behind the sofa went towards his bowl, turned around and saw me, (we stared at each other in shock) then he ran.

I stayed quite still and about 10 minutes later he came out again, went towards his bowl but saw me and ran (this time I didn't look at him)

I went to work this morning and (as usual) I left fresh food out for him. When I came home he had actually eaten it all and used the tray!!.....he's never ventured out in the day (even if I'm out) so I was shocked to see this.

I'm really hoping that his confidence is growing a little and he will come out properly soon......(it's been 10 days since we brought him home)

LoopyLa Have you brought home your rescue cats yet?.....

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 12/05/2014 17:05

Oh he knew perfectly well that you were there! (All that feigned shock was just for show so that you would appreciate properly his condescension.)

Sounding good.

Fluffycloudland77 · 12/05/2014 17:38

He's waiting for the hand carved butter basted turkey to appear in his dish

I wonder how long he took to settle in the rescue?

OTheHugeManatee · 12/05/2014 18:44

Delighted to hear he has deigned to make a cameo appearance.

LoopyLa · 12/05/2014 20:10

Hi Daisycat I brought home my 2 furry babies earlier today! They've not eaten yet and are wedged together in the windowsill I'm just sat in the room with them, hoping to get some movement out of them soon!

cozietoesie · 12/05/2014 20:26

Start doing a task, LoopyLa, even if it's only a book or a movie. Nothing worse to a cat than a human who is just sitting there looking at them - you could be a predator or something!

Good luck.

PigletJohn · 12/05/2014 20:28

have you got him a cardboard box with a vest in it?

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